Ezekiel 23:5

5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

Ezekiel 23:5 in Other Translations

5 And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,

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

5 “Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers.

5 "Oholah started whoring while she was still mine. She lusted after Assyrians as lovers: military men

5 And Oholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians [her] neighbors,

5 Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby.

5 "Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriors

5 "Oholah was unfaithful to me even while she still belonged to me. She longed for her Assyrian lovers.

Ezekiel 23:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 23:5

And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine
His married wife, and so ought to have cleaved to him alone: or, under me {o}; under his cover, power, and protection, and therefore it was their interest to serve him only: or, "instead of me" ^F16; or, as the Syriac version, "besides me": they worshipped other gods in the room of the true God, or other gods besides him. The Targum is,

``and Aholah erred from my worship;''

the ten tribes fell into idolatry, when they were God's professing people: and she doted on her lovers;
whom she loved even to madness; she was mad with love, to the idols, temples, altars, and idolatrous worship of the Heathens; particularly doted "on the Assyrians her neighbours"; who were become so by the conquest of Syria; and these they treated as their neighbours, and sought to have them to be their allies and confederates; courted their help and assistance, and gave them much money for that purpose; as Menahem gave to Pul king of Assyria a thousand talents of silver, to confirm the kingdom in his hand, ( 2 Kings 15:19 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (ytxt) "sub me", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Tigurine version. Piscator, Cocceius, Starckius.
F16 "Exteros excipiens loco meo", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus.

Ezekiel 23:5 In-Context

3 They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.

4 The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

6 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.

7 She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.

Cross References

• 1. S 2 Kings 16:7; Hosea 5:13
• 2. Hosea 8:9