Ezekiel 23:44-49

44 For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women!
45 But righteous men 1shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands."
46 For thus says the Lord GOD: 2"Bring up a vast host against them, and make them 3an object of terror and 4a plunder.
47 5And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. 6They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and 7burn up their houses.
48 8Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done.
49 And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and 9you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and 10you shall know that I am the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 23:44-49 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 10

  • 1. [ver. 24]; See Ezekiel 16:38
  • 2. Ezekiel 16:40
  • 3. Deuteronomy 28:25
  • 4. Ezekiel 7:21
  • 5. Ezekiel 16:40, 41; [Joshua 7:24, 25]
  • 6. Ezekiel 24:21; See 2 Chronicles 36:17
  • 7. 2 Chronicles 36:19
  • 8. ver. 27; [Ezekiel 16:41]
  • 9. [ver. 35]
  • 10. [See Ezekiel 6:7]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.