Introduction
In this chapter we are presented with the allegorical portrayal of the history of Judah and Israel.
The sisters Oholah and Oholibah, practised whoredom from the days of Egypt. Ezekiel 23:1-4.
Samaria’s whoredom and punishment. Ezekiel 23:5-10.
Whoredom of Judah. Ezekiel 23:11-21.
Punishment of the harlot Jerusalem. Ezekiel 23:23-35.
Additional summary of the sins and punishment of the two women. Ezekiel 23:36-49.
SUMMARY
Two ugly sisters, (harlots), Oholah and Oholibah. Samaria and Jerusalem shall be judged. If the picture of a sword fails to get their attention, the following allegory certainly ought to. In all of the Scripture, there is probably no more graphic indictment.
Modern readers are almost offended by the candid exposure of two promiscuous sisters, representing Israel and Judah. You can get at least an idea of the degree to which God himself is offended by his people’s unfaithfulness.
TWO ADULTEROUS SISTERS
‘The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled, and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.’ Ezekiel 23:1-4
God now share a story with Ezekiel concerning two women who had the same mother, Ezekiel 23:1-2 / Jeremiah 3:7. Sadly these two young women became prostitutes in Egypt where their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms were caressed, Ezekiel 23:3. This is speaking of idolatry, Ezekiel 20:5-8 / Exodus 32:1-6 / Joshua 24:14 / 1 Kings 12:26-33.
There is a marriage relationship in view here and we must see the figurative and symbolic significance of the marriage rather than discussing how God could have two wives. In other words, they were supposed to be faithful to God, but they became intimate with the Egyptians, Ezekiel 16:26 / Ezekiel 20:7-8 / Numbers 25:3-9 / Joshua 24:14 / 2 Kings 21:15 / Hosea 1:2.
The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah are identified as Samaria and Jerusalem, Ezekiel 23:4.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Evidently the Lord regarded Samaria as the older sister because the Northern Kingdom was the first to apostatize and to establish political alliances with foreign nations, particularly the Assyrians, Hosea 8:9.’
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Both incorporate the word ohel, ‘tent,’ Oholah suggesting ‘her own tent,’ and Oholibah ‘my tent in her.’’
They both belonged to God and had many sons and daughters, Ezekiel 23:4.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is the formal statement of God that he indeed accepted racial Israel as his wife, or ‘bride.’ God knew, of course, about the adulterous tendencies of his people, nevertheless he consented to become their husband.’
OHOLAH
‘Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors clothed in blue, governors, and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust on her. ‘Therefore, I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.’ Ezekiel 23:5-10
Here is a picture of Israel, the northern kingdom forsaking her covenant with God and going after other men. Again, as in Ezekiel 16, their alliances with other nations are described in terms of adultery or rather harlotry, Hosea 8:9-10.
Oholah was unfaithful because she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians warriors, Ezekiel 23:5. Notice how the Assyrians are described, warriors, clothed in blue, governors, commanders, handsome mounted horsemen, Ezekiel 23:6.
Bunn, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This verse indicates symbolically the embracing of all of Assyria’s pagan gods. Oholah, true to her corrupt self, merely superimposed upon the ancient pagan gods of Egypt, the gods of Assyria, producing a syncretistic blend of pagan worship.’
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The appeal, then as now, was to youth, strength, position, wealth and self-gratification; that is, the world in all its dazzle and attractiveness.’
Oholah also committed adultery, politically speaking by giving herself to the elite of the Assyrians by getting involved the worshipping the Assyrian idols, Ezekiel 23:7 / 2 Kings 15:19-20 / 2 Kings 17:3-4 / Hosea 5:13 / Hosea 7:11 / Hosea 8:9 / Hosea 12:1-2 / Amos 5:26.
Thomas, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser, an important archaeological find dating to about 840 B.C., shows King Jehu of Israel bowing in submission before King Shalmaneser III of Assyria and giving him tribute money.’
Oholah continued the adulterous behaviour she practiced when she was in Egypt with the Assyrians, Ezekiel 23:8.
Notice it was God who handed her over to the Assyrians, whom she lusted, Ezekiel 23:9. This was in 722 B.C. Notice what they did to her, they totally abused her, took her children away and killed her, Ezekiel 23:10. She became a byword among women, Ezekiel 23:10, implying she became infamous for her sinful behaviour, Proverbs 1:31 / Romans 1:24-32. As a result, she was punished.
Stuart, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Infidelity in marriage was taken very seriously in ancient Israel. Adultery and prostitution were both odious to God and punishable by death, as several passages in Leviticus, Leviticus 19:29 / Leviticus 20:10 / Leviticus 21:9, and Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 22:21-22 / Deuteronomy 23:17. indicate.’
OHOLIBAH
‘Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way. ‘But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust, they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt. There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So, you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed, and your young breasts fondled.’ Ezekiel 23:11-21
Despite witnessing what happened to her sister, Oholibah, that is Judah, didn’t learn anything from her, Ezekiel 23:11. In fact, she went one worse, not only going after the Assyrians as her sister did, Ezekiel 23:12-13 / 2 Kings 16:8 / Isaiah 7:7-9, but also the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, Ezekiel 23:14. This was despite what she saw happening to Samaria.
Notice she saw Chaldean men portrayed on a wall, they are portrayed as red, wearing belts, having turbans on their heads which flowed, they were officers, natives of Chaldea, Ezekiel 23:14-15. The temptation was just too much, the Babylonians were simply too beautiful for her to resist, the lusting was so intense, she sent messengers to them, Ezekiel 23:16 / 2 Kings 16:7 / 2 Kings 23:32 / 2 Kings 23:37 / Jeremiah 22:21.
After the invitation to come, the Babylonians obliged, they came to Judea and defiled her, Ezekiel 23:17. After the Babylonians defiled her, she turned away in disgust, Ezekiel 23:18, and when she continued with her prostitution, and exposing herself, God Himself was disgusted, just as He was with her sister, Ezekiel 23:18. She then turned to Egypt for help, Ezekiel 23:19 / Jeremiah 2:18 / Jeremiah 6:8 / Jeremiah 37:5-7 / Lamentations 4:17.
Notice again the lust is described in very graphic detail, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses, Ezekiel 23:20 / Jeremiah 2:24 / Jeremiah 5:8 / Jeremiah 13:27. They longed for how things were in Egypt, they longed for all the caressing and fondling, Ezekiel 23:21. Jerusalem returned to her old lover, Egypt.
THE FATE OF OHOLIBAH
‘Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side—the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. They will come against you with weapons, chariots, and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewellery. So, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore. ‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity have brought this on you because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have gone the way of your sister; so, I will put her cup into your hand. ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, a cup large and deep; it will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it dry and chew on its pieces—and you will tear your breasts. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. ‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.’ Ezekiel 23:22-35
In Ezekiel 23:22, Ezekiel 23:28, and Ezekiel 23:32, God outlines the judgement of Judah because of her covenant breaking. This is a favourite figure with God and Ezekiel on this occasion which we saw first in Ezekiel 16.
God now says He will turn Oholibah’s lovers against her, the very people they turned away from in disgust, Ezekiel 23:22. The lovers whom she went after will turn on her. This included, the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, and the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, Ezekiel 23:23, who were tribal groups of the empire, Isaiah 22:5 / Jeremiah 50:21.
They would have no chance of escape as they came at her from everywhere and all directions, they will punish her according to their own standards, Ezekiel 22:24. In His jealous anger and fury, will allow her enemies to cut off her nose and her ears, making her ugly and unattractive, Ezekiel 23:25.
Coffman, in commentary, says the following.
‘This horrible punishment was not allowed under God’s law, but in Mesopotamia it was the frequent punishment of unfaithful wives.’
Pritchard, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This was an ancient Near Eastern punishment for adulteresses, which was understandable since these women typically adorned themselves with nose-rings and earrings.’
Their enemies would kill them by the sword, deport many others, 2 Kings 24:10-16 / 2 Kings 25:11 / Daniel 1:1, and burn others, 2 Kings 25:18-21. Their enemies would also strip them of their clothes and fine jewellery, 2 Kings 25:13-17 / 2 Chronicles 36:18. God was bringing to an end their lewdness and prostitution which began in Egypt and as a result they won’t long or remember their actions no more, Ezekiel 23:27.
God will turn Jerusalem over to those whom she to hate, those who disgusted her, Ezekiel 23:28, that is the Babylonians. Notice what the Babylonians will do to her, they would hate her, rob her of everything they worked for, and leave her stark naked and ashamed of her prostitution, Ezekiel 23:29. This happened in 586 B.C.
Because they lusted after the nations and defiled themselves with their idols, God was going to punish them, Ezekiel 23:30 / Exodus 20:1-7 / Deuteronomy 17:14-20. She followed the example of her older sister Oholah, and so God is going give her the cup of His wrath to drink, Ezekiel 23:31 / Isaiah 51:17 / Isaiah 51:22 / Jeremiah 25:15-17 / Jeremiah 25:28 / Habakkuk 2:16 / Zechariah 12:2.
God promises that Oholibah would drink from the large cup of God’s judgment from which Oholah had drunk, Ezekiel 23:32. Drunkenness and sorrow will be the result of drinking His cup, because it represents ruin and desolation, the same as what happened to Samaria her sister, Ezekiel 23:33.
She will drink it and drain it dry, Ezekiel 23:34, implying she will experience the force of God’s punishment. She will chew on its pieces and tear her breasts, Ezekiel 23:34. These are probably acts of remorse because of her previous behaviour with the other nations. Since she had forgotten God, Deuteronomy 8:11, and turned her back on Him, she must bear of the consequences of her actions, Ezekiel 23:35.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following.
‘When a nation (or an individual) discards God, there is no other road to follow but that which leads to perversion and utter degradation.’
JUDGEMENT OF THE TWO SISTERS
‘The LORD said to me: ‘Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, for they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. They have also done this to me: At that same time, they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house. ‘They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup and put on your jewellery. You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and olive oil that belonged to me. ‘The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; drunkards were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads. Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.’ And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous, and blood is on their hands. ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses. ‘So, I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.’ Ezekiel 23:36-49
Here the prophet simply repeats and enlarges on the judgements given in the previous sections. The aim is as always to show them that their Lord is THE GOD. God now asks Ezekiel if he will judge Oholah and Oholibah? Ezekiel 23:36 / Ezekiel 20:4 / Ezekiel 22:2. He is to confront them with tier detestable practices, Ezekiel 23:36.
They committed adultery, Ezekiel 23:37 / Exodus 22:20 / Exodus 23:13 / Deuteronomy 4:15-24 / Deuteronomy 12:24-32. They sacrificed their children, that is, God’s children, Ezekiel 23:37 / Exodus 20:13 / Leviticus 18:21 / Leviticus 20:1-5.
They defiled God’s sanctuary, Ezekiel 23:38 / Exodus 20:24-26, and desecrated His Sabbaths, Ezekiel 23:38 / Exodus 20:8-11 / Leviticus 19:3 / Leviticus 19:30. On the same days that they practiced child sacrifice, they entered God’s sanctuary and desecrated it, Ezekiel 23:39. In other words, they saw their false gods as the same as the LORD.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This atrocious worship of Molech was a result of shameless unfaithfulness of God’s people, who, in this despicable action, fell as completely into paganism as was possible. Furthermore, as revealed in the same chapter, they had the audacity to enter into God’s temple on the very same day, thus aggravating their guilt. God’s house, his ordinances and his statutes, including even the sabbath, were totally ignored, despised, and profaned.’
They sent messengers for men who came from far away, Jeremiah 27:3-15, and when they arrived, they bathed themselves and made themselves look beautiful, Ezekiel 23:40. This is the Arabians, Moabites, and Edomites, Deuteronomy 17:14-20.
They even used incense and olive oil, the very things which should have been used to worship God to seduce her lovers, Ezekiel 23:41. They hosted a drunken party, but it’s more than that, it’s a drunken orgy and they gave Isreal bracelets and crowns, Ezekiel 23:42, which were the price of prostitutes.
God gives permission for Samaria and Jerusalem to be treated like prostitutes, since they acted like prostitutes, Ezekiel 23:43-44. Notice that righteous judges will pass judgment upon the sisters because of their adultery and the blood shed they had spilt, Ezekiel 23:45. Who these righteous judges are is uncertain.
Cooper, in his commentary, says the following.
The enemies of Israel were righteous in judging her, not that they were right with God spiritually. They may have even been more righteous in their conduct than the Israelites.’
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The righteous in view may be the spiritual leaders of the remnant of faithful believers in Israel, Deuteronomy 22:13-21.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The evil men who ‘judged’ Judah were righteous only in the understanding that the sentence which they carried out against her was just and fully in keeping with the Word of God.’
God now commands, a mob to attack, terror and plunder them, Ezekiel 23:46, the mob will stone them, cut them down, will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses, Ezekiel 23:47.
God was doing this to bring an end to lewdness in the land, Ezekiel 22:15, and as warning to all other nations that they shouldn’t imitate them, Ezekiel 23:48. Samaria and Jerusalem will suffer because of their unfaithful, they will suffer the consequences of their idolatry and then they will know that He is the Sovereign LORD, Ezekiel 23:49.
What more can be said? God feels deeply the shame and is grace that his ‘bride’ has brought him. Her disrespect for His spiritual leadership, her chasing after marital satisfaction, and her many adulteries with lesser gods have left him no choice. Judah must be put away until she repents. The time has come and even now is.
Have not all the prophets warned it would happen? Did they not get warned about the rebellion against Babylon? Jeremiah 52:3 / 2 Kings 24:20 / 2 Chronicles 36:13. Did they not get warned about the siege of Jerusalem? 588 B.C. Jeremiah 39:1 / Jeremiah 52:4 / 2 Kings 25:1.