Ezekiel 23:5

Ezekiel 23:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
• New International Version (NIV)“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians,

Context of Ezekiel 23:5

3who acted like prostitutes in Egypt, behaving promiscuously in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin nipples caressed. 4The older one was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem. “Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriors 6dressed in blue, governors and prefects, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on steeds. 7She offered her sexual favors to them; all of them were the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all those she lusted after and with all their idols.

Ezekiel 23:5 word by word

וַתִּ֥זֶן אָהֳלָ֖ה תַּחְתָּ֑י וַתַּעְגַּב֙ עַֽל־מְאַהֲבֶ֔יהָ אֶל־אַשּׁ֖וּר קְרוֹבִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Aholahאׇהֳלָה'ohŏlâh 'ohŏlâhh · OholahH170
• played the harlotזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
• when she was mineתַּחַתtachath · underneath: underH8478
• and she dotedעָגַב‛âgab · to lustH5689
• on her loversאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• on the Assyriansאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
• neighboursקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138

Cross-references for Ezekiel 23:5

• 1 Kings 14:9You behaved more wickedly than all who were before you. In order to anger me, you have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and cast images, but you have flung me behind your back.
• 1 Kings 15:26Nadab did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and walked in the ways of his father and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.
• 1 Kings 16:31Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not enough, he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then proceeded to serve Baal and bow in worship to him.
• 1 Kings 21:26He committed the most detestable acts by following idols as the Amorites had, whom the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.
• 2 Kings 17:7This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they worshiped other gods.
• Ezekiel 23:7She offered her sexual favors to them; all of them were the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all those she lusted after and with all their idols.
• Ezekiel 16:37I am therefore going to gather all the lovers you pleased — all those you loved as well as all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose your nakedness to them so they see you completely naked.
• Jeremiah 50:38A drought will come on her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of carved images, and they go mad because of terrifying things.
• Ezekiel 16:28Then you engaged in prostitution with the Assyrian men because you were not satisfied. Even though you did this with them, you were still not satisfied.
• 2 Kings 15:19King Pul of Assyria invaded the land, so Menahem gave Pul seventy-five thousand pounds of silver so that Pul would support him to strengthen his grasp on the kingdom.
• 2 Kings 16:7So Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. March up and save me from the grasp of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.”
• 2 Kings 17:3King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
• Hosea 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, Ephraim went to Assyria and sent a delegation to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.
• Hosea 8:9For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey going off on its own. Ephraim has paid for love.
• Hosea 10:6The calf itself will be taken to Assyria as an offering to the great king. Ephraim will experience shame; Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.
• Hosea 12:1Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria, and olive oil is carried to Egypt.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 23:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And Aholah played the harlot - Without entering into detail here, or following the figures, they both became idolatrous, and received the impure rites of the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans, of which connection the prophet speaks here as he did in chap. 16, which see. In this chapter there are many of what we would call indelicate expressions, because a parallel is run between idolatry and prostitution, and the circumstances of the latter illustrate…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-8Oholah: The northern kingdom did not embrace God's covenant of grace. Instead, it was drawn to Assyria's power and prestige. Israel formed alliances with Assyria as part of its political strategy starting in the 800s BC. However, these alliances did not protect Israel in the end.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. when ... mine--literally, "under Me," that is, subject to Me as her lawful husband. neighbours--On the northeast the kingdom of Israel bordered on that of Assyria; for the latter had occupied much of Syria. Their neighborhood in locality was emblematical of their being near in corruption of morals and worship. The alliances of Israel with Assyria, which are the chief subject of reprobation here, tended to this (2Ki 15:19; 16:7, 9; 17:3; Ho 8:9).Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 23:5

• Aholah
• Aholibah
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Adulterer
• Desirable
• Dispatch
• Dote
• Hatefully
• Lewd
• Crime; Crimes
• Ezekiel
• Grace
• Oholah

Commentaries on Ezekiel 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings