Question 1

What does it mean that Jerusalem is called a harlot in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Here God speaks of Jerusalem like an unfaithful wife who has left her husband. The “whoredoms” are not about physical sin but about spiritual betrayal. The people chased idols, made deals with foreign nations, and even offered their children to false gods. All of this is pictured as a wife throwing herself at many lovers instead of staying true to her husband. By using such strong words, God shows how serious idolatry is and how deeply it wounds the covenant relationship.

Question 2

Why does God gather Jerusalem’s lovers against her?

Accepted Answer

The “lovers” are the nations Jerusalem trusted, such as nearby powers she courted for help and safety. Instead of trusting God, the people leaned on these alliances. God says he will gather these same nations against Jerusalem. They will strip her, destroy her high places, stone her, and burn her houses. This shows that what she trusted in will turn on her. It is God’s way of exposing her shame in public and showing that false trusts always fail in the end.

Question 3

What was the sin of Sodom according to this passage?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, God explains Sodom’s sin in very clear terms: pride, plenty of food, and a lazy, careless life. Sodom did not help the poor and needy. On top of that, they were haughty and did things God calls abominations. Because of this, God took them away. This description shows that Sodom’s evil was not only about sexual sin but also about arrogance, selfish comfort, and hardness toward the weak. These attitudes opened the door to greater wickedness and judgment.

Question 4

How could Jerusalem be worse than Sodom and Samaria?

Accepted Answer

God says Jerusalem has done worse because, with more light and privilege, she sinned even more. Jerusalem had God’s temple, his law, and many past mercies, yet turned to idols, cruel practices like child sacrifice, pride, and injustice. By comparison, Sodom and Samaria seem almost righteous, not because they were good, but because Jerusalem went even further. Jerusalem also judged these places but did the same or worse, so her shame is greater. The passage warns against looking down on others while hiding our own sin.

Question 5

Why does God speak of stoning, swords, and burning in this judgment?

Accepted Answer

The harsh images of stoning, swords, and burning match the legal penalties for adultery and serious crimes in Israel. God is saying he will treat Jerusalem like an adulterous wife and a murderer, because of her spiritual adultery and the blood of her children given to idols. The nations will carry out this sentence by attacking and destroying the city. The language is severe to show that sin has real, painful consequences and that God’s holiness is not a small matter.

Question 6

What does it mean that God’s fury and jealousy will rest?

Accepted Answer

God says that after this judgment, his fury will rest and his jealousy will depart. This does not mean he enjoys punishing, but that his anger is tied to real wrong. Once he has dealt with the sin, his burning anger against that unfaithfulness will be satisfied, and he will be quiet. It hints that judgment has a limit and that God’s goal is not endless rage, but to bring his people to the end of their idolatry so the relationship can be set right again.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about forgetting the days of youth?

Accepted Answer

God reminds Jerusalem that she “has not remembered the days of thy youth.” This means the people forgot how God first showed them mercy, rescued them, and cared for them when they were weak. Forgetting led to pride, ingratitude, and chasing other gods. Remembering their early dependence on God would have kept them humble and faithful. The passage gently warns us that when we stop remembering God’s past kindness, we are more likely to wander and to think we stand on our own.

Question 8

Why does God compare Jerusalem to a mother, daughter, and sisters?

Accepted Answer

The proverb, “As is the mother, so is her daughter,” shows that Jerusalem is acting like the Canaanite nations that lived in the land before her, described as Hittite and Amorite. Calling Samaria and Sodom her sisters means their sins are of the same family. At first, Jerusalem might have thought herself better than these cities, but God says she shares their character and has even gone beyond them. The family picture shows how deeply sin patterns can run when people turn from God.

Question 9

What does this passage show about God’s character and justice?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God is patient but not indifferent. He sees idolatry, cruelty, pride, and neglect of the poor. He is jealous in the right sense, guarding the covenant relationship like a faithful husband. His judgments may seem harsh, but he says he is dealing with Jerusalem as she has done. Judgment comes with reason, not random anger. At the same time, he hints at future restoration and rest from his anger, showing that his purpose includes both justice and the hope of renewal after repentance.

Ezekiel 16:35

¶ Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord:

Judgment on Jerusalem

Cross References

Ezekiel 16:35

¶ Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord:

Share Options

All Verses

Verse + Context

Current Verse

Judgment on Jerusalem

Cross References