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

3They engaged in prostitution in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution. Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers fondled their virgin nipples there. 4Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah the name of her younger sister. They became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem. “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians – warriors 6clothed in blue, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7She bestowed her sexual favors on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired – 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 have sinned more than all who came before you. You went and angered me by making other gods, formed out of metal; you have completely disregarded me.
• 1 Kings 15:26He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He followed in his father’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin.
• 1 Kings 16:31As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal.
• 1 Kings 21:26He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, just like the Amorites whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.)
• 2 Kings 17:7This happened because the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods;
• Ezekiel 23:7She bestowed her sexual favors on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired – with all their idols.
• Ezekiel 16:37therefore, take note: I am about to gather all your lovers whom you enjoyed, both all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around, and I will expose your nakedness to them, and they will see all your nakedness.
• Jeremiah 50:38A drought will come upon her land; her rivers and canals will be dried up. All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. Her people act like madmen because of those idols they fear.
• Ezekiel 16:28You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians because your sexual desires were insatiable; you prostituted yourself with them and yet you were still not satisfied.
• 2 Kings 15:19Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem paid him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and to solidify his control of the kingdom.
• 2 Kings 16:7Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your dependent. March up and rescue me from the power of the king of Syria and the king of Israel, who have attacked me.”
• 2 Kings 17:3King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened him; Hoshea became his subject and paid him tribute.
• Hosea 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and begged its great king for help. But he will not be able to heal you! He cannot cure your wound!
• Hosea 8:9They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers.
• Hosea 10:6Even the calf idol will be carried to Assyria, as tribute for the great king. Ephraim will be disgraced; Israel will be put to shame because of its wooden idol.
• Hosea 12:1Ephraim continually feeds on the wind; he chases the east wind all day; he multiplies lies and violence. They make treaties with Assyria, and send olive oil as tribute 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