Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 16:53

"And I will turn again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them;" — Ezekiel 16:53 (ASV)

Shall bring again their captivity. —This is not a promise of restoration to Israel; on the contrary, it is an expression of the utter hopelessness of their punishment in the strongest possible form.

The phrase "bringing again of captivity" does not, indeed, necessarily mean a return from exile (into which Sodom had not been carried); rather, as explained in Ezekiel 16:55, it means a return to their former state—that is, a state of happiness and prosperity.

In the case of Sodom, such a return was manifestly impossible. Sodom and her daughters (the surrounding cities) had perished with all their inhabitants many ages ago, leaving no descendants behind.

Even in the case of Samaria, such a restoration, if accomplished, would lack any historical identification.

Restoration for them was, therefore, obviously impossible. Consequently, by conditioning the restoration of Jerusalem on an impossible condition, that restoration is meant to be most strongly denied.