Ezekiel 23 17

Ezekiel 23:17 kjv

And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.

Ezekiel 23:17 nkjv

"Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love, And they defiled her with their immorality; So she was defiled by them, and alienated herself from them.

Ezekiel 23:17 niv

Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.

Ezekiel 23:17 esv

And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust.

Ezekiel 23:17 nlt

So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 17 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:17 describes Judah, personified as Oholibah, entering into a destructive and defiling relationship with the Babylonians. Despite her initial passionate pursuit of this political and spiritual alliance, it inevitably leads to her deep defilement through their idolatrous practices and worldly influence. This experience culminates not in satisfaction or benefit, but in a profound sense of disgust and loathing directed back at the very Babylonians she had eagerly courted. The verse underscores the bitter and corrupted outcome of spiritual unfaithfulness and reliance on foreign powers instead of God.

Ezekiel 23 17 Context

Ezekiel chapter 23 employs a graphic allegory of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria, representing the northern kingdom of Israel) and Oholibah (Jerusalem, representing the southern kingdom of Judah), to vividly depict the spiritual adultery of God's people. Both sisters engaged in flagrant spiritual prostitution, forming illicit political and religious alliances with pagan nations (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon) and adopting their idolatrous practices, thus breaking their covenant with Yahweh. This verse focuses on Oholibah, highlighting Judah's particular engagement with Babylon. Historically, Judah frequently sought alliances with dominant regional powers like Babylon (or previously Assyria and Egypt) for security, explicitly against God's command to rely solely on Him (Isa 30-31). These political marriages were entangled with the adoption of pagan religious customs, polluting the purity of their covenant worship. The use of sexual imagery, deeply intimate and symbolic of covenant betrayal, underscores the gravity of their spiritual infidelity, culminating in a bitter, self-inflicted judgment.

Ezekiel 23 17 Word analysis

• Then the Babylonians came to her (וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֛יהָ בְּנֵי־בָבֶ֖ל - vayyavoo eileha bnei-Bavel):
  • Vayyavoo means "and they came." This signifies a response to Oholibah's overtures (verses 14-16), showing the completion of her desire for intimacy with them. The initiative she took now results in their direct presence.
  • Bnei-Bavel, "sons of Babylon," is a direct and unambiguous identification of the agents. This underscores their specific historical role in Judah's defilement and judgment.
• to the bed of love (עַל־מִשְׁכַּ֖ב הָאֲהָבִ֑ים - al mishkav ha'ahavim):
  • Mishkav translates to "bed" or "couch," the designated place for sexual intimacy.
  • Ha'ahavim means "of the lovers" or "the loves," referring to intense, passionate desires. The phrase denotes the very location of the passionate, illicit relationship, indicating that the Babylonians engaged her exactly where she desired them to be.
• and they defiled her with their whoring (וַֽיְטַמְּא֖וּ אֹתָ֣הּ בְּתַזְנֻתָ֑ם - vaytame'u ota betaznutam):
  • Vaytame'u means "and they defiled/polluted her." This is a strong verb indicating ritual and spiritual impurity. The act is ascribed to the Babylonians, though Oholibah's participation is inherent.
  • Taznutam translates as "their whoring/harlotry." This implies the pagan practices, idolatry, and corrupting influence associated with Babylon, which Judah willingly absorbed, thereby polluting herself. The defilement is an inescapable consequence of such a relationship.
• and after she was defiled by them (וַתִּטְמָ֥א מֵהֶ֖ם - vatitma mehem):
  • Vatitma signifies "and she was defiled." This reiterates the state of defilement, perhaps emphasizing its depth and the reality of its impact on Oholibah. It can also imply a passive or reflexive sense, showing her own inherent pollution as a result of the interaction.
  • Mehem means "from them" or "by them." This makes the Babylonians the direct source or cause of her defiled state, fulfilling the inevitable consequence of her unholy alliances.
• she turned away from them in disgust (וַתִּקַּ֤ץ נַפְשָׁהּ֙ מֵהֶ֔ם - vattikkatz nafshah mehem):
  • Vattikkatz means "and she was disgusted/loathed/revolted." This is a powerful expression of deep repulsion, indicating a visceral, sickening aversion.
  • Nafshah refers to "her soul," "her being," or "her self." This indicates that the disgust was not superficial but permeated her entire being, affecting her at a fundamental level.
  • Mehem means "from them," explicitly stating the target of her disgust: the very Babylonians she once yearned for. This highlights the complete reversal of her earlier affections.

Words-group analysis:

• "Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love": This phrase captures the culmination of Oholibah's pursuit. It signifies the initiation of the intended intimate connection, portraying the fulfillment of her desires for a close bond with Babylon.
• "and they defiled her with their whoring": This reveals the inherent consequence of such illicit relationships. The intimacy she sought brought not only physical interaction but spiritual contamination, as the pagan ways of Babylon polluted her through association and adoption.
• "and after she was defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust": This entire clause describes the bitter end of the "affair." Her active participation leads to an inescapable state of defilement. The initial passionate attraction eventually gives way to a profound and total revulsion, born out of the painful reality and spiritual barrenness of her choices. It is a disillusionment with the 'lover' and the fruits of her own sin, not necessarily a genuine repentance towards God.

Ezekiel 23 17 Bonus section

• Echoes of Consequences: This narrative highlights a divine principle where nations or individuals reap the fruit of their choices. The very source of Israel's forbidden desire (foreign alliances/idolatry) ultimately becomes the instrument of their defilement and disappointment. This is not arbitrary punishment but the natural outworking of forsaking the holy for the profane.
• Disgust vs. Repentance: It's crucial to distinguish between Oholibah's disgust and true repentance. Her revulsion is with the consequences and with her "lovers," not necessarily a turning back to God in sorrow for her sin against Him. This can be a stage on the way to repentance, but the text here describes only the bitterness of disillusionment, which is often short of genuine conversion.
• Divine Foreknowledge and Justice: God allowed Judah to fully experience the outcome of her chosen path, demonstrating the justice and wisdom of His prior warnings. Her desperate cravings and spiritual lust brought forth the predicted fruit, confirming that God's ways are always true, and rebellion brings inherent corruption.

Ezekiel 23 17 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:17 starkly illustrates the consequences of Judah's persistent spiritual unfaithfulness. Her zealous pursuit of the Babylonians, an act of "whoring" against God, finally culminates in their physical and spiritual "coming to her." This intimate connection on the "bed of love," initially desired for political security or worldly allure, inevitably leads to profound defilement. The Babylonians, agents of her sought-after alliance, become the very source of her corruption and eventual judgment, fulfilling God's pattern of judgment through the nations His people trust instead of Him. Her subsequent "disgust" is not a sign of repentance towards God, but a bitter disillusionment with the empty, destructive outcome of her own sinful choices and the perceived betrayal by her erstwhile "lovers," whose nature inevitably brought defilement. This verse epitomizes the futility and tragic conclusion of pursuing fulfillment and security outside the covenant relationship with the living God.