Ezekiel 16 (especially the second part of the chapter) is one of the most important chapters for Brit-Am learning in Scripture. This chapter refers to the OBLIGATION OF JUDAH TO HELP THE LOST TEN TRIBES RETURN. It refers specifically to "Samaria". It appears that SAMARIA REPRESENTS THE USA! Below is a rough commentary. I hope to go into it deeper later and perhaps find in the sages additional insights.

Your actions are so bad that it is as if you were born to other peoples, known for their iniquity. Jerusalem was found or at least settled at an early stage by Canaanite peoples. Most of the Canaanites inhabitants (such as the Amorites and Hittites) were driven away but something of the original character of these people remained in the city. When the people began to sin they picked up aspects of the Canaanites character. It was as if, by sinning and idolatry. the city was returning to the nature of those who in a sense had given birth to it.

You were not brought up properly and never cut off from your bad beginnings.
<<THOU WAST NOT SALTED AT ALL>>: Just after birth they would rub the baby with salt. This was considered efficacious to strengthen the flesh. The Armenians and other groups in the Middle East maintained this custom until recently and may still do so. Maybe we should do so today? A lot of primitive customs are medically sound.

The beginnings of the Israelite Nation were actually in Egypt where they were persecuted and despised slaves. In Egypt, according to tradition and indications of scripture, the Israelites worshipped idols and had little knowledge of the God of Israel.

<<THOU WAST IN THY BLOOD, LIVE>>: This is repeated twice. By virtue of the blood of the Passover lamb and the blood of circumcision the Children of Israel were placed under Divine Protection.

God caused the Israelites to multiply exceedingly, in a miraculous fashion.

God entered into a covenant, similar to the bond of marriage, with Israel.

The Tabernacle was the place where the Presence of God communed with Israel. It was covered over with BADGERS' SKIN and BROIDERED WORK

<<THOU DIDST PROSPER INTO A KINGDOM>>: You had a monarch and a royal house.

<<THOU DIDST TRUST IN THINE OWN BEAUTY>>: You thought your blessings were due to your own talents and innate qualities. They were gifts of God and your continued enjoyment of them was dependent on Divine favor.

You worshipped idols and set up your own houses to sin in.

You put up non-entities as somebodies to pay homage to. You took a scumbag pervert murder like Arafat and gave him respect and an apparatus of state to kill your own people with. The same applies to Hitler and Sadam Hussein and the others. These are people who lack decency. We should have eliminated them at the very beginning but we gave them respect and the wherewithal to work against us. We became the instruments of our own punishment.

Very often these scumbags are supported by funds we gave them or which we could have diverted to better causes.
Bin Ladin attacked the USA with Saudi funds that are really American. The Saudis probably do not really support this monster but he emerged from the cultural and ideological background which they cultivate and his group receives de facto protection from them. Bin Ladin and Sadam Hussein and Gaddafi and Assad and all the others live off oil money much of which originated in the USA or Britain or other Israelite sources.

Alternately, God gives us the wherewithal to support ourselves reasonably or well. Very often we take this money and waste it on things that are against the will of God such as cultic and sexual activities, gambling, drugs, "splurging", etc. Even TV and movies: Nowadays pornographic movies have become almost respectable. Even "good" movies that otherwise have a positive message, or at least some entertainment values, often have scenes and innuendos that not long ago would have been considered unacceptable or worse. These all cost money to produce and consume. We work and receive money and think it is our own to do with what we will. God says that HE gave us the money for our own needs, BUT if we use it against Him, we will have to give an accounting.

<<WHOM THOU HAST BORNE UNTO ME>>: Our children are given us to bring up in the way God wants. Not everyone can succeed in this but at least we can try. The point is we are not our own masters. Blessings and freedom of action have been given us to use in positive directions or at least not negative ones. The people of Israel, and Judah, in the past practiced child sacrifice just like the Canaanites and Phoenicians did. This was continued by the Celtic Druids. In our times we allow (and even encourage) abortions for the "public good". The exploitation of children is also an increasing phenomenon.

This is the Beltain which symbolically was still practiced until recently in Britain and Scandinavia and elsewhere: People and animals would be led between or over small fires on certain days of the year. It was called "Beltain" in Britain which is Celtic for "Fire of baal".

<<TO PROVOKE ME TO ANGER>>: You desired to be indecent for its own sake. There was always a place for a stranger in Israel. Foreigners could become part of the Israelite nation if they so wished BUT the Bible is against mixing with other peoples. The Bible is also against promiscuity. Ideally a person should be happily married and not cause trouble to himself or others. If he does not fulfill the ideal and transgresses then there are levels of offence. At the very minimum level, the Golden Rule should be not to take another man's woman and not to engage in unnatural sex. If a person ever has transgressed in any way he can repent and attempt to atone and if he is genuine it will work.
Eisemann: Your sins were not caused by simple lusts. You went beyond that, you wanted to do bad, to anger God.

You will be given into the hands of those who hate you.
<<THE DAUGHTERS OF THE PHILISTINES>>: These are Palestinians. The verse is applying to Judah. Some of the Jews in Judah will run after the Palestinians to pawn to them. This will bring disgrace on Judah. The Palestinians are named after the Philistines. "Palestine" is a Latinised version for the name "Philistia". The Bible is saying that THE DAUGHTERS OF THE PHILISTINES are THEM THAT HATE THEE. There is nothing that can be done about it apart from physically transporting the Palestinians to suitable area far distant from Israel.
THE PHILISTINES could also represent some of the "Hispanics". Historically the Philistines were connected with Cyprus and with Illyria (Albania) and what is now Croatia and with Venice (Italy) and had connections to settlements in Spain. These connections are assumed to have existed due to linguistic features and may or may not have been substantial.

ASSYRIANS: Historically both Judah and Israel attempted to appease Assyria and it backfired upon them. In modern terms "Assyria can represent Europe, especially Germany. Germany was settled by Edomites, Canaanites, Israelites at one stage, and descendants of Magog, and of Gomer son of Japhet, and by descendants of the Assyrians. There is a tradition that Assyrians settled in parts of Germany: Josef K. L. Bihl ("In Deutschen Landen," page 69): "Trier was founded by Trebeta, a son of the famous Assyrian King Ninus." "The inhabitants of Trier maintain that their city is the oldest in all Europe,"

"CHALDEA" is another name for Babylon. In modern terms this can mean Rome.

"IMPERIOUS": In Hebrew "shaletet" meaning "ruling", "taking control"."AN IMPERIOUS WHORISH WOMAN": This phrase combines the qualities of a woman who tells others what to do. This is associated with an emasculating female who is also whorish. Perhaps the two qualities "imperious" and "whorish" are connected as far as women are concerned? Ezekiel 16 no.2

This is speaking of a married woman who commits adultery and bribes her lovers with gifts in exchange for their attentions.

<<BY THE BLOOD OF THY CHILDREN, WHICH THOU DIDST GIVE UNTO THEM>>: For the sake of our children we should try to be better than we are. At the least we should draw the line before being overtaken by situations that are
difficult to control.

<<AS IS THE MOTHER, SO IS HER DAUGHTER>>: Like mother, like daughter.

<<WHICH LOTHED THEIR HUSBANDS>>: A woman should love and honor her husband. The husband is commanded to cleave to his wife and put her above other considerations (Genesis 2:24).

<<AND THINE ELDER SISTER IS SAMARIA>>: This means the northern kingdom of Israel of which Samaria was the center. The name "Samaria" can represent the Lost Ten tribes of Israel, especially Manasseh. The city Samaria was in the territory of Manasseh. In many respects Manasseh (rather than Ephraim) was really the most important tribe of the northern kingdom. "Samaria" in Prophecy could therefore be specifically directed towards the USA.

Social injustice, waste, overindulgence, and indolence were the crimes of Sodom.

The Lost Ten tribes were taken away and only Judah remained. Ezekiel is saying that the sins of Judah were worse than those of the Ten Tribes!

<<THE CAPTIVITY OF SODOM AND HER DAUGHTERS>>: Moshkovitz (Daat Mikra) suggests that this refers to the revival of the Land of Canaan. Sodom was overturned and all the area around destroyed. So too, after the Roman conquest and the Arab and Turkish occupation was most of the Land turned into a wasteland without trees or greenery.
The British and the Jews restored it in part. The State of Israel is continuing to do so but not as  much nor as well as it should be. We have also been responsible for ecological abuses that should be corrected. There is much that could and should be done.
Malbim says here that at the return "Samaria" and "Sodom" (?) will be the most important section of the Israelite nation whereas Judah will be pulled after them and returned through them. He repeats this message in 16:55. The Lost Ten Tribes will return. Manasseh will return. The exiles of Judah who remained in exile will return together with the Lost Ten Tribes.Abarbanel (1435-1509): "The Ten Tribes will return to Samaria and its daughter-regions and so will the scattered dispersion of Judah by gathered in from the four corners of the earth".

This is a message for Judah: In order for Judah to realize herself and to bring back all her exiles and rehabilitate herself Judah must also seek the Lost Ten Tribes and cause them to return! This is important to
Judah for her own sake! It is also hinting that rehabilitation of the Land itself is somehow connected with the return of the Lost Ten Tribes. See our Commentary on Isaiah 56:8 and Hosea chapter six, where we have explained that according to prophecy: part of Judah would return to the Land and begin to build it up. Then the Lost Ten Tribes would return in two stages together with the remnant of Judah. The first part of this process is well on its way.
<<SODOM AND HER DAUGHTERS, SHALL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER ESTATE, AND SAMARIA AND HER DAUGHTERS SHALL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER ESTATE>>: Malbim: [addressing Judah] "For they shall be most important section in the returning and you subservient to them, and you shall return through them".Abarbanel: "There is no doubt that this promised ingathering will occur in the Times of the Messiah. Until now it has never been fulfilled".

"SYRIA": In Hebrew "Aram". Descendants of the Aramites are now in Europe.

Judah must seek to bring the Lost Ten Tribes back. God makes the participation of Judah in the process of returning the Lost Ten Tribes a prior condition for the rehabilitation of Judah herself!
<<I WILL GIVE THEM UNTO THEE FOR DAUGHTERS>>: Judah will have some degree of directional task to play in helping the Ten Tribes return and showing them the way in which they should go. Judah however is also obligated to get his own act together or else (God forbid) be punished.
<<BUT NOT BY THY COVENANT>>: The Lost Ten Tribes will not necessarily have to convert to Judaism in our sense of the word though they will renew the covenant between Israel and the Almighty and Judah is obligated to assist them.

God will once again accept Judah and all Israel.

Even after we return we will have to remind ourselves of our previous degradation and be ashamed of ourselves. Ultimately Israel will have to teach and in some way rule the rest of the world. Humility and a consciousness of our own past and present failings could help in directing other peoples.