51<\/strong>. hast justified<\/em> ] Jer 3:11<\/span>, “Backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.” The abominations of Judah set Samaria and Sodom in a comparatively righteous light.<\/p>\n Justified thy sisters – <\/B>Made them appear just in comparison with thee.<\/P> <\/p>\n Eze 16:51-52<\/span><\/p>\n Neither hath Samaria committed half thy sins.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Sinners compared<\/strong><\/p>\n The sins of one people may be greater than the sins of another; all sins are not equal, nor all sinners equally guilty. Jerusalems sins exceeded Samarias and Sodoms; they were not half so great sinners as she was. The more mercies any people enjoy, the greater are their sins if they answer not those mercies. Christians sins will be found the scarlet and unparallelable sins.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Comparing of sins and sinners together, makes great sins seem little and great sinners seem righteous. Great things when they are exceeded by greater in view, they seem little; a great house is nothing to a great rock, a great mountain or city; a great river is nothing to the ocean; so a great heap of sins is as nothing to a greater; what is a cartful of dung to a great dunghill? And as it is in quantities, so in qualities: some poisons are so poisonous, so strong, that they kill immediately; others, though more in quantity, yet are longer in producing such an effect, and in comparison they are no poisons; so some sins and sinners compared with others, are as none. Luk 18:14<\/span>, the publican went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee: this Pharisee compared himself with the publican, and thought himself righteous; but the publican in comparison of him was righteous. Take heed therefore of comparing yourselves with others who are worse and greater sinners than you, and from thence of framing a righteousness to yourselves notwithstanding. Sodom and Samaria were less sinners, more righteous than Jerusalem, yet you know how God dealt with them, and destruction will be the end of all those who trust to such righteousness.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>Great sinners see not, or forget their own sins, and are apt to censure, judge, and condemn others who are less sinful than themselves, and especially when they are under the hand of God.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>It is a shame for those who are guilty of the same or greater sins to judge others.<\/p>\n 5. <\/strong>Sin brings shame. What a shame was it to Jerusalem that she was a greater sinner than Samaria, than Sodom; that she did such things as made the daughters of the Philistines ashamed of her (verse 27). Shame is the lackey that waits upon sin, and causeth the conscience to blush as well as the face (Pro 14:34<\/span>): sin is a reproach to nations.<\/p>\n 6. <\/strong>Shame in itself, or as it accompanies the judgments of God upon sinners, is a burdensome thing. Bear thine own shame, reproach, disgrace.<\/p>\n 7. <\/strong>Sinners must bear the judgments of God, and the shame that is due unto them, whoever they be. Thou also, even thou Jerusalem, bear thine own shame. (W. Greenhill, M. A.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Degrees of sin<\/strong><\/p>\n He that will not be persuaded to leap down from an high chamber at once, cometh willingly down by the stairs; and yet the declining degrees of his winding descent make it not less downward to him, but less perceived of him. His leap might have brought him down sooner; it could not have brought him down lower. As I am then fearful to act great sins, so I will be careful to avoid small sins. He that contemns a small fault commits a great one. I see many drops make a shower; and what difference is it whether I be wet either in the rain or in the river, if both be to the skin? There is small benefit in the choice whether we go down to hell by degrees or at once. (A. Warwick.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Shame ever attendant on sin<\/strong><\/p>\n Manton says: The conscience of a sinner is like a clock, dull, calm, and at rest, when the weights are down; but when wound up, it is full of motion. Sometimes God winds up conscience in this life, and then it works vigorously, and strikes the time of day in the sinners ears. Shame attends his sin, and he trembles in secret, A dreadful sound is in his ears, and like the troubled sea he cannot rest. This is far better than a dead calm. Alas, in many cases the clock runs down, conscience is again still, and the man returns to his false peace. Of all states this is most dangerous. (C. H. Spurgeon.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Samaria; <\/B>the ten tribes, or kingdom of Israel, founded in rebellion and idolatry. <\/P> Committed half of thy sins; <\/B>a proverbial speech, usual in comparison to set forth the lesser part, as 1Ki 10:7<\/span>. <\/P> But thou hast multiplied:<\/B> this explains the former. <\/P> More; <\/B>more, or greater, the Hebrew word signifieth both. <\/P> Justified; <\/B>not made them righteous, but declared them less unrighteous than thou in thy aboniinations; of the two they are less faulty. <\/P> <\/p>\n 51. Samaria<\/B>the kingdom of theten tribes of Israel less guilty than Judah; for Judah betrayedgreater ingratitude, having greater privileges, namely, the temple,the priesthood, and the regular order of kings. <\/P> justified thy sisters<\/B>madethem appear almost innocent by comparison with thy guilt (Jer 3:11<\/span>;Mat 12:41<\/span>; Mat 12:42<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins<\/strong>,…. The sins of Samaria, or the ten tribes, of which Samaria was the metropolis, were the worshipping of the calves at Dan and Bethel; but the gods of Judah were according to the number of their cities, and they even set up their idols in the temple of Jerusalem, Jer 2:28<\/span> Eze 8:5<\/span>; and, besides, their sins were aggravated by the benefits privileges they enjoyed; having the temple, the place of worship, among them; the priests of the Lord to officiate for them; the prophets to instruct and teach them; and many good kings to rule over them, who encouraged them in the pure worship of God, and set them examples; as also by their not taking warning at the captivity of the ten tribes, which were some years before; so that they were guilty of great ingratitude and obduracy:<\/p>\n but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they<\/strong>; than Samaria and her daughters, or the ten tribes; or than Sodom and Samaria, since both are intended in the next clause:<\/p>\n and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done<\/strong>; justified them in what they did; countenanced them in their wickedness, by doing the same abominations, and more, and much greater; saying, in effect, that they did right in what they did; and, by exceeding them in sin, made them to appear righteous in comparison of them; and gave them an opportunity of saying, in excuse for themselves, that the men of Judah had been guilty of more and greater sins than they, and yet had not been punished as they had been.<\/p>\n God now pronounces the same thing concerning Samaria, whom he had formerly called the younger sister. By Samaria, as we said, he means the Israelites, because that city was the head of the Kingdom of Israel: the ten tribes had been already driven into exile; and he says they were not half so wicked when compared with the Jews. This, at the first glance, may seem absurd; for we know that God’s worship was continued at Jerusalem when the Israelites rejected the law, and basely and openly turned aside to idolatry. Since, therefore, some sound piety flourished at Jerusalem when the Israelites wickedly revolted from God’s law, what can it mean by the Jews being censured as worse than they were? We must always come to the fountain which I have pointed out; for ingratitude has great influence in exaggerating men’s crimes. But another reason must also be remarked. The Jews had seen how severely God had avenged the superstitions of the kingdom of Israel: they were so far from repenting that they rather courted their alliance, as if for the very purpose of provoking God afresh. If we reflect upon these two points, the question will be solved as far as relates to the present passage. God says what is incredible to us, that the Jews were worse than the Israelites: but he asserts this, because ingratitude had rendered them less excusable; for God had retained them under his own charge when that wretched dispersion happened, and the ten tribes were all but absorbed. God’s candle was always shinning at Jerusalem, as it is said. (Exo 27:20<\/span>.) When, therefore, God had preserved for himself that small band as the very flower of the people, safe and sound, the revolt of this people was far more criminal than that of the ten tribes: for these tribes were drawn away from the worship of God by little and little, as is well known. For Jeroboam always set before himself one definite object — the worship of God as the liberator of the people, (1Kg 12:0<\/span> \ud83d\ude42 for the Israelites did not look on themselves as apostates, although they had degenerated from their fathers. But the Jews addicted themselves to gross superstitions, of which the Israelites at first were ashamed; and then they were warned by many penalties not to imitate their kinsmen: still, as we saw before, the temple was defiled by many pollution’s; for Ezekiel, in the eighth chapter, says that he saw there many defilement’s. Since then the Jews profited so badly, though God set his vengeance before their eyes, it is not surprising that they are said to have sinned grievously. <\/p>\n In conclusion, he adds, thou hast multiplied your abominations beyond them; and you have justified thy sisters in all the abominations which you have perpetrated. Here the word “justified” is to be received at first comparatively: it does not signify that the fault of others is extenuated by the wickedness of the Jews; but if the people wished to offer excuses, they might easily be convinced that both Sodom and the kingdom of Israel were just in comparison with the Jews. To justify is usually received for to absolve; and we must observe this when we treat of justification, since the papists always seize upon the quality, as if to be justified was in reality to be just. Hence they are unable to comprehend a doctrine sufficiently familiar to Scripture, and plain enough — that we are justified by faith: for they examine man, that they may find justice there, and do not ascend any higher: but to be justified by faith signifies nothing but to be absolved, though we are not just in ourselves; hence a justification by faith without us must be sought for, and hence we gather that it is not a quality. Hence Jerusalem justified her sisters, although Sodom and Samaria were found worse than herself. It follows — <\/p>\n (51) Hast justified thy sisters.<\/strong>The same expression is repeated in the following verse. In both it is evidently used in a comparative sense. By the greatness of Judahs sins even Sodom and Samaria were made to appear innocent in comparison.<\/p>\n 51<\/strong>. <\/strong> Thou hast multiplied thine abominations and <\/strong> [thus] hast <\/strong> justified thy sisters <\/strong> Jerusalem makes the iniquities of these less favored cities seem almost excusable. If Jerusalem can justify herself, surely these must be justified (see Jer 3:11<\/span>); when compared with her own black deeds the wicked acts of other nations look almost white.<\/p>\n “Neither has Samaria committed half of your sins. But you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and put your sisters in the right by all your abominations which you have done. You also bear your own shame in that you have given judgment for your sisters. Through your sins which you have committed, which were more abominable than they, they are more righteous than you. Yes, be you also confounded and bear your shame, in that you have put your sisters in the right.”<\/p>\n Samaria had been guilty of gross sin. They had built high places in all their cities and villages, down even to their watchtowers, and they had set up pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree. They had served idols and rejected the pleading of the prophets. They had ignored His Law and behaved like the nations round about them. They had even offered up their children as sacrifices. (See for the whole 2Ki 17:9-17<\/span>). Thus Yahweh had removed them out of His sight (2Ki 9:23<\/span>).<\/p>\n But their sins were not half those of Judah and Jerusalem, nor did they multiply gods half as much. Indeed compared with Jerusalem and Judah they were to be seen as a righteous nation. Jerusalem and Judah were so wicked that compared with them Samaria and Sodom were ‘in the right’. So Jerusalem had made the wickedness of Sodom and Samaria seem not half so much (compare Mat 11:23-24<\/span> for a similar contrast). The indictment against Jerusalem is compelling. How could she be spared?<\/p>\n Eze 16:51-53<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>And hast justified thy sisters, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> And hast made thy sisters innocent, in comparison of the crimes which thou hast committed. <\/em>Eze 16:52<\/span>. Thou therefore shalt bear thine own shame, since by thy sins thou hast formed the judgment of thy sisters; because thou hast been more wicked than they: They are righteous in comparison of thee: Therefore shalt thou be confounded, and shalt bear thine own shame; because thou hast made thy sisters innocent. <\/em>Eze 16:53<\/span>. I have carried away their captives; as the captives of Sodom and her daughters, so the captives of Samaria and her daughters: Therefore will I bring to them thy captives also. <\/em>Eze 16:54<\/span>. That thou, <\/em>&c. Houbigant. <\/p>\n Eze 16:51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.<\/p>\n Ver. 51. Neither hath Samaria committed half thy sins.<\/strong> ] And yet thou lookest aloof upon her as a far greater sinner than thyself, because already carried captive, whenas thou hast done and spoken evil things as thou couldst, Jer 3:5 outdone her a fair deal. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And hast justified thy sisters.<\/strong> ] Who may well seem saints in comparison of thee, and yet are as naught as need to be.<\/p>\n sins. Hebrew. chata’. App-44. <\/p>\n they : i.e. Samaria and Sodom, <\/p>\n Samaria: Luk 12:47, Luk 12:48, Rom 3:9-20 <\/p>\n justified: Jer 3:8-11, Mat 12:41, Mat 12:42 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 19:5 – General 2Sa 11:21 – Thy servant 2Ki 17:19 – Also Judah 2Ki 21:2 – after the abominations 2Ki 21:9 – more evil Psa 53:1 – have done Isa 59:12 – our transgressions Jer 2:33 – hast Jer 3:11 – justified Eze 16:46 – elder Eze 16:47 – thou wast Eze 23:19 – multiplied 1Co 5:1 – and<\/p>\n Eze 16:51. Neither half of thy sins is to be understood in the same light as the thoughts in vrese 48, Judah had many advantages for spiritual encouragement not least of which was her possession of Jerusalem and the temple service. Also, she had seen the years of service to idols which Samaria had experienced and should have observed how useless such a service is. In view of all this the Lord regarded Judah with greater condemnation and pointed the finger of shame at her.<\/p>\n Eze 16:51-52. Neither hath Samaria The kingdom of the ten tribes, founded in rebellion and idolatry; committed half of thy sins The sin of Jerusalem was greater than that of Samaria, because God had placed his name and the ordinances of his worship there; and she had profaned his temple by placing idols in it, which was a degree of idolatry beyond any thing the ten tribes had been guilty of. And probably, with respect to other crimes, Jerusalem went beyond, or exceeded Samaria. But thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they Hast worshipped more idols, and slain more prophets; and hast justified thy sisters, &c. Not made them righteous, but declared them less unrighteous than thou art; hast made them appear less guilty through the greatness of thy sins. Thou also, who hast judged thy sisters Hast condemned their apostacy, and judged their punishment just; bear thy shame For wherein thou hast judged them, or declared them to be deservedly punished, thou hast condemned thyself, having been guilty of the same sins, and those accompanied with greater aggravations. The inhabitants of Judea allowed that the ten tribes were justly punished when they were carried into captivity, and yet fell into the same and greater crimes themselves.<\/p>\n 16:51 Neither {c} hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thy abominations more than they, and hast {d} justified thy sisters in all thy abominations which thou hast done.<\/p>\n (c) Which worshipped the calves in Bethel and Dan.<\/p>\n (d) You are so wicked that in respect to you Sodom and Samaria were just.<\/p>\n Samaria was bad, but not half as bad as Jerusalem. In fact, Jerusalem made her wicked sister cities look good by comparison. This was a disgrace to Jerusalem, that she had made other wicked cities look righteous (cf. Mat 11:23-24).<\/p>\n Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done. 51. hast justified ] Jer 3:11, “Backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.” The abominations of Judah set Samaria and Sodom in a … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 16:51”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20824\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"