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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Context of Ezekiel 23:4

2“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. 3They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. 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 6clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.

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 bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords.
• 1 Kings 12:20When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.
• Ezekiel 16:8“ ‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
• Exodus 19:5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
• Psalms 45:11Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
• Jeremiah 2:2“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “This is what the Lord says: “ ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown.
• Romans 7:4So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.
• 1 Kings 12:26Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.
• John 4:22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
• 1 Kings 8:29May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.
• Psalms 76:2His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.
• Psalms 132:13For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,

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