Ezekiel 16:51
in Ezekiel 16Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have multiplied your abominations beyond theirs, and all the abominations you have committed have made your sisters appear righteous.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters by all thine abominations which thou hast done.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ezekiel 16
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHast justified - Not made them righteous, but declared them less unrighteous, than thou; of the two they are less faulty.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Before Christ it was not possible for the light of the righteous to shine.
My Lord Jesus Christ is justified according to the dispensation of the flesh that he purified for our salvation, by Abraham, by Isaac, by Jacob and by the rest of the prophets.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Samaria--the kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel less guilty than Judah; for Judah betrayed greater ingratitude, having greater privileges, namely, the temple, the priesthood, and the regular order of kings. justified thy sisters--made them appear almost innocent by comparison with thy guilt (Jer 3:11;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Justified thy sisters - Made them appear just in comparison with thee.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן | veshomeron | and Samaria | H8111 → | 109 times |
| כַּחֲצִ֥י | kachatzi | according to [the] half of | H2677 → | 125 times |
| חַטֹּאתַ֖יִךְ | chatotayikh | sins your | H2403 → | 295 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| חָטָ֑אָה | chataah | it sinned | H2398 → | 238 times |
| וַתַּרְבִּ֤י | vatarbi | and you have increased | H7235 → | 227 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תּוֹעֲבוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ | toavotayikh | abominations your | H8441 → | 117 times |
| מֵהֵ֔נָּה | mehenah | more than them | ||
| וַתְּצַדְּקִי֙ | vatetzadeki | and you have made appear righteous | H6663 → | 41 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲחוֹתַ֔יִךְ | ʾachotekh | sisters your | H269 → | 114 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | by all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| תּוֹעֲבוֹתַ֖יִךְ | toavotayikh | abominations your | H8441 → | 117 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשִֽׂית׃ | asit | you have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וְשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹןand Samaria
veshomeronH8111 →109 times
כַּחֲצִ֥יaccording to [the] half of
kachatziH2677 →125 times
חַטֹּאתַ֖יִךְsins your
chatotayikhH2403 →295 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
חָטָ֑אָהit sinned
chataahH2398 →238 times
וַתַּרְבִּ֤יand you have increased
vatarbiH7235 →227 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
תּוֹעֲבוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙abominations your
toavotayikhH8441 →117 times
מֵהֵ֔נָּהmore than them
mehenah
וַתְּצַדְּקִי֙and you have made appear righteous
vatetzadekiH6663 →41 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲחוֹתַ֔יִךְsisters your
ʾachotekhH269 →114 times
בְּכָל־by all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
תּוֹעֲבוֹתַ֖יִךְabominations your
toavotayikhH8441 →117 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשִֽׂית׃you have done
asitH6213 →2628 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Ezekiel

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 9:3.
