Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to read this as Jerusalem simply copying Sodom and Samaria's sins. But the verse insists Jerusalem didn't just follow their example, she outdid them, becoming even more corrupt in all her ways. This isn't just about imitation; it's about a deeper, more comprehensive rebellion that surpassed even the infamous sins of her "sisters."
Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In this chapter, Ezekiel is using a harsh allegory to describe Jerusalem's deep corruption. He's just detailed how Jerusalem, like a child found abandoned and then nurtured and married by God, has repaid His love with infidelity and sin. This verse directly follows the initial comparison to lesser sinners and serves as the turning point, declaring that Jerusalem's wickedness actually surpassed that of even infamous cities like Sodom and Samaria, setting the stage for the severe judgment about to be pronounced.
When you think of extreme sin, certain cities and nations might come to mind. But what if a nation, favored by God, became even worse than them?
The prophet Ezekiel declares that Jerusalem's sin outstripped that of Sodom and Samaria. While those cities were infamous for their wickedness, Jerusalem, despite receiving God's light and law, plunged into a deeper level of corruption. This wasn't just about doing the same bad things, but doing them with greater intensity and a more hardened heart. It highlights a disturbing truth: proximity to God and His blessings can, paradoxically, lead to a greater accountability and a more profound spiritual decay when rejected.
The Standard of God's Favor
It wasn't just what Jerusalem did, but how quickly and how completely they fell into sin. What does this tell us about spiritual decline?
The phrase 'within a very little time' is crucial. It points to the shocking speed with which Jerusalem's corruption escalated. This suggests that spiritual decay isn't always a slow, gradual creep; it can accelerate rapidly, especially when a people are supposedly walking with God. The text also emphasizes 'in all your ways,' indicating that their wickedness was pervasive, infecting every aspect of their lives.
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The Avalanche Effect
Understand the original words
to'ebah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to detestable practices, particularly those involving idolatry or moral impurity, that are morally repugnant to God and violate His holiness.
shachath · Hebrew Verb/Adjective (as used in phrase)
A state of moral decay or spiritual depravity; it signifies the perversion of one's nature or actions away from God's righteous standards.
Ezekiel's prophecy vividly contrasts Jerusalem's unfaithfulness not just with the ancient sins of Sodom, but also with the more recent failures of Samaria and Judah's own kings, highlighting a deep, progressive corruption.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel, with its capital Samaria, falls to the Assyrian Empire. This event serves as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of spiritual unfaithfulness.
620s BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah discovers the Book of the Law and initiates a sweeping religious reformation, attempting to purge Judah of idolatry and syncretistic practices.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports some of its elite, including the prophet Daniel, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, are taken to Babylon following continued resistance to Nebuchadnezzar.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and scattering the remaining population into exile.
This passage describes the sinfulness of Judah, comparing them to lions, wolves, and leopards – predators whose treachery is relentless. It echoes Ezekiel's point that Jerusalem’s corruption exceeded that of even the most wicked surrounding nations, highlighting a persistent theme of Israel's unique and profound disobedience.
Matthew 11:23-24Jesus himself pronounces a harsher judgment on Capernaum than on Sodom, because Capernaum experienced God's mighty works yet refused to repent. This parallels Ezekiel's accusation that Jerusalem, despite being God's chosen city with abundant spiritual privileges, became even more corrupt than the notoriously wicked cities of Sodom and Samaria.
Romans 1:21-23Paul explains how humanity, though having knowledge of God, chose not to honor Him and instead became futile in their thoughts, darkened in their foolish hearts, and exchanged the truth of God for a lie. This demonstrates the spiritual principle of how rejecting God can lead to a deeper, more profound corruption than simply following earthly wickedness.
2 Kings 21:9This verse describes King Manasseh of Judah leading his people to do more evil than the nations the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel. It provides a historical example within the Old Testament of Judah exceeding the wickedness of pagan nations, reinforcing Ezekiel's charge against Jerusalem.
pulpitEzekiel 16:47: "Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways."
Verse 47. - The words in italics indicate, as usual, a difficulty. A better construction gives, Thou hast not... done after a small measure only. So the Vulgate, Neque secundum scelera earum fecisti pauxillum minus. The LXX. connects the words with the clause that follows: "Thou wast all but (παρὰ μικρὸν) co…
ellicottEzekiel 16:47: "Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways."
(47) As if that were a very little thing. —Better, thou hast not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations a little only, but hast done more corruptly than they, &c. This excess of wickedness is constantly charged upon the Jews (see Ezekiel 5:6-7 ). Sodom had indeed sinned grievously in its d…
It's easy to read this as Jerusalem simply copying Sodom and Samaria's sins. But the verse insists Jerusalem didn't just follow their example, she outdid them, becoming even more corrupt in all her ways. This isn't just about imitation; it's about a deeper, more comprehensive rebellion that surpassed even the infamous sins of her "sisters."
In this chapter, Ezekiel is using a harsh allegory to describe Jerusalem's deep corruption. He's just detailed how Jerusalem, like a child found abandoned and then nurtured and married by God, has repaid His love with infidelity and sin. This verse directly follows the initial comparison to lesser sinners and serves as the turning point, declaring that Jerusalem's wickedness actually surpassed that of even infamous cities like Sodom and Samaria, setting the stage for the severe judgment about to be pronounced.
In this chapter, Ezekiel is using a harsh allegory to describe Jerusalem's deep corruption. He's just detailed how Jerusalem, like a child found abandoned and then nurtured and married by God, has repaid His love with infidelity and sin. This verse directly follows the initial comparison to lesser sinners and serves as the turning point, declaring that Jerusalem's wickedness actually surpassed that of even infamous cities like Sodom and Samaria, setting the stage for the severe judgment about to be pronounced.
"Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways." — It's easy to read this as Jerusalem simply copying Sodom and Samaria's sins. But the verse insists Jerusalem didn't just follow their example, she outdid them, becoming even more corrupt in all h…
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Last reviewed October 2026