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 became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts. 4The 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. “Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers. 6They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses. 7And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols and defiling herself.

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 done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have turned your back on me,
• 1 Kings 15:26But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.
• 1 Kings 16:31And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal.
• 1 Kings 21:26His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites.)
• 2 Kings 17:7This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
• Ezekiel 23:7And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols and defiling herself.
• Ezekiel 16:37this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies—the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated—and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you.
• Jeremiah 50:38A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them.
• Ezekiel 16:28You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied.
• 2 Kings 15:19Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded the land. But Menahem paid him thirty-seven tons of silver to gain his support in tightening his grip on royal power.
• 2 Kings 16:7King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria with this message: “I am your servant and your vassal. Come up and rescue me from the attacking armies of Aram and Israel.”
• 2 Kings 17:3King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.
• Hosea 5:13“When Israel and Judah saw how sick they were, Israel turned to Assyria— to the great king there— but he could neither help nor cure them.
• Hosea 8:9Like a wild donkey looking for a mate, they have gone up to Assyria. The people of Israel have sold themselves— sold themselves to many lovers.
• Hosea 10:6This idol will be carted away to Assyria, a gift to the great king there. Ephraim will be ridiculed and Israel will be shamed, because its people have trusted in this idol.
• Hosea 12:1The people of Israel feed on the wind; they chase after the east wind all day long. They pile up lies and violence; they are making an alliance with Assyria while sending olive oil to buy support from 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