Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: The Hebrew particle hinneh rendered Behold draws attention to the following sins of Sodom (see Ezek 16.8). For the Hebrew word ʿawon rendered guilt, see the comments on 4.4-5, where it is translated “punishment.” Here it refers to the sins that the people of Sodom had done, so it may be rendered “sin” (New Century Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “crime” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible).

She and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy: Pride may be rendered “arrogance” (New American Standard Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly Contemporary English Version, New International Version), and surfeit of food may be translated “gluttony” (New Living Translation, New Jerusalem Bible), “plenty of food” (New Century Version), or “overfed” (New International Version). Good News Translation renders pride and surfeit of food as one characteristic, saying “were proud because they had plenty to eat.” This makes sense in the context and can be a helpful model. However, most versions express them as two characteristics. Prosperous ease is literally “quiet security,” which can refer to the absence of war, or to life untroubled by worries. Such a life can lead to “complacency” (New Jerusalem Bible), where people are satisfied with their own circumstances and are “unconcerned” (New International Version) for others who are less fortunate. This phrase may be rendered “lived in peace and quiet” (Good News Translation) or “lived in great comfort” (New Century Version). Pride is usually seen as something bad, but sufficient food and a quiet, secure life are not necessarily bad. What made them bad for the people of Sodom was that, in their comfort, they did not aid the poor and needy, that is, they did not help people in their community who did not have enough to live on.

A model for this verse is:

• See now, this is the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, they had plenty of food, and were able to live in peace and quiet. But they did not care for the people who were poor and in need.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .