Ezekiel 23:11-21

C. Jerusalem's Prostitution 23:11-21

TRANSLATION

(11) And her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became corrupt in her doting more than she, and in harlotries more than the harlotries of her sister. (12) She threw herself upon the Assyrians, governors and rulers, warriors, clothed handsomely, horsemen riding horses, all of them handsome young men. (13) And I saw that she was defiled; they both went the same way. (14) And she added to her harlotries; for she saw men depicted upon the wall, the images of Chaldeans depicted in red color, (15) girded with girdles upon their loins, with flowing turbans upon their heads, all of them with the appearance of captains, the likeness of the sons of Babylon, the Chaldeans, the land of their captivity. (16) And when she saw them she threw herself upon them, and sent messengers to them to Chaldea. (17) And the Babylonians came to her to the bed of love, and they defiled her with their harlotries; and she was defiled by them, and her soul was alienated from them. (18) So she uncovered her harlotries, and she uncovered her nakedness; then My soul was alienated from her as My soul was alienated from her sister. (19) Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt. (20) And she threw herself upon the idea of being their concubine, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose sexual potency is like that of horses. (21) And so you relived the lewdness of your youth when they from Egypt bruised your breasts for the breasts of your youth.

COMMENTS

Oholibah (Jerusalem) learned nothing from the experience of her elder sister. She became yet more corrupt, adopting the same policy of political and religious flirtation with foreign powers, but intensifying it (Ezekiel 23:11). She too fell for the Assyrians with their handsomely clad officers and warriors (Ezekiel 23:12; cf. Ezekiel 23:5-6). Whereas Judah derived much advantage from the alliance with Assyria,[357] from the religious point of view the association was disastrous. God saw immediately that Judah had defiled herself with the Mesopotamian practices. Both sisters Samaria and Jerusalem had pursued the same corrupt way (Ezekiel 23:13).

[357] The reference may be to King Ahaz's appeal to Tiglathpileser for help (2 Kings 16:1).

The harlotries pagan practices of Jerusalem were more extensive than those of Samaria. Oholibah saw paintings depicting the glories of a people who lived beyond Assyria. Her lust for political liaison was kindled by the sight of the martial Chaldeans (Ezekiel 23:14) girded in native dress. The waist-belt and turban with dangling fillets was the garb which set the sons of Babylon apart as a distinct people in the ancient world (Ezekiel 23:15).

Oholibah (Jerusalem) was unable to resist the lure to associate with this strange and exotic people. She threw herself upon them by sending messengers there to negotiate the alliance (Ezekiel 23:16). The Babylonians were quick to take advantage of this thoughtless infatuation. They came to her into the bed of love, i.e., they entered eagerly into the alliance with Judah. The result was inevitable. Judah was further defiled by the Babylonian cults which were transplanted there. Eventually Judah felt revulsion at this alliance and tried several times unsuccessfully to disengage herself from this entanglement.[358]

[358] The reference is to efforts of Jehoiakim and later Zedekiah to free themselves from Babylonian domination.

Yet one step remained before Oholibah (Jerusalem) reached the depth of corruption. In the process of trying to pry herself loose from the clutches of Babylon, Oholibah had uncovered her nakedness in an effort to attract other lovers who might rescue her. Such degrading national conduct was revolting to God. He now felt toward Judah the same antagonism which He had felt towards Samaria over a century earlier. He was alienated from His people (Ezekiel 23:18).

Oholibah seemed undismayed at the knowledge revealed to her constantly by the prophets that she was alienating herself from God. She multiplied her harlotries. Recalling her ancient association with Egypt, she made overtures in that direction (Ezekiel 23:19). To break her ties to Babylon she threw hersei-'j upon their concubinage, i.e., Judah was willing to become one of the numerous vassal states of Egypt. The harlot Oholibah was attracted by the sexual potency of Egypt which is likened to that of an ass or horse. Sexual potency here is a symbol for military power (Ezekiel 23:20). Egyptian customs and cults long forgotten were called to remembrance as Judah plunged headlong into spiritual harlotry and political alliance with their ancient enemy to the south (Ezekiel 23:21).