Ezekiel 16:53

16:1-58 In this chapter God's dealings with the Jewish nation, and their conduct towards him, are described, and their punishment through the surrounding nations, even those they most trusted in. This is done under the parable of an exposed infant rescued from death, educated, espoused, and richly provided for, but afterwards guilty of the most abandoned conduct, and punished for it; yet at last received into favour, and ashamed of her base conduct. We are not to judge of these expressions by modern ideas, but by those of the times and places in which they were used, where many of them would not sound as they do to us. The design was to raise hatred to idolatry, and such a parable was well suited for that purpose.

When I shall bring again their captivity,.... The captivity of Sodom and Samaria, as after mentioned: the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters; which some understand as what never will be, as it never yet has been: Sodom remains to this day a dead sea, and the ten tribes are not returned: then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them; that is, it shall never be brought again, according to the above sense; but rather this is to be understood of the calling of the Gentiles, comparable to Sodom for their wickedness, as the great city of Rome is, Revelation 11:8; and of the calling of God's elect among the ten tribes, scattered up and down among the Gentiles, by the preaching of the apostles; and when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in then will follow the conversion of the Jews, and all Israel will be sawed, Romans 11:25; for it is certain those sisters, Sodom and Samaria, were to be restored, and received into the church, and given to her for daughters, Ezekiel 16:61; thus the conversion, of the Gentiles is signified by bringing again the captivity of Moab and Ammon, in Jeremiah 48:47.

Ezekiel 16:53-56 . When I shall bring again the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, &c. — “Sodom and her daughters may mean cities placed in the district where Sodom stood. Sodom was not where the lake is, Genesis 19:24 .” — Bishop Newcome. “The Moabites and Ammonites, descended from Sodom, are called by this name.” — Michaelis. “When the fulness of the Gentiles shall come into the church, some of whom may be compared with Sodom for wickedness, Isaiah 1:9 , then will I also remember you were my ancient people. St. Paul tells us the Jews will be provoked to emulation by the Gentiles coming into the church, and thereby be induced to acknowledge the truth, Romans 11:11-31 . And the conversion of the Gentiles is expressed, Jeremiah 48:47 ; Jeremiah 49:6 ; Jeremiah 49:39 , by returning the captivity of Moab, Ammon, and Elam; and Isaiah 18:7 ; Isaiah 19:24-25 ; Isaiah 23:18 , by the Egyptians, Syrians, Assyrians, and Ethiopians bringing presents to God, and acknowledging themselves his servants. And by the same analogy we may understand the bringing again the captivity of Sodom here, of the Gentiles coming into the church.” — Lowth. “The sense of this,” says Bishop Newcome, “is again expressed Ezekiel 16:55 , and both verses are to be explained by Ezekiel 16:61 .

I refer the words rather to the future restoration of the Jews than to their return from Babylon.” This prediction was partly fulfilled in the age of the apostles and first disciples of Christ; but the full accomplishment of it is undoubtedly yet future. That thou mayest bear thine own shame — That thou mayest be humbled and made ashamed, in having those put upon a level with thee whom thou hadst before so greatly contemned, and thought so much beneath thee. For thy sister Sodom — Including the cities in or near the place where she stood, and the Ammonites, Moabites, and other neighbouring nations, termed her daughters, Ezekiel 16:53 ; Ezekiel 16:55 , and here put for the Gentiles in general; was not mentioned in the day of thy pride — Was held in such contempt, that thou didst not think her worthy of being named by thee; before thy wickedness was discovered, Ezekiel 16:57 — Before it was made apparent to the world by the judgments or punishments inflicted on thee. Or, as Bishop Newcome and some others interpret the words, “The exemplary punishment of Sodom was not duly considered and spoken of by thee in the time of thy prosperity and self-confidence; before thy humiliation showed thy wickedness, and defeats and distresses were brought on thee by the Syrians and Philistines.”

(53) Shall bring again their captivity. —This is not a promise of restoration to Israel; but, on the contrary, is an expression of the utter hopelessness of their punishment in the strongest possible form. The “bringing again of captivity “does not, indeed, necessarily mean a return from exile (into which Sodom had not been carried); but, as explained in Ezekiel 16:55 , a return to the former estate, that is, a state of happiness and prosperity. In the case of Sodom this was manifestly impossible; and even in the case of Samaria it would, if accomplished, lack any historical identification. Sodom and her daughters (the surrounding cities) had perished with all their inhabitants many ages ago, leaving no descendants behind. Restoration was, therefore, obviously impossible; and by conditioning the restoration of Jerusalem on an impossible thing, it is meant to be most strongly denied.

Verse 53. - When I shall bring again ; better, with the Revised Version, both here and in ver. 55, and I will turn again. The Authorized Version reads like a sentence of hopeless and perpetual condemnation, as per impossible. When Sodom and Samaria should be pardoned, then, and not till then, should there be hope for Judah. But all that follows in the chapter shows that what is meant is a promise of restoration, not for Judah only, but also for her less guilty sisters. Ezekiel sees a far off hope for his own nation, and he cannot limit the mercy of God in bringing them also, as she was to be brought, to repentance. For them also punishment was a means to an end beyond itself, corrective, and not merely retributive. The language of Isaiah ( Isaiah 19:23 -2.5) as to Egypt and Assyria presents a striking parallel, and may have been in Ezekiel's thoughts. Ezekiel 16:53

53 . Sodom and Samaria shall be restored, and Jerusalem along with them. When I shall bring again ] Rather; and I will bring again. The phrase “turn the captivity” probably means: turn the fortunes (lit. the turning) of one. captivity of thy captives ] Most moderns by a slight change of reading after LXX. render: and I will bring again thy captivity in the midst of them. Cf. Isaiah 19:24 , “In that day shall Israel be a third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth.”

When I shall bring again {e} their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them: (e) This he speaks in comparison seeing that he would restore Jerusalem when Sodom would be restored, that is, never: and this is meant of the greatest part of the Jews.

It is disputed whether this be a promise or menace; it is most likely to be a threat; and if you consider the difference between a temporal and spiritual restitution, and the difference between an entire and partial restitution, it will be evident. Sodom and Samaria never were restored to that state they had been in, nor were the two tribes ever made so rich, mighty, and renowned, though God brought some of them out of Babylon; and yet were these words promissory, both Sodom, Samaria, and the two tribes would have been restored. The words seem to confirm irrecoverably a low, afflicted, despised state, as the future condition of the Jews for ever in their temporals. Then; then, not before: this doth not preclude a future full restitution, but is an argument that concludes against the consequence, but a negation of the antecedent, as if it were said, If ever Sodom and Samaria may hope, then thou mayst hope for a restoring to thy former glory; but Sodom and Samaria never shall, therefore neither thou, O Jerusalem, and deluded Jews. And this may have respect to the false prophets, who deceived this people with promises of deliverance from being made captives, or of sudden restitution of all to them.

53. Here follows a promise of restoration. Even the sore chastisements coming on Judah would fail to reform its people; God's returning goodness alone would effect this, to show how entirely of grace was to be their restoration. The restoration of her erring sisters is mentioned before hers, even as their punishment preceded her punishment; so all self-boasting is excluded [Fairbairn]. "Ye shall, indeed, at some time or other return, but Moab and Ammon shall return with you, and some of the ten tribes" [Grotius]. bring again … captivity—that is, change the affliction into prosperity (so Job 42:10). Sodom itself was not so restored (Jer 20:16), but Ammon and Moab (her representatives, as sprung from Lot who dwelt in Sodom) were (Jer 48:47; 49:6); probably most of the ten tribes and the adjoining nations, Ammon and Moab, &c., were in part restored under Cyrus; but the full realization of the restoration is yet future; the heathen nations to be brought to Christ being typified by "Sodom," whose sins they now reproduce (De 32:32). captivity of thy captives—literally, "of thy captivities." However, the gracious promise rather begins with the "nevertheless" (Eze 16:60), not here; for Eze 16:59 is a threat, not a promise. The sense here thus is, Thou shalt be restored when Sodom and Samaria are, but not till then (Eze 16:55), that is, never.