Ezekiel 16:48-50
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This isn't just saying Jerusalem was bad; it's highlighting that their sins, committed with greater light and knowledge of God, actually surpassed even the notorious wickedness of Sodom. It's a staggering indictment – that having known God's grace and warnings, their betrayal was, in God's eyes, even more profound.
As I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord is detailing Jerusalem's profound spiritual adultery and idolatry, comparing its sins to those of its "sister" cities. Having already described Jerusalem's unfaithfulness as worse than Samaria's, God now invokes the notorious example of Sodom to emphasize the extreme depravity and unfaithfulness of Judah. This verse declares, with divine finality, that Jerusalem's sins have surpassed even those of the infamous city of Sodom.
Sodom is famously wicked, right? Yet, God declares Judah's sins were worse. How can this be?
The Lord opens this verse with a solemn oath: 'As I live, declares the Lord GOD.' This isn't just an expression; it's God swearing by His own life to confirm the truth of what He's about to say. He's emphasizing that the sin of Jerusalem, and by extension Judah, has surpassed even that of Sodom.
Why Greater?
The Bible calls Sodom Judah's 'sister.' What does this unsettling comparison reveal about their shared spiritual condition?
Calling Sodom Judah's 'sister' is a powerful, almost shocking, way to draw a connection between them. It underscores how far Jerusalem had fallen, to the point where its sins could be compared to the infamous wickedness of Sodom, a city destroyed by God’s judgment.
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Understanding the 'Daughters'
This parallel serves to magnify Jerusalem's guilt. It wasn't just a few individuals; it was the whole system, the entire social and spiritual fabric, that had become deeply corrupt.
Understand the original words
Chay Ani · Hebrew Phrase
A solemn divine oath asserting the truthfulness and eternal existence of God as the living witness to His own declaration.
'avon · Hebrew Noun
An act or state of being that incurs liability before God; a transgression that demands atonement or punishment.
ga'own · Hebrew Noun
An inflated sense of self-importance and arrogance; a sinful attitude that sets oneself above God or others, often considered the root of all other sins.
shilvath hashqet · Hebrew Noun phrase
A state of being overly satisfied or secure in material wealth, often leading to spiritual laziness, self-reliance, and indifference toward others.
'ani ve'ebyon · Hebrew Noun phrase
Those who are oppressed, disadvantaged, or lacking the basic necessities of life; God frequently commands His people to care for these individuals as a reflection of His character.
gabah · Hebrew Verb/Adjective
A mindset of looking down upon others; a spirit of arrogance that contradicts the humble heart God desires in His people.
This verse starkly contrasts the sins of Judah with those of Sodom and Samaria. While Sodom's destruction is a well-known symbol of divine judgment, Ezekiel reveals that Jerusalem's infidelity and corruption, especially in light of God's covenant and privileges, were even more profound and deserving of judgment.
c. 1900 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with nearby cities, were destroyed by divine judgment due to their extreme wickedness.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, fell to the Neo-Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its people.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and many of Judah's elite were exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II following a siege of Jerusalem.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population of Judah to Babylon.
c. 580 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Prophecy of Judah's Guilt
Ezekiel prophesies to the exiles in Babylon, using the vivid allegory of Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife to expose the depth of their sin.
Jesus uses Sodom as an example of judgment, directly referencing the passage that compares Judah's sinfulness to it, highlighting that even Sodom will face an easier judgment in comparison.
Jeremiah 2:10-11This passage also condemns the Israelites for adopting the practices of surrounding nations, even calling on them to check the shores of distant lands for sins as egregious as their own, echoing Ezekiel's comparison.
Romans 2:21-24Paul speaks about the hypocrisy of those who teach others not to steal but then steal themselves, and the greater condemnation that comes from defiling God's name while claiming to honor Him, which is the core accusation against Judah in Ezekiel 16.
Ezekiel 5:6-7Ezekiel himself was told that Jerusalem had rebelled against God's statutes and ordinances even more than the surrounding nations, setting the stage for the specific comparison to Sodom made later in the chapter.
cambridgeEzekiel 16:48: "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters."
48 . Cf. Matthew 10:15 ; Matthew 11:24 .
pooleEzekiel 16:48: "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters."
As I live; an oath which God often confirms his word by, and certainly that may be believed which the God of truth confirms by his own oath. See this oath explained, Ezekiel 5:11 . Hath not done; hath not equalled thy sins, how little soever thou believest this; the disparity lieth in this, she the less, thou the greater sinner.
This isn't just saying Jerusalem was bad; it's highlighting that their sins, committed with greater light and knowledge of God, actually surpassed even the notorious wickedness of Sodom. It's a staggering indictment – that having known God's grace and warnings, their betrayal was, in God's eyes, even more profound.
The Lord is detailing Jerusalem's profound spiritual adultery and idolatry, comparing its sins to those of its "sister" cities. Having already described Jerusalem's unfaithfulness as worse than Samaria's, God now invokes the notorious example of Sodom to emphasize the extreme depravity and unfaithfulness of Judah. This verse declares, with divine finality, that Jerusalem's sins have surpassed even those of the infamous city of Sodom.
The Lord is detailing Jerusalem's profound spiritual adultery and idolatry, comparing its sins to those of its "sister" cities. Having already described Jerusalem's unfaithfulness as worse than Samaria's, God now invokes the notorious example of Sodom to emphasize the extreme depravity and unfaithfulness of Judah. This verse declares, with divine finality, that Jerusalem's sins have surpassed even those of the infamous city of Sodom.
"As I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease,…" — This isn't just saying Jerusalem was bad; it's highlighting that their sins, committed with greater light and knowledge of God, actually surpassed even the notorious wickedness of Sodom. It's a stagg…
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Last reviewed October 2026
