Ezekiel 23:1

Oholah and Oholibah

1 The word of the LORD came to me:

Ezekiel 23:1 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 1. The word of the Lord came unto me
The word of prophecy,Ezekiel 23:2

Son of man, there were two women
Or two nations and kingdoms, the kingdom of Israel or the ten tribes, and the kingdom of Judah or the two tribes. So the Targum,

``son of man, prophesy concerning two provinces, which are as two women:''

the daughters of one mother;
either Sarah the wife of Abraham, from whom they sprung; or because they were originally one kingdom and nation; so they were when they came out of Egypt, and during the times of the judges, and in the reigns of David and Solomon; but became two in the days of Rehoboam the son of Solomon, from whom ten tribes revolted, and set up a separate kingdom, with Jeroboam at the head of it.

Ezekiel 23:1 In-Context

1 The word of the LORD came to me:

2 "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.

3 They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled.

4 Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem

5 "Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors