Ezekiel 23:14-24

14 But she carried her whoring further. She saw men 1portrayed on the wall, the 2images of 3the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion
15 wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea.
16 When she saw them, she lusted after them and 4sent messengers to them 5in Chaldea.
17 And the Babylonians came to her 6into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, 7she turned from them in disgust.
18 When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister.
19 Yet she increased her whoring, 8remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egyp
20 and lusted after her paramours there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.
21 Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed[a] your young breasts.
22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers 9from whom you turned in disgust, 10and I will bring them against you from every side:
23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, 11Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, 12desirable young men, 13governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.
24 And they shall come against you from the north[b] with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. 14They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and 15I will commit the judgment to them, and 16they shall judge you according to their judgments.

Ezekiel 23:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 23

In this chapter the idolatries of Israel and Judah are represented under the metaphor of two harlots, and their lewdness. These harlots are described by their descent; by the place and time in which they committed their whoredoms; by their names, and which are explained, Eze 23:1-4, the idolatries of Israel, or the ten tribes, under the name of Aholah, which they committed with the Assyrians, and which they continued from the Egyptians, of whom they had learned them, are exposed, Eze 23:5-8, and their punishment for them is declared, Eze 23:9,10 then the idolatries of Judah, or the two tribes, under the name of Aholibah, are represented as greater than those of the ten tribes, Eze 23:11, which they committed with the Assyrians, Eze 23:12, with the Chaldeans and Babylonians, Eze 23:13-18 in imitation of the Egyptians, reviving former idolatries learnt of them, Eze 23:19-21, wherefore they are threatened, that the Chaldeans, Babylonians, and Assyrians, should come against them, and spoil them, and carry them captive, Eze 23:22-35, and the prophet is bid to declare the abominable sin of them both, Eze 23:36-44, and to signify that they should be judged after the manner of adulteresses, should be stoned, and dispatched with swords, their sons and their daughters, and their houses burnt with fire; by which means their adulteries or idolatries should be made to cease, Eze 23:45-49.

as the Targum; another prophecy, one upon the same subject, as in Eze 16:1,

\\saying\\; as follows:

28967-950611-1613-Eze23.2

Cross References 16

  • 1. Ezekiel 8:10
  • 2. [Ezekiel 16:17]
  • 3. Ezekiel 16:29; [2 Kings 20:12, 13; 2 Kings 24:1]
  • 4. [ver. 40; Isaiah 57:9]
  • 5. [See ver. 14 above]
  • 6. [ver. 41; Isaiah 57:7, 8]
  • 7. ver. 22, 28; [Ezekiel 17:15]
  • 8. [ver. 3]; See Ezekiel 16:15
  • 9. [See ver. 17 above]
  • 10. Ezekiel 16:37
  • 11. Jeremiah 50:21
  • 12. ver. 6, 12
  • 13. ver. 6, 12
  • 14. [2 Kings 19:32]
  • 15. [Ezekiel 9:5, 6]
  • 16. 2 Kings 25:6

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of
  • [b]. Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.