Ezekiel 16:61
Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to read this as simply God forgiving Jerusalem and making things right. But notice what God doesn't say: He doesn't say Jerusalem is restored because she kept her covenant. Instead, He declares that the other nations will be given to her "not by thy covenant," meaning this restoration isn't earned by Jerusalem's faithfulness, but is a radical act of God's grace for all who will receive it.
God promises Jerusalem a future restoration where she'll be ashamed of her past actions as she receives other nations, represented by her "sisters" Sodom and Samaria, as her own children. This future inclusion of Gentiles isn't due to Jerusalem's broken covenant, but rather as a direct act of God's new covenant grace, a fulfillment of Abraham's promise. This will lead to a profound and lasting sense of shame and repentance for Jerusalem's past betrayals.
When God restores, He doesn't erase the past; He makes it vividly clear. What does this mean for our own journey of faith?
This verse reveals a profound truth about God's restorative process. When Jerusalem is brought back into favor, she won't forget her past misdeeds. Instead, she'll 'remember her ways' with a deep sense of shame. This isn't a harsh punishment, but a vital part of her healing.
A Vivid Recollection
God's remembrance of His people (Ezekiel 16:60) prompts their remembrance of their sins. This isn't about dwelling on guilt, but about confronting the reality of their actions. The shame that follows is a sign of a heart turning back to God, recognizing the gravity of breaking His covenant.
Shame as a Safeguard
This shame isn't meant to crush, but to protect. It acts as a safeguard against falling back into old patterns. By truly understanding why they lost God's favor, they are better equipped to cherish the new relationship and avoid repeating destructive behaviors.
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Imagine your enemies becoming your family! This verse describes an astonishing shift in relationships, powered not by merit, but by God's grand design.
The most striking part of this promise is who Jerusalem will receive: her 'sisters, both your elder and your younger.' These aren't just symbolic figures; they represent other nations, including the notorious Sodom and Samaria.
From Rivals to Daughters
God declares, 'I will give them unto you as daughters.' This is a radical reordering. Once despised or hostile nations, now considered family members, entrusting themselves to Jerusalem. This points to a future where divisions are healed and a new community is formed.
Not by Your Covenant
The crucial phrase, 'but not on account of the covenant with you,' highlights the source of this reconciliation. It's not because Jerusalem finally kept her end of the old agreement. That covenant was broken. Instead, this new family reality is entirely an act of God's sovereign grace, a 'new covenant' promise that extends beyond past failures.
Understand the original words
zākar · Hebrew Verb
The Hebrew word implies recalling past events or obligations, often leading to a change of heart, repentance, or an acknowledgment of God's faithfulness. It is not merely cognitive but involves a response that dictates present actions.
kālam · Hebrew Verb/Noun
In a biblical context, this is a deep sense of humiliation, dishonor, or disgrace before God due to one's sin. It is often the emotional fruit of repentance that arises when one realizes the gravity of their transgressions against a holy God.
berît · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement or promise between God and His people, initiated solely by God's grace. It defines the relationship, stipulating God's commitment to be their God and the expectations of their faithfulness to Him.
This prophecy comes during the devastating Babylonian exile, a time when Jerusalem's identity and covenant relationship with God were shattered, setting the stage for a radical reimagining of God's people and promises.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many and scattering its people.
597 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II deports King Jehoiachin and many Judean elites to Babylon, marking the beginning of the exile.
586 BC— this verse
Fall and Destruction of Jerusalem
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks the low point of Judah's history.
c. 593-571 BC
Ezekiel's Ministry in Exile
Ezekiel prophesies to the exiles in Babylon, offering judgment and hope for a future restoration.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers the Babylonian Empire, allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands.
Post-Exilic Period
Restoration and Rebuilding
The Jewish people begin to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the Temple, and re-establish their community under Persian rule.
This passage beautifully mirrors Ezekiel's vision of restoration, describing the barren woman (representing Jerusalem) who will expand her tents and give birth to many children, symbolizing the inclusion of Gentiles into God's people, much like the 'daughters' given to Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16:61.
Romans 11:11-24Paul explains how the Gentiles are grafted into the olive tree of God's people, not by their own merit or lineage, but through God's grace, paralleling the idea in Ezekiel that the 'sisters' are given to Jerusalem 'not by thy covenant,' highlighting God's sovereign plan.
Galatians 4:22-31This passage uses the allegory of Abraham's sons, Ishmael (born of the slave woman Hagar) and Isaac (born of the free woman Sarah), to illustrate the difference between being bound by law and being children of promise. This resonates with Ezekiel's distinction between the old covenant and the new way God incorporates others.
Jeremiah 3:14-18Jeremiah also speaks of Israel's unfaithfulness but promises restoration and a return from exile, where they will be gathered with their 'sisters' (implying other nations) and called 'the throne of the Lord,' echoing the theme of inclusion and a renewed relationship under God's reign.
pulpitEzekiel 16:61: "Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant."
Verse 61. - Then thou shalt remember thy ways, etc. The pardon which God gives is not, as men sometimes dream, a water of Lethe, blotting out the memory of the evil past. Ezekiel represents that memory as quickened to a new intensity in the very hour of restoration. The shame which it brings w…
clarkeEzekiel 16:61: "Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant."
Thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger - The Gentiles, who were before the Jews were called, and after the Jews were cast off, are here termed the elder and younger sister. These were to be given to Jerusalem for daughters; the latter should be converted to God by the ministry of men who sho…
It's easy to read this as simply God forgiving Jerusalem and making things right. But notice what God doesn't say: He doesn't say Jerusalem is restored because she kept her covenant. Instead, He declares that the other nations will be given to her "not by thy covenant," meaning this restoration isn't earned by Jerusalem's faithfulness, but is a radical act of God's grace for all who will receive it.
God promises Jerusalem a future restoration where she'll be ashamed of her past actions as she receives other nations, represented by her "sisters" Sodom and Samaria, as her own children. This future inclusion of Gentiles isn't due to Jerusalem's broken covenant, but rather as a direct act of God's new covenant grace, a fulfillment of Abraham's promise. This will lead to a profound and lasting sense of shame and repentance for Jerusalem's past betrayals.
God promises Jerusalem a future restoration where she'll be ashamed of her past actions as she receives other nations, represented by her "sisters" Sodom and Samaria, as her own children. This future inclusion of Gentiles isn't due to Jerusalem's broken covenant, but rather as a direct act of God's new covenant grace, a fulfillment of Abraham's promise. This will lead to a profound and lasting sense of shame and repentance for Jerusalem's past betrayals.
"Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you." — It's easy to read this as simply God forgiving Jerusalem and making things right. But notice what God doesn't say: He doesn't say Jerusalem is restored because she kept her covenant. Instead, He…
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