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Ezekiel 23 · Berean Standard Bible

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¹Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ²“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother, ³and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed. ⁴The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. ⁵Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors ⁶clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds. ⁷She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted. ⁸She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her. ⁹Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted. ¹⁰They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and put her to the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgment against her. ¹¹Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. ¹²She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men. ¹³And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path. ¹⁴But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion, ¹⁵wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. ¹⁶At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. ¹⁷Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. But after she had been defiled by them, she turned away in disgust. ¹⁸When Oholibah openly prostituted herself and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. ¹⁹Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt ²⁰and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions. ²¹So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts. ²²Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side— ²³the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them—all desirable young men, governors and commanders, officers and men of renown, mounted on horses. ²⁴They will come against you with a host of peoples, with weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will array themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will punish you according to their own standards. ²⁵And I will set My jealous rage against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your remnant will be consumed by fire. ²⁶They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry. ²⁷So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ ²⁸For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, from whom you turned away in disgust. ²⁹They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity ³⁰have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. ³¹Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’ ³²This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, a cup deep and wide. It will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. ³³You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. ³⁴You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD. ³⁵Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’ ” ³⁶Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. ³⁷For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols. ³⁸They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths. ³⁹On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house. ⁴⁰Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry. ⁴¹You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil, ⁴²accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head. ⁴³Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’ ⁴⁴And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women. ⁴⁵But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands. ⁴⁶This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder. ⁴⁷The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses. ⁴⁸So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior. ⁴⁹They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’ ”

Berean Standard Bible · public domain. More versions and languages in the Reading Plan.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23

The Two Sisters’ Adulteries and the Judgment of Divine Jealousy

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Objective

To expose the spiritual adultery of Israel and Judah portrayed as two sisters, revealing their persistent idolatry and alliances with foreign nations, and to declare the righteous judgment of God against their unfaithfulness and bloodshed.

Overview

Ezekiel 23 presents a vivid allegory of two sisters, Aholah (Samaria) and Aholibah (Jerusalem), whose unfaithfulness to God is depicted as harlotry. Their lustful alliances with Assyria and Babylon, and their idolatrous practices, provoke God's jealousy and lead to severe judgment. The chapter condemns their bloodshed, profaning of the sanctuary, and defilement of the Sabbath, culminating in the pronouncement of destruction as a warning to all.

Detailed Analysis

Event Description

God commands Ezekiel to speak of two sisters, daughters of one mother, who committed harlotry in Egypt in their youth. Aholah (Samaria) is first described as doting on Assyrian captains and rulers, defiling herself with idols and foreign lovers. God delivers her into the hands of her lovers, who execute judgment upon her by killing her children and exposing her nakedness, making her infamous among women.

Central Themes

Spiritual adultery as idolatry

unfaithfulness inherited from youth

political and spiritual alliances with foreign powers

divine judgment as consequence of covenant unfaithfulness.

Cultural & Historical Context

Samaria, representing the northern kingdom of Israel, engaged in idolatry and political alliances with Assyria, which historically led to its conquest and exile (2 Kings 17). The imagery of harlotry reflects covenant breach (Jeremiah 3:6-10; Hosea 1-3). The killing of children and exposure symbolize national destruction and shame.

Key Verse

Ezekiel 23:10

Vivid Artistic Descriptions

The Two Sisters’ Early Unfaithfulness and Assyrian Alliances (Verses 1–10)

Two sisters stand side by side, one draped in blue garments symbolizing Assyrian captains, the other gazing longingly toward distant Babylonian princes. Their garments are torn and stained with the marks of youthful defilement, their eyes shadowed with the pain of betrayal. Behind them, the land of Egypt fades into a mist, a haunting memory of early corruption.

Aholibah’s Greater Corruption and Babylonian Alliances (Verses 11–21)

A cityscape of Jerusalem under a crimson sky, walls adorned with painted images of Babylonian princes in vermilion and dyed attire. Messengers ride swiftly through the streets, bearing gifts and messages of alliance. The sister’s heart is a shattered mirror reflecting both Assyrian and Babylonian faces, her mind torn and alienated from the God who once loved her.

The Coming Judgment and Divine Jealousy (Verses 22–34)

A fierce storm of chariots and warriors encircles a city under siege. Shields and helmets gleam under a darkened sky. Flames lick the edges of homes, and shadows of mutilation and loss fall over the streets. A divine eye of jealousy watches from above, burning with righteous fury, while a cup overflows with bitter wine, spilling sorrow and desolation onto the land.

The Charges of Adultery, Bloodshed, and Profaning the Sanctuary (Verses 35–49)

A desecrated sanctuary stands amid ruins, incense and oil overturned on the floor. Women adorned with bracelets and crowns sit in false ease, their faces painted but hollow. In the foreground, stones and swords gleam, ready to execute judgment. The sky is heavy with the weight of bloodshed and broken covenant, while a voice from heaven declares the holiness of the Lord.

Song

Ezekiel 23 Song

Verse 1

Two sisters born of one, yet torn apart,\nBound by youth’s folly, and a wayward heart.\nAholah’s blue-clad lovers ride the plains,\nHer naked shame, the land’s enduring stains.

Verse 2

Aholibah longs with eyes aflame,\nFor princes clothed in Babylon’s name.\nShe sends her messengers across the sand,\nDefiled, polluted, a broken land.

Chorus

Oh, the harlot’s cry, the city’s fall,\nGod’s jealousy burns above it all.\nFrom Egypt’s past to Babylon’s hand,\nJudgment comes upon the land.

Bridge

Blood on hands and idols profaned,\nSanctuary’s holiness stained.\nYet still the Lord calls to repent,\nBefore the cup of wrath is spent.

Final Chorus

Oh, the harlot’s cry, the city’s fall,\nGod’s jealousy burns above it all.\nFrom Egypt’s past to Babylon’s hand,\nJudgment comes upon the land.\nBut mercy waits for hearts that turn,\nFor those who seek, His grace to earn.

Practical Application

Personal Life

Examine your own faithfulness to God, avoiding spiritual adultery through idolatry or divided loyalties.

Recognize the consequences of turning away from God’s covenant and the call to repentance before judgment comes.

Understand that God’s jealousy is rooted in His love and desire for exclusive relationship.

Community & Society

Encourage the church to remain pure in worship, avoiding syncretism with worldly or false beliefs.

Hold one another accountable to live holy lives that honor God’s covenant.

Support efforts to protect the sanctity of God’s house and the observance of His holy days.

Global Perspective

Pray for nations that have turned from God, that they may repent and receive mercy.

Recognize the dangers of political and cultural alliances that compromise faithfulness to God.

Promote awareness that God’s justice will ultimately prevail over idolatry and bloodshed worldwide.

Conclusion

Ezekiel 23 reveals the depth of Israel and Judah’s spiritual adultery through idolatry and political alliances, portrayed as two sisters defiling themselves with foreign lovers. Their persistent rebellion, bloodshed, and profaning of God’s sanctuary provoke His righteous jealousy and bring inevitable judgment. Yet within this stern warning lies the call to repentance and the affirmation of God’s sovereign holiness. This chapter stands as a solemn reminder that unfaithfulness to God leads to ruin, but His justice is also a path toward purification and restoration.