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.
The Younger Sister, Jerusalem
bCaptains and rulers,
Clothed most gorgeously,
Horsemen riding on horses,
All of them desirable young men.
She looked at men portrayed on the wall,
Images of aChaldeans portrayed in vermilion,
| << Ezekiel 23:11 | Ezekiel 23:13 >> |
What Does Ezekiel 23:12 Mean?
Ezekiel 23:11-12
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 23:11 | Ezekiel 23:13 >> |
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