And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them ,.... As lustful women, on the sight of the pictures of men, fall in love with them, and are mad after them; such a vehement desire after the idols of the Chaldeans prevailed, upon seeing their images: and sent messengers unto them in Chaldea ; to make alliances with the Chaldeans, and to have their idols, and worship them. read more
Inexcusable infidelity. What it must have cost the patriotic prophet to write this chapter passes our power to imagine. The Jew was naturally and pardonably proud of his country and of its history. No thoughtful Jew could, indeed, be insensible to imperfections and flaws in the national character, to stains upon the nation's annals. But in this passage of his prophecies the dark shading is relieved by no gleam of light. Israel is depicted as bad from the days of Egyptian bondage down to... read more
The sending of “messengers” refers to the act of Ahaz 2 Kings 16:7. read more
Ezekiel 23:13-16. Then When she neither took warning nor feared; I saw that she was defiled That her heart was already set on her idols; that they both Samaria and Jerusalem; took one way That Judah fell into the same idolatrous practices as Israel. And that she increased her whoredoms Added to the number of her idolatries; for when she saw men portrayed, &c. These were probably the pictures of those deified heroes, whom the Chaldeans worshipped as gods; such were Bel, Nebo,... read more
Two prostitute sisters (23:1-35)God’s chosen nation was saved from Egypt and settled in Canaan, but it soon divided into two, the northern kingdom Israel (capital: Samaria) and the southern kingdom Judah (capital: Jerusalem). The prophet likens these two kingdoms to two sisters who became prostitutes (23:1-4).The prostitution of Israel and Judah was their unfaithfulness to God in forming military alliances with foreign nations instead of trusting in him. Israel, the northern kingdom, was... read more
16. sent messengers . . . into Chaldea— (Ezekiel 16:29). It was she that solicited the Chaldeans, not they her. Probably the occasion was when Judah sought to strengthen herself by a Chaldean alliance against a menaced attack by Egypt (compare 2 Kings 23:29-35; 2 Kings 24:1-7). God made the object of their sinful desire the instrument of their punishment. Jehoiakim, probably by a stipulation of tribute, enlisted Nebuchadnezzar against Pharaoh, whose tributary he previously had been; failing to... read more
Jerusalem’s prostitution 23:11-21 read more
Oholibah saw pictures of the Babylonians that aroused her desire for alliance, and she lusted after them and wrote to them (2 Kings 23:32; 2 Kings 23:37; cf. Jeremiah 22:21). Much visual art in biblical times was painted and or carved on walls. The splendor that was Babylon deeply impressed the Israelites. read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 23:11-21
The prophet Hosea, in his time, observed that the two tribes retained their integrity, in a great measure, when the ten tribes had apostatized (Hos. 11:12; Ephraim indeed compasses me about with lies, but Judah yet rules with God and is faithful with the saints; and this was justly expected from them: Hos. 4:15; Though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend); but this lasted not long. By some unhappy matches made between the house of David and the house of Ahab the worship of... read more