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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 23:1-10

God had often spoken to Ezekiel, and by him to the people, to this effect, but now his word comes again; for God speaks the same thing once, yea, twice, yea, many a time, and all little enough, and too little, for man perceives it not. Note, To convince sinners of the evil of sin, and of their misery and danger by reason of it, there is need of line upon line, so loth we are to know the worst of ourselves. The sinners that are here to be exposed are two women, two kingdoms, sister-kingdoms,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 23:7

Thus she committed her whoredoms with them ,.... Entered into alliance with them, and joined them in their idolatrous worship: with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria ; before described by their habit, office, and age: and with all on whom she doted ; had an insatiable desire and lust after: with all their idols she defiled herself ; worshipped all the idols the Assyrians did; and which were defiling, as they must needs be, since, as the word used signifies, they were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 23:8

Neither left she her idols brought from Egypt ,.... Though the Israelites took in the gods of the Assyrians into their worship, they did not relinquish the golden calves set up at Dan and Bethel, in imitation of the Egyptian deities; the idolatrous worship of which they learned in Egypt, and brought from thence: for in her youth they lay with her ; the Egyptians enticed the Israelites to idolatry when among them, as soon as they began to be a people; See Gill on Ezekiel 23:3 , and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 23:9

Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers ,.... To destruction; their persons, families, riches, and kingdom itself: into the hand of the Assyrians, on whom she doted ; first into the hands of Pul, then Tiglathpileser, then Shalmaneser, all kings of Assyria, by whom they were spoiled or carried captive; by the two first in part, by the last wholly; see 2 Kings 15:19 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 23:10

These discovered her wickedness ,.... That is, stripped them of all their substance: they took her sons and her daughters ; and carried them captive: and slew her with the sword ; put an end to the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, and which was never recovered to this day: and she became famous among women ; or among the provinces, as the Targum; she became famous, or rather infamous, among other nations; was talked of for her sins, her whoredoms and idolatries, and the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 23:1-49

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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 23:7-10

The next two verses paint the consequence of the alliance first with Assyria and then with Egypt. She adopted the religion of Assyria, probably in the form of the worship of Ishtar (Ashtoreth) as the queen of heaven. Having done this, the kings of Israel sought to play off one kingdom against the other (see Hosea 7:11 ; 2 Kings 17:4 ). It was, in fact, the discovery of Hoshea's treachery in this matter that led Shalmaneser to besiege Samaria. The result of that siege is described in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 23:9

Sinners left to themselves and to their sins. "Wherefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers," etc. The aspect of the sin of Israel which is most conspicuous in this chapter is not their idolatry so much as their contracting political alliances which were forbidden by God. "The imagery," as Fausset remarks, "is similar to that in Ezekiel 16:1-63 .; but here the reference is not, as there, so much to the breach of the spiritual marriage-covenant with God by the people's ... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 23:9

For the cause which at last brought destruction on Israel, see marginal reference. read more

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