Ezekiel · chapter 23 of 48
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Ezekiel 23 is an allegory of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), who belonged to the Lord but gave themselves to other nations. Oholah was handed over to Assyria, whom she had desired; Oholibah, even worse, turned to Babylon and Egypt. The Lord announces that her former allies will turn against her, and concludes that both will receive the punishment for their unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 23 is a sister to chapter 16 and likewise uses the language of marriage and unfaithfulness to speak of the foreign policy of Israel and Judah. It is one of the most direct and harsh allegories in the book, and it calls for a careful reading, keeping in view that it speaks of alliances with foreign powers and of idolatry, not of a literal story of two women.
The Lord presents an allegory of two sisters, daughters of the same mother, who played the whore in Egypt in their youth. They were the Lord's and bore him children. The elder is named Oholah, representing Samaria, and the younger Oholibah, representing Jerusalem.
Oholah gave herself to her lovers, the Assyrians, warriors clothed in blue, governors and commanders, and defiled herself with their idols. She did not give up her whoring from Egypt. So the Lord gave her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, who uncovered her nakedness, took her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women.
Her sister Oholibah saw it, yet she was more corrupt than she. She also gave herself to the Assyrians, and then fell in love with the Babylonians, pictured in images of Chaldeans on the wall, and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. The Babylonians came to her and defiled her, and she turned from them in disgust. Then she multiplied her whoring, remembering the days of her youth in Egypt. The Lord warns her: the lovers from whom she turned away will rise against her from every side, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and their troops, with chariots, wagons and a host of peoples. They will do to her what was done to her sister, and her lewdness will be ended. She will drink her sister's cup, deep and wide, a cup of derision and scorn, of drunkenness and sorrow.
The Lord accuses both of defiling his sanctuary and profaning his Sabbaths on the same day they slaughtered their children to their idols. An assembly will judge and stone them, and so lewdness will be put an end to in the land. They will know that he is the Lord.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The text declares that the sisters were the Lord's and that Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem. The allegory gives the meaning of the names: it is not the story of persons but of the two kingdoms that belonged to the Lord.
Oholibah saw what happened to her sister, yet she was more corrupt than she. Learning from others' history is not enough if the heart remains divided.
The Lord says Oholibah has walked in her sister's way and so he will put her cup into her hand. The cup represents the judgment Samaria has already received.
They defiled the sanctuary and profaned the Sabbaths on the same day. The accusation points to a double life: sacrifices to idols and offerings in the house of the Lord, as if they could serve both.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Samaria. — Ezekiel 23:4
Answer: Jerusalem. — Ezekiel 23:4
Answer: Into the hands of the Assyrians, whom she had desired. — Ezekiel 23:9
Answer: She became more corrupt than she, seeking the Assyrians and the Babylonians. — Ezekiel 23:11-16
Answer: Her sister's cup. — Ezekiel 23:31
Answer: That he is the Lord God. — Ezekiel 23:49
This allegory must be read with seriousness and respect: it speaks of the faithfulness God expects of his people and of the temptation to seek security in worldly powers. Today those alliances may be money, influence or the approval of the culture, and the question is where we place our trust.
It also warns against a double life: taking part in worship while serving other gods. For teaching, it is wise to present the passage to youth and teenagers soberly, focusing the conversation on loyalty to God and not on the details of the figurative language.
Ezekiel 23 closes the series of allegories about the unfaithfulness of Samaria and Jerusalem. In chapter 24 the moment comes when the start of the siege is announced and two signs are given: the cooking pot and the death of the prophet's wife.
The names are similar in Hebrew and are usually translated as her tent and my tent is in her, or something similar. Many scholars see a play on the theme of the sanctuary: Oholah's tent is her own, Oholibah's belongs to the Lord, though she also became corrupt. The exact interpretation is debated.
It is best presented as an allegory about alliances with foreign nations and idolatry, stressing its purpose (exclusive loyalty to the Lord) and avoiding dwelling on the graphic language. Chapter 16 can help show the same idea with the emphasis on God's grace.