Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children.

“Moab and Ammon, the incestuous children of Lot, nephew of Abraham, Israel's progenitor, had their origin from Sodom; so Sodom might be called Judah's sister. Samaria, answering to the ten tribes of Israel, is, of course, sister to Judah.”

Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to your north; and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to your south.

“Samaria--older than Sodom, to whom Judah was less nearly related by kindred than she was to Samaria. Sodom is therefore called her younger sister; Samaria, her "elder sister" [GROTIUS].”

As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did as you and your daughters have done.

“Judah's guilt was not positively, but relatively, greater than Sodom's; because it was in the midst of such higher privileges, and such solemn warnings; a fortiori, the guilt of unbelievers in the midst of the highest of all lights, namely, the Gospel, is the greatest.”

But I will restore Sodom and her daughters from captivity, as well as Samaria and her daughters. And I will restore you along with them.

“The sense here thus is, Thou shalt be restored when Sodom and Samaria are, but not till then (Eze 16:55), that is, never.”

Did you not treat your sister Sodom as an object of scorn in the day of your pride,

“Sodom was not mentioned--literally, "was not for a report." Thou didst not deign to mention her name as if her case could possibly apply as a warning to thee, but it did apply (2Pe 2:6).”

Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters.

“God means, "not that thou on thy part hast stood to the covenant, but that 'I am the Lord, I change not' (Mal 3:6) from My original love to thee in thy youth" (see Ro 3:3).”

So I will establish My covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD,

“(Ho 2:19, 20). thou shalt know that I am the Lord--not, as elsewhere, by the judgments falling on thee, but by My so marvellously restoring thee through grace.”

so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, declares the Lord…

“"If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1Co 11:31). all that thou hast done--enhancing the grace of God which has pardoned so many and so great sins.”

and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and…

“"The mountain of the Lord's house" (Isa 2:2). Jerusalem, however, is chiefly meant, the chief seat of civil honor, as Lebanon was of external elevation.”

But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him.

“Rather, "by" or "out of the furrows." It refers to the waters of Egypt, the Nile being made to water the fields by means of small canals or "furrows"; these waters are the figure of the auxiliary forces wherewith Egypt tried to help Judah.”

It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

“It was planted in a good soil--It was not want of the necessaries of life, nor oppression on the port of Nebuchadnezzar, which caused Zedekiah to revolt: it was gratuitous ambition, pride, and ingratitude.”

So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish?

“"It," that is, the vine. he . . . pull up--that is, the first eagle, or Nebuchadnezzar. in all . . . leaves of her spring--that is, all its springing (sprouting) leaves.”

so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.

“That the kingdom might be base--that is, low as to national elevation by being Nebuchadnezzar's dependent; but, at the same time, safe and prosperous, if faithful to the "oath."”

Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall.

“All the empires of the world, represented by Babylon, once flourishing ("green"), shall be brought low before the once depressed ("dry"), but then exalted, kingdom of Messiah and His people, the head of whom shall be Israel (Da 2:44).”

“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’?

“The sin of Adam in eating the forbidden fruit, visited on his posterity, seems to have suggested the peculiar form; noticed also by Jeremiah (Jer 31:29); and explained in La 5:7, "Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities."”

Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

“"The soul that sinneth it shall die." The curse descending from father to son assumes guilt shared in by the son; there is a natural tendency in the child to follow the sin of his father, and so he shares in the father's punishment: hence…”

Now suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right:

“The first case is given in Eze 18:5-9, the just man. The excellencies are selected in reference to the prevailing sins of the age, from which such a one stood aloof; hence arises the omission of some features of righteousness, which, under different circumstances, would…”

He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel.

“A double sin: sacrificing elsewhere than at the temple, where only God sanctioned sacrifice (De 12:13, 14); and this to idols instead of to Jehovah. "Eaten" refers to the feasts which were connected with the sacrifices (see Ex 32:6; 10:7). lifted . . .”

He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

“After duties of justice come those of benevolence. It is not enough to refrain from doing a wrong to our neighbor, we must also do him good.”

Now suppose that man has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these things, though the father has done none of them: Indeed, the son eats at…

“His pious parentage, so far from excusing, aggravates his guilt. robber--or literally, "a breaker," namely, through all constraints of right.”

Now suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, considers them, and does not do likewise: He does not eat at the mountain…

“Hezekiah, of Ahaz (2Ki 16:1-20; 21:1-22:20). seeth . . . and considereth--The same Hebrew stands for both verbs, "seeth . . . yea, seeth."”

Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’

“But GROTIUS supports English Version, wherein the Jews contradict the prophet, "Why (sayest thou so) doth not the son (often, as in our case, though innocent) bear (that is, suffer for) the iniquity of their father?"”

The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his…

“"Righteousness" is not used as if any were absolutely righteous; but, of such as have it imputed to them for Christ's sake, though not under the Old Testament themselves understanding the ground on which they were regarded as righteous, but sincerely seeking after it in…”

But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will…

“Two last cases, showing the equity of God: (1) The penitent sinner is dealt with according to his new obedience, not according to his former sins.”

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?

“If men perish, it is because they will not come to the Lord for salvation; not that the Lord is not willing to save them (Joh 5:40).”