Ezekiel 16:51
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. 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.
Samaria did not commit half of Jerusalem's sins, but Jerusalem multiplied its abominations far beyond Samaria. By those greater abominations Jerusalem justified its sisters, making Samaria and Sodom appear less guilty and even righteous by comparison. The unfaithfulness charged here is spiritual adultery, for the Jewish church was espoused to the Lord as wife to husband, yet turned from Him to seek an unlawful union with the world in idolatry, worldly conformity, and trust in worldly powers. A woman is the symbol of a church, and a lewd and unfaithful woman represents a corrupt and apostate church joined to the world, which shows that Babylon the great harlot of Revelation is a professedly religious body unlawfully united with the kings of the earth.
Jerusalem Compared with Samaria
Samaria had not committed half of Jerusalem's sins, but Jerusalem had multiplied its abominations more than Samaria. Jerusalem's abominations were even greater than Samaria's and made Samaria appear comparatively righteous. By its greater abominations Jerusalem justified its sisters, making Samaria and Sodom appear less guilty, righteous, and justified by comparison.
The chapter is a strong parable that presents the awful sins of Judah and Israel under figures of lewd women. It rebukes their apostasy and shows the awful wickedness of sin, while God earnestly calls His people to turn back to Him. Its setting is the Lord making a covenant with His people so that they became His, followed by their breaking that covenant, relying on others, and acting in unfaithfulness and wickedness. The fall of the Jewish church described here was God's rejection of it, distinct from its destruction, which was deferred for a considerable time.
Unfaithfulness as Spiritual Adultery
The Jewish church had been espoused to the Lord, yet she became unfaithful by turning from God and seeking an unlawful union with the world. That turning was worse than Samaria's unfaithfulness, for Jerusalem's multiplied abominations made her sisters appear justified by comparison.
God describes that unfaithfulness as adultery, for his church is lawfully united to him alone as wife is to husband, so that union of his church with the world is fornication and adultery against him. Backsliding, conformity to the world, idolatry and turning to other gods are therefore spiritual adultery, as are joining herself to Babylon and rejecting God's commands. Seeking help from worldly powers instead of the Lord belongs to the same apostasy, and Israel's course here stands as its prototype. To mix heaven with earth and righteousness with sin is to commit spiritual adultery.
A woman is the symbol of a church, the same symbol used in Revelation 12 and 17. A harlot, lewd, corrupt and unfaithful woman represents a corrupt, fallen, apostate church, corrupted by multiplied abominations and sins. This is especially the picture of God's church when she turns from him and joins herself to the world, and it supports the use of the harlot symbol for the corrupt church in Revelation. For this reason Babylon the great harlot of Revelation is not the earthly power of human government or an abstract evil, but a professedly religious body distinct from yet unlawfully united with the kings of the earth.
Though still recognized as God's people, those who profess godliness comfort the wicked and make sin appear approved when their silence, their criticism of earnest Christians, their borderline conduct, their indulgences, or their worldly-mindedness suggests they do not disapprove of sin and are little different from those who practice it.