And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

EZEKIEL 16:50KJV
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Ezekiel 16:50 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 16:50 mean?

Ezekiel 16:50 says that the people being described were proud and did things God considered deeply wrong, so God decided to remove them as He saw fit. The verse explains that their arrogance and actions led directly to their downfall by God’s judgment.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem, comparing them to the ancient city of Sodom. The context is a warning: God is reminding Jerusalem that Sodom’s pride and unacceptable behavior led to its destruction, and the same could happen to them if they follow the same path.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 16:50

  • "haughty" (גָּבַהּ, gavah): This word means to be proud or lifted up, often with a sense of arrogance. Here, it highlights that their downfall began with an attitude of superiority.
  • "abomination" (תּוֹעֵבָה, to'evah): This word refers to actions that are especially offensive or detestable to God. The verse singles out not just any wrongdoing, but things God finds particularly unacceptable.
  • "away" (סוּר, sur): This word means to remove or turn aside. It emphasizes that God actively intervened to take them out of the picture, not just letting events happen by chance.

Why Ezekiel 16:50 matters

  • This verse clarifies that pride and certain actions, not just one specific sin, led to Sodom’s destruction, correcting common misunderstandings about why God judged them.
  • The verse connects the fate of Sodom to Jerusalem’s situation, warning that God’s standards and responses are consistent across time and people.
  • By using strong words for pride and abomination, Ezekiel 16:50 stresses that both attitude and actions matter to God, not just outward behavior.

Where else these words appear

“haughty” Hebrew H1361 · used in 33 verses

  • 1 Samuel 10:23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
  • Psalms 113:5 Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
  • Ezekiel 17:24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.

“abomination” Hebrew H8441 · used in 112 verses

  • Genesis 43:32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
  • Ezra 9:14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?
  • Ezekiel 7:3 Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.