Ezekiel 23:17-27

17 "The 1Babylonians * came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their harlotry. And when she had been defiled by them, she became disgusted with them.
18 "She 2uncovered her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness; then I became 3disgusted with her, as I had become disgusted with her 4sister.
19 "Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt
20 "She 5lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
21 "Thus you longed for the 6lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth
22 "Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold I will arouse your lovers against you, from whom you were alienated, and I will bring them against you from every side:
23 the 7Babylonians * and all the 8Chaldeans, 9Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the 10Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.
24 'They will come against you with weapons, 11chariots and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the 12judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs.
25 'I will set My 13jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your 14sons and your daughters; and your survivors will be consumed by the fire.
26 'They will also 15strip you of your clothes and take away your 16beautiful jewels.
27 'Thus 17I will make your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt to cease from you, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.'

Ezekiel 23:17-27 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 17

  • 1. 2 Kings 24:17
  • 2. Jeremiah 8:12; Ezekiel 21:24; Ezekiel 23:10
  • 3. Psalms 78:59; Psalms 106:40; Jeremiah 12:8
  • 4. Ezekiel 23:9; Amos 5:21
  • 5. Ezekiel 16:26; Ezekiel 17:15
  • 6. Jeremiah 3:9; Ezekiel 23:3
  • 7. 2 Kings 20:14-17; Ezekiel 21:19; Ezekiel 23:14-17
  • 8. 2 Kings 24:2; Job 1:17; Isaiah 23:13
  • 9. Jeremiah 50:21
  • 10. Genesis 2:14; Genesis 25:18; Ezra 6:22
  • 11. Jeremiah 47:3; Ezekiel 26:10; Nahum 2:3, 4
  • 12. Jeremiah 39:5, 6; Ezekiel 16:38; Ezekiel 23:45
  • 13. Exodus 34:14; Ezekiel 5:13; Ezekiel 8:17, 18; Zephaniah 1:18
  • 14. Ezekiel 23:47; Hosea 2:4
  • 15. Jeremiah 13:22; Ezekiel 16:39; Ezekiel 23:29
  • 16. Isaiah 3:18-23
  • 17. Ezekiel 16:41

Footnotes 13

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