Ezekiel 23:4

Ezekiel 23:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; They were Mine, And they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

Context of Ezekiel 23:4

2“Son of man, there were once two women, daughters of the same mother. 3They became prostitutes in Egypt when they were young. There men fondled and caressed their breasts. “The older girl was named Oholah, and the younger girl was named Oholibah. I married them, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem. 5Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby. 6They were governors and commanders clothed in purple. They were all handsome young men who rode on horses.

Ezekiel 23:4 word by word

וּשְׁמוֹתָ֗ן אָהֳלָ֤ה הַגְּדוֹלָה֙ וְאָהֳלִיבָ֣ה אֲחוֹתָ֔הּ וַתִּֽהְיֶ֣ינָה לִ֔י וַתֵּלַ֖דְנָה בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנ֑וֹת וּשְׁמוֹתָ֕ן שֹׁמְר֣וֹן אָהֳלָ֔ה וִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם אָהֳלִיבָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the namesשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• Aholahאׇהֳלָה'ohŏlâh 'ohŏlâhh · OholahH170
• the elderגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: oldH1419
• and Aholibahאׇהֳלִיבָה'ohŏlîybâh 'ohŏlîybâhh · OholibahH172
• her sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• and they were mine, and they bareיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
• and Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389

Cross-references for Ezekiel 23:4

• Ezekiel 16:40They will also bring a mob against you. They will stone you and cut you into pieces with their swords.
• 1 Kings 12:20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent men to invite him to the assembly. They made him king of all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David’s dynasty.
• Ezekiel 16:8“ ‘I went by you again and looked at you. You were old enough to make love to. So I spread my robe over you, and covered your naked body. I promised to love you, and I exchanged marriage vows with you. You became mine, declares the Almighty Lord.
• Exodus 19:5If you carefully obey me and are faithful to the terms of my promise, then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, even though the whole world is mine.
• Psalms 45:11The king longs for your beauty. He is your Lord. Worship him.
• Jeremiah 2:2“Go and announce to Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth, the love you had for me as a bride. I remember how you followed me into the desert, into a land that couldn’t be farmed.
• Romans 7:4In the same way, brothers and sisters, you have died to the laws in Moses’ Teachings through Christ’s body. You belong to someone else, the one who was brought back to life. As a result, we can do what God wants.
• 1 Kings 12:26He said to himself, “The kingdom will probably return to David’s dynasty now.
• John 4:22You don’t know what you’re worshiping. We ⌞Jews⌟ know what we’re worshiping, because salvation comes from the Jews.
• 1 Kings 8:29Night and day may your eyes be on this temple, the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’ Listen to me as I pray toward this place.
• Psalms 76:2His tent is in Salem. His home is in Zion.
• Psalms 132:13The Lord has chosen Zion. He wants it for his home.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 23:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Aholah … and Aholibah - More correctly “Oholah” (“her own tent or tabernacle”) and “Oholibah” (“My tent or tabernacle is in her”): names chosen to express that after the division Israel set up her own tabernacle in the place of the temple in which God dwelt 1 Kings 12:32, while with Judah the Temple of God still remained. The presence of God aggravated Judah‘s sins. In the times of the captivity it was customary among the Jews to give their children names…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Marriage is commonly used in the Bible as a symbol for the covenant relationship between God and his people (for example, Isaiah 54:1–8; Ephesians 5:22–33). Adultery symbolizes Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness (for example, Hosea 1–3). God makes his covenants even though his people are sinful. He does not choose them because of their good character (Romans 5:6–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Aholah--that is, "Her tent" (put for worship, as the first worship of God in Israel was in a tent or tabernacle), as contrasted with Aholibah, that is, "My tent in her." The Beth-el worship of Samaria was of her own devising, not of God's appointment; the temple-worship of Jerusalem was expressly appointed by Jehovah, who "dwelt" there, "setting up His tabernacle among the people as His" (Ex 25:8; Le 26:11, 12; Jos 22:19; Psa 76:2). the elder--Samaria…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 23:4

• Aholah
• Aholibah
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Samaria
• Adulterer
• Aholibah
• Desirable
• Dispatch
• Dote
• Hatefully
• Lewd
• Crime; Crimes

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