Ezekiel 23 - Introduction

History of the two adulterous women, Oholah and Oholibah Samaria and Jerusalem

The alliances and intrigues of Samaria and Jerusalem with foreign nations had been represented as infidelity to Jehovah since Hosea. These foreign alliances naturally carried foreign manners and worship in their train (Isaiah 2:6). In Judah at least a great flood of idolatry from the east overflowed the country in the declining days of the kingdom, and to some extent this had been true of Israel also (Amos 5:26-27). But apart from this from the earliest times the prophets conceive the kingdom of the Lord as something different in kind from the kingdoms of the nations: its essence consisted in fidelity to Jehovah, and its defence should have been left to him. Therefore when the community of Jehovah sought alliances abroad for protection the prophets detected in this alienation of mind from Jehovah, distrust of his power and dissatisfaction with his rule. Already the conception was taking possession of the prophetic mind that the kingdom of God was not a state but what we now call a church.

The chapter reviews the history of Israel and Judah from the beginning, and has these divisions:

First, Ezekiel 23:1. Infidelities of Samaria with Assyria and Egypt, and the disastrous issue of them.

Secondly, Ezekiel 23:11. Infidelities of Jerusalem with Assyria (11 13), Babylon (14 18), and Egypt (19 21) successively.

Thirdly, Ezekiel 23:22. Therefore her fate shall be like that of Samaria, she shall drink to the dregs the cup which her sister drank.

Fourthly, Ezekiel 23:36. A new description of the immoralities of Oholah and Oholibah, with a fresh threat of punishment.