Ezekiel 16:50
And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
Original Language Analysis
וַֽתִּגְבְּהֶ֔ינָה
And they were haughty
H1361
וַֽתִּגְבְּהֶ֔ינָה
And they were haughty
Strong's:
H1361
Word #:
1 of 8
to soar, i.e., be lofty; figuratively, to be haughty
וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֥ינָה
and committed
H6213
וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֥ינָה
and committed
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
2 of 8
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
תוֹעֵבָ֖ה
abomination
H8441
תוֹעֵבָ֖ה
abomination
Strong's:
H8441
Word #:
3 of 8
properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e., (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol
לְפָנָ֑י
before
H6440
לְפָנָ֑י
before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
4 of 8
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
וָאָסִ֥יר
me therefore I took them away
H5493
וָאָסִ֥יר
me therefore I took them away
Strong's:
H5493
Word #:
5 of 8
to turn off (literally or figuratively)
אֶתְהֶ֖ן
H853
אֶתְהֶ֖ן
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
6 of 8
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
Cross References
Genesis 18:20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;Genesis 19:24Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;Genesis 19:5And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.Genesis 13:13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Historical Context
Sodom's destruction circa 2000 BC by 'fire and brimstone' (Genesis 19:24) became the archetypal divine judgment in biblical literature (Isaiah 1:9-10; Jeremiah 23:14; Amos 4:11; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7). Ezekiel 16:49 details Sodom's sins: pride, abundance of food, prosperous ease, and failure to help the poor and needy—alongside the sexual immorality of Genesis 19.
Questions for Reflection
- How does pride—not just sexual sin—characterize Sodom's wickedness and ours?
- What does 'as I saw good' reveal about God's sovereign justice in a world of unpunished evil?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And they were haughty (גָּבְהוּ, gavehu)—this word means exalted in pride, arrogant. Pride was Sodom's foundational sin (confirmed in v. 49). And committed abomination before me (תּוֹעֵבָה, to'evah)—this term denotes covenant-breaking detestable practices, used of both sexual immorality (Leviticus 18:22) and idolatry (Deuteronomy 7:25). Genesis 19 details Sodom's attempted gang rape, but this verse contextualizes it within broader patterns of pride and social injustice (v. 49).
Therefore I took them away as I saw good (וָאָסִיר אֶתְהֶן כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי)—God's judgment on Sodom was both decisive ('took them away') and just ('as I saw good'). The passive construction emphasizes divine sovereignty in judgment. This establishes the precedent: if God judged Sodom for pride, prosperity without compassion, and sexual immorality, how much more Jerusalem with her greater light?