They committed harlotry in btheir youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
bThey were Mine,
And they bore sons and daughters.
As for their names,
Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
The Older Sister, Samaria
And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring aAssyrians,
Captains and rulers,
All of them desirable young men,
Horsemen riding on horses.
All of them choice men of Assyria;
And with all for whom she lusted,
With all their idols, she defiled herself.
For in her youth they had lain with her,
Pressed her virgin bosom,
And poured out their immorality upon her.
Into the hand of her lovers,
Into the hand of the aAssyrians,
For whom she lusted.
Took away her sons and daughters,
And slew her with the sword;
She became a byword among women,
For they had executed judgment on her.
| << Ezekiel 23:4 | Ezekiel 23:6 >> |
What Does Ezekiel 23:5 Mean?
Ezekiel 23:5
Israel vigorously pursued relationships with foreign cultures because she thought she saw a way to benefit from them. However, those who prostitute themselves become entangled in a web of greed and deceit that obscures realities essential to a clear understanding of what is really happening. Eventually, though, alienation occurs, as it did with Amnon in his lustful, one-sided relationship with his half-sister, Tamar (II Samuel 13:1-15). But it was too late. The dirty deeds had been done, and the painful penalties began to be exacted.
Like Gomer in Hosea, Israel prostitutes herself before her lovers/idols, who seem to promise much without demanding as much as God seems to require. She is pictured as throwing herself at what she thinks is easy gain—a quick profit without the hard work.
Israel has followed the pagan prostitutes' habits. Hosea saw this and declares in Hosea 9:1, "You have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute" (NIV). Here, clearly stated, is cause and effect. As a whole, Israel loves the way of the heathen; she has made it hers.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Beast and Babylon (Part Nine): Babylon the Great
| << Ezekiel 23:4 | Ezekiel 23:6 >> |
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