Ezekiel 23 2

Ezekiel 23:2 kjv

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:

Ezekiel 23:2 nkjv

"Son of man, there were two women, The daughters of one mother.

Ezekiel 23:2 niv

"Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.

Ezekiel 23:2 esv

"Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.

Ezekiel 23:2 nlt

"Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 2 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:2 introduces an allegorical narrative concerning two women, Oholah and Oholibah, representing the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem), respectively. This verse establishes their common lineage and origin as daughters of one mother, symbolizing their shared identity as God's covenant people. It sets the stage for portraying their subsequent spiritual unfaithfulness, idolatry, and pursuit of illicit alliances with foreign nations, depicted as spiritual harlotry against Yahweh, their true husband.

Ezekiel 23 2 Context

Ezekiel 23 is a potent and extended allegorical judgment against both the Northern Kingdom of Israel (referred to as Samaria, though by this point it was long fallen) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). The prophet Ezekiel, writing from exile in Babylon during the 6th century BCE, delivers this message to a demoralized people. This verse, Ezekiel 23:2, immediately sets the stage by introducing the two symbolic figures: "two women" who are "daughters of one mother." This shared maternal origin underscores their common heritage as the covenant people of Israel, descended from Jacob, sharing the same spiritual birth and divine promises given through Abraham and Moses. However, both nations, despite their privileged status and relationship with God, turned to spiritual adultery—manifested through idolatry, adopting the pagan practices of surrounding nations, and seeking political alliances with foreign powers like Egypt and Assyria rather than trusting in Yahweh. This chapter graphically details their successive degradations and God's righteous judgment.

Ezekiel 23 2 Word analysis

• Son of man (Hebrew: בֶּן־אָדָם, ben-ʾādām)
  • This is Ezekiel's most frequent title, occurring over 90 times in the book.
  • It emphasizes Ezekiel's humanity and frailty in contrast to the divine glory and power he experiences and relays.
  • It bridges the gap between the divine message and human recipients.
• there were (Hebrew: הָיוּ, hāyū)
  • A simple past tense verb, initiating the allegorical narrative.
  • Signifies the commencement of a description or factual (within the allegory) state.
• two women (Hebrew: שְׁתַּיִם נָשִׁים, shtayim nāshīm)
  • two (שְׁתַּיִם, shtayim): Precisely designates the number, clearly separating the allegorical subjects.
  • women (נָשִׁים, nāshīm): Used metaphorically to personify the two kingdoms. In prophetic literature, nations are often depicted as female figures, especially when their fidelity or harlotry is at issue (e.g., Israel as God's bride).
• daughters (Hebrew: בְנוֹת, bənot)
  • Highlights direct lineage and shared familial relationship.
  • Reinforces the concept of a common ancestry and inherited identity.
  • Suggests a deep connection that makes their later divisions and moral failures all the more poignant and egregious.
• of one mother (Hebrew: אִמָּם, ʾimmām - "their mother," literally)
  • one (אחת, ʾeḥāt): Emphasizes singularity and shared origin.
  • mother (אִם, ʾim): Crucial for understanding the foundation of their identity. The "mother" here is widely understood as the singular nation of Israel itself, born out of the Abrahamic covenant and formally united by the Mosaic covenant at Sinai. This denotes their shared spiritual heritage, covenant with Yahweh, and the Law given to them.
  • The unity of their "mother" makes their later separation into two distinct kingdoms and their subsequent idolatries particularly grievous, as they violate familial and covenantal ties.

Ezekiel 23 2 Bonus section

The metaphor of Israel as a woman, often God's bride, who commits harlotry, is not unique to Ezekiel but runs throughout the prophetic books (e.g., Hosea, Jeremiah, Isaiah). This consistent imagery highlights that the relationship between God and His people was intended to be as exclusive and intimate as marriage. Therefore, idolatry and political trust in other nations are presented as adultery and prostitution—acts that are deeply personal, betrayal of love, and profoundly offensive to the divine "Husband." The common "mother" means their descent from a pure covenant, making their descent into harlotry an abandonment of their inherent dignity and calling. This verse also implicitly warns against complacency, showing that even those with the most sacred lineage can fall into deep apostasy if they turn away from their covenant commitments.

Ezekiel 23 2 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:2 functions as the introductory line to one of the Bible's most shocking and graphic allegories. By presenting "two women, daughters of one mother," Ezekiel immediately establishes the core relationship: the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem) are siblings, fundamentally united by their origin from a single covenant people. This shared "mother"—the nation of Israel established through divine covenant—highlights that both entities possessed the same blessings, heritage, and solemn obligations to Yahweh. Their subsequent spiritual harlotry with pagan idols and foreign powers, meticulously detailed throughout the chapter, therefore constitutes an even greater offense because it stems from a shared foundational relationship with the living God. The verse underscores the tragic irony: two distinct expressions of God's chosen nation, yet both choosing paths of profound unfaithfulness, originating from the very same divine adoption.