Ezekiel 16:57
Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about. Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about.
The verse exposes Jerusalem's wickedness to open shame, making her an object of reproach and contempt to the peoples around her, including Syria and the Philistines. It belongs to the rebuke of Judah and Israel for breaking the covenant, portraying Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife, for a woman is the symbol of a church and a lewd woman of a corrupt and apostate church. The Jewish church espoused to the Lord became a harlot in the same manner as Babylon, by turning from God to join herself to the world and to earthly powers for help in unlawful union with the kings of the earth. Babylon shown as a harlot is therefore a corrupt church distinct from civil government and the world itself, with daughters of the same character, of which apostate Israel is the prototype. Her fall as a harlot was her rejection by God for her wickedness, though her destruction was delayed and came later.
Context and Imagery
The verse stands within the first twenty chapters of Ezekiel, whose prophecies were delivered while Ezekiel was among the captives in Babylonia by the river Chebar. It belongs to a strong parable about the apostasy of Judah and Israel, in which sin is rebuked and God pleads with His people to turn to Him. It belongs at the same time to the account of the Lord's covenant with His people and their breach of it through unfaithfulness.
The chapter portrays Jerusalem as an unfaithful woman and wife, so that when God's people apostatized their city symbolized their unfaithfulness. That apostasy consisted in joining the surrounding nations and worshiping their gods. It consisted also in turning from God to follow foreign powers and their ways. A woman is the Bible symbol of a church, and a harlot or lewd woman is the symbol of a corrupt or apostate church.
The verse describes Jerusalem's wickedness being discovered and exposed. By that exposure she became an object of reproach and contempt to the peoples round about her, including Syria and the Philistines, who despised her. It places her shame and reproach alongside theirs, as at the time of their reproach, before her own wickedness was exposed.
Apostasy, Babylon, and Fall
The Jewish church espoused to the Lord became a harlot in the same manner as Babylon by seeking the friendship of the world through an unlawful bond and union with the kings of the earth. Union of God's church with the world is fornication and adultery, for when she turns from Him and joins herself to the world she commits spiritual unfaithfulness. That unfaithfulness consists in turning to earthly powers for help instead of seeking the Lord, joining herself to the world rather than abiding with God. It is the mixing of heaven with earth and of righteousness with sin, seen in backsliding, idolatry, conformity to the world, and departure from God, all described as adultery. Jerusalem's wickedness in this unfaithfulness was exposed and discovered, bringing her into reproach and contempt among the peoples round about her, including Syria and the Philistines.
Babylon shown as a harlot is therefore a corrupt church, since a woman is the symbol of a church and a harlot or lewd woman is the symbol of a corrupt or apostate church. She is distinct from the kings of the earth, and is not earthly civil government or civil power itself, nor the world itself. She has daughters of the same character, corrupt and apostate like herself. Like Israel she is the prototype of the apostate church that turns to earthly powers for help instead of seeking the Lord and joins itself to the world.
The fall of the Jewish church as a harlot was her rejection by God for her wickedness. Her destruction did not come at once with that rejection but was delayed for a considerable time and came later.