Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryEzekiel 23

The Sins of Samaria and Jerusalem.God repeats his warnings to the people through Ezekiel, because people are slow to understand and accept the truth about their sins. In this passage, God uses the story of two sisters to represent the two kingdoms of Israel: Samaria (the northern kingdom) and Jerusalem (the southern kingdom). Both kingdoms started as one people, but they became divided and each turned away from God in their own way. God reminds them that their unfaithfulness is like breaking a marriage promise, and that their privileges make their sins even more serious.v. 1: The word of the Lord

v. 2: God describes the two kingdoms as sisters, daughters of the same mother. This means Israel and Judah were once united as one nation .

v. 3: Even when they were one people in Egypt, they were already unfaithful to God by worshipping idols. God compares this to committing adultery, showing how serious and offensive their sin is .

v. 4: The two kingdoms are given names: Samaria is called Aholah, meaning “her own tabernacle,” because she set up her own places of worship. Jerusalem is called Aholibah, meaning “my tabernacle is in her,” because God’s temple was in Jerusalem. Both were God’s people, but their unfaithfulness was a great betrayal .

v. 5: Aholah (Samaria) was unfaithful to God even while she belonged to him. She turned to other gods and nations, especially the Assyrians, and trusted in their power instead of God .

v. 6: She admired the Assyrians for their strength and appearance, and wanted to be like them. She copied their idols and ways, which led her further away from God .

v. 7: Aholah became completely involved with the Assyrians and their idols. She defiled herself by worshipping what they worshipped and trusting in them instead of God .

v. 8: She did not stop her old sins from Egypt. The desire for idols was deeply rooted in her, and she never truly turned away from it .

v. 9: Because of her unfaithfulness, God allowed her “lovers”—the nations she trusted in—to become her enemies. The Assyrians, whom she admired, became the ones who destroyed her .

v. 10: The Assyrians uncovered her shame, took her people captive, and killed many. Samaria became a warning to others, showing what happens to those who turn away from God .

The Sins of Samaria and JerusalemThis section compares the sins of Jerusalem and Samaria, showing how Jerusalem did not learn from Samaria’s downfall. Instead of turning to the Lord

v. 12: Jerusalem, once called a faithful city (Isaiah 1:21 ), started to admire and copy the ways of other nations, especially the Assyrians. They were attracted by the Assyrians’ power and style, falling in love with their leaders and soldiers. This led them to value foreign nations and their religions more than their own .

v. 13, 18: God noticed Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness. He saw that both Samaria and Jerusalem were choosing the same sinful path, but Jerusalem was even worse. Because of their actions, God’s mind was turned away from them, just as it had been from Samaria (Ezekiel 23:13; Ezekiel 23:18 ). Sin causes a separation between God and the sinner. When God turns away, it is a serious warning, because those whom He leaves will face His judgment.

v. 15–16: Jerusalem went further by copying Babylonian customs and even their religious images. They built altars and temples like those in Babylon, making their worship more corrupt. The city became polluted by these actions (Ezekiel 23:15; Ezekiel 23:16 ).

v. 17–18: After some time, Jerusalem grew tired of Babylon and wanted to break their alliance. Still, their desire for foreign alliances and idols continued to show how deep their idolatry was (Ezekiel 23:17; Ezekiel 23:18 ).

v. 19–21: Jerusalem then turned to Egypt, remembering the old days when Israel lived there. They repeated the idolatry they learned in Egypt, even recalling the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32:34 ). Instead of being ashamed of their past sins, they remembered them with pleasure and looked for ways to repeat them. This made their guilt even greater (Ezekiel 23:19; Ezekiel 23:21 ).

The Punishment of JerusalemThis section describes how Jerusalem, called Aholibah, is judged for turning away from the Lord

v. 23: The Chaldean army will come from many nations. They are powerful and famous leaders. When they were friends, their greatness seemed attractive, but as enemies, they are terrifying .

v. 24: These enemies will come with a huge army, with chariots and wagons, ready for war. God will let them judge Jerusalem, both as His instruments and because Jerusalem broke promises with them .

v. 25: God will set His jealousy against Jerusalem. The Chaldeans will act with great anger and cruelty. They will take away her sons and daughters, and even mutilate her, showing the shame and pain of her punishment .

v. 26: Jerusalem will be stripped of her fine clothes and jewelry. Everything she used to attract her lovers will be taken away .

v. 27: God says this punishment will finally end Jerusalem’s idolatry. The suffering will teach her to stop chasing after idols, especially those she learned about in Egypt .

v. 28–29: God will hand Jerusalem over to those she now hates. They will take everything from her, leaving her naked and ashamed. Her sins will be exposed for everyone to see (Ezekiel 23:28; Ezekiel 23:29 ).

v. 30: All this happens because Jerusalem chased after other nations and forgot God. Forgetting God leads to sin and brings punishment .

v. 31: Since Jerusalem followed the same sinful path as Samaria, she will receive the same punishment. God uses the example of Samaria to show that those who repeat the same sins will face the same consequences .

v. 32–33: The punishment is described as a large, deep cup filled with God’s anger. Jerusalem must drink it all, even the bitter dregs. This will make her full of sorrow and confusion, like someone who is drunk and cannot stand (Ezekiel 23:32; Ezekiel 23:33 ).

v. 34: Jerusalem will be forced to drink this cup completely. She will be so upset by the bitterness that she will tear at herself in anger and pain. This is the result of God’s fury .

v. 35: God says Jerusalem must bear the punishment for her sins because she forgot Him and turned her back on Him. Those who forget God and choose sin must face the consequences .

Israel and Judah Accused; Judgments PredictedThis section shows how both Israel (Aholah) and Judah (Aholibah) are judged together for their sins. After the ten tribes of Israel were taken into captivity, many from that kingdom joined the people of Judah in Jerusalem. However, instead of improving, their sins worsened after uniting. The prophet Ezekiel is called to confront them openly and declare their abominations. They are accused of idolatry, violence, and breaking their covenant with God. Their punishment is described as severe, but it aims to warn others and reveal God's justice.v. 36: God commands Ezekiel to judge both Aholah and Aholibah together. Their sins are so serious that no excuses can be made for them. Ezekiel is tasked with boldly revealing their guilt and speaking God's judgment .

v. 37: The people committed idolatry, which is compared to adultery. They broke their covenant with God by turning to idols, pursuing selfish desires in worship. They also committed terrible murders by sacrificing their children to Moloch, showing they loved their idols more than their own children. This was a great sin against both God and humanity .

v. 38: The people defiled God’s sanctuary and profaned His holy sabbaths. They turned the temple into a place for their sins, dishonoring God’s name. Their disrespect for the sabbath and the sanctuary revealed their lack of reverence for the Lord

v. 39: On the same day they sacrificed their children to idols, they came to God’s temple, acting as though they were innocent. Their hypocrisy and wickedness profaned the sanctuary, treating holy worship as a meaningless ritual. God saw their guilt and would not ignore it .

v. 40: Jerusalem sought alliances with foreign nations, representing this as spiritual adultery. They sent messengers to distant lands and made great preparations to impress their allies. Like an adulteress dressing up to attract lovers, they decorated themselves with wealth and beauty to gain favor from powerful kingdoms .

v. 41: They prepared grand receptions for their foreign allies, offering feasts and even allowing idol worship. They used the oil and incense meant for God to honor these foreign leaders, showing how far they had turned from the Lord

v. 42: The people celebrated these alliances with loud gatherings and festivities. They treated these political agreements as great victories, even involving people of low character in their celebrations. Their misplaced joy showed their confidence in human alliances instead of in God .

v. 43–44: Despite repeated warnings from God, they continued to pursue alliances with foreign nations. Their long history of spiritual unfaithfulness only made them more defiant and reckless. They ignored God’s commandments and trusted in human strength, leading to their downfall (Ezekiel 23:43; Ezekiel 23:44 ).

v. 45: God declares that righteous men will judge Israel and Judah. These men, whether prophets or their enemies like the Assyrians and Chaldeans, will agree that their sins of idolatry and murder deserve punishment. God’s judgment is always just .

v. 46–47: God will bring a group of enemies against them to carry out His judgment. These enemies will attack, destroy, and punish them severely. Their children will be killed, their homes burned, and their wealth taken away, fulfilling the consequences of their sins (Ezekiel 23:46; Ezekiel 23:47 ).

v. 48: God’s punishment will serve to end idolatry and wickedness in the land. The suffering will purify the people, teaching them to abandon their sinful ways. The destruction will be a painful but necessary lesson .

v. 49: The people will bear the full consequences of their sins. Their punishment will show God’s justice and warn others against following the same path. Through this, they will know that God is the Lord