Ezekiel 23:5-15

5 "While still my wife, Samaria had sexual relations with other men. She had great sexual desire for her lovers, men from Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors and

6 wore blue uniforms. They were all handsome young captains and lieutenants riding on horseback.

7 Samaria became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria and made herself unclean with all the idols of everyone she desired.

8 She continued the prostitution she began in Egypt. When she was young, she had slept with men, and they touched her breasts and had sexual relations with her.

9 "So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, that she wanted so badly.

10 They stripped her naked and took away her sons and daughters. Then they killed her with a sword. Women everywhere began talking about how she had been punished.

11 "Her sister Jerusalem saw what happened, but she became worse than her sister in her sexual desire and prostitution.

12 She also desired the Assyrians, who were all soldiers in beautiful uniforms -- handsome young captains and lieutenants riding horses.

13 I saw that both girls were alike; both were prostitutes.

14 "But Jerusalem went even further. She saw carvings of Babylonian men on a wall. They wore re

15 and had belts around their waists and turbans on their heads. They all looked like chariot officers born in Babylonia.

Ezekiel 23:5-15 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:

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