Ezekiel 23 44

Ezekiel 23:44 kjv

Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.

Ezekiel 23:44 nkjv

Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women.

Ezekiel 23:44 niv

And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah.

Ezekiel 23:44 esv

For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women!

Ezekiel 23:44 nlt

And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 44 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:44 signifies God's profound indictment against Israel (Oholah) and Judah (Oholibah), asserting that their spiritual unfaithfulness, characterized by idolatry and alliances with foreign nations, was no less base or explicit than the act of seeking a common prostitute. It highlights the deliberate and vulgar nature of their rebellion against their covenant with Yahweh, portraying their relationship with other gods and foreign powers as a form of spiritual harlotry.

Ezekiel 23 44 Context

Ezekiel chapter 23 vividly portrays Israel (Oholah, Samaria) and Judah (Oholibah, Jerusalem) as two sisters who, despite being chosen by Yahweh, repeatedly prostituted themselves with foreign nations and their idolatrous practices. The entire chapter uses explicit and graphic sexual metaphors to describe their covenant infidelity, political alliances driven by lust, and the adoption of pagan worship, painting a picture of deliberate and escalating spiritual adultery. Verse 44 serves as a culmination of this prolonged allegory. It declares unequivocally that their engagement with these foreign elements and gods was indistinguishable from visiting a literal harlot, emphasizing the degraded and wilful nature of their actions after the elaborate descriptions of their foreign liaisons with the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Babylonians earlier in the chapter. Historically, both Israel and Judah, entrusted with Yahweh's covenant, repeatedly sought security and prosperity through alliances with pagan powers and integrated foreign deities into their worship, precisely the "harlotry" condemned here.

Ezekiel 23 44 Word analysis

• And: Hebrew Waw (וְ): A simple conjunction, connecting this culminating statement to the preceding narrative and vivid descriptions of Oholah and Oholibah's acts. It implies continuity, serving as a summary or final pronouncement.
• they went in unto her: Hebrew yābōʾû ʾēleyhā (יָבֹאוּ אֵלֶיהָ): "They came to her" or "they entered her." The verb bōʾ (to come, to go in, to enter) here carries a strong sexual connotation, as often used in the Old Testament for sexual intercourse (e.g., Gen 16:2; Deut 22:13). It highlights the intimacy and transactional nature of their engagement. "Her" refers to Oholah and Oholibah collectively or distributively as the subjects of illicit interaction.
• as they go in unto a harlot: Hebrew kᵊbôʾ ʾel-zônâ (כְּבוֹא אֶל-זוֹנָה): This is the direct comparative phrase, setting the standard for the condemnation.
  • as: Hebrew kᵊ (כְּ): A preposition meaning "as" or "like," making an explicit comparison. It implies direct equivalence in nature and motive.
  • go in: Hebrew bōʾ (בּוֹא): Again, the verb implying sexual encounter.
  • unto a harlot: Hebrew ʾel-zônâ (אֶל-זוֹנָה): "To a prostitute." The term zônâ (זוֹנָה) refers to a common prostitute or harlot. This isn't merely a metaphor; it's a scathing accusation emphasizing the base and indiscriminate nature of the interaction, entirely for selfish gratification and payment (though the payment is metaphorical, implying benefit from alliances/idols).
• so went they in: Hebrew kēn bāʾû (כֵּן בָּאוּ): "Thus they came." This reiterates the comparison with emphasis. kēn means "thus," "so," reinforcing the equivalence established by kᵊbôʾ ʾel-zônâ.
• unto Oholah and unto Oholibah: Hebrew ʾel ʾOhŏlāh wᵊʾel ʾOhŏlîbâ (אֶל אָהֳלָה וְאֶל אָהֳלִיבָה): These are the symbolic names of the northern (Israel/Samaria) and southern (Judah/Jerusalem) kingdoms.
  • Oholah (אָהֳלָה): Meaning "Her tent." Represented Samaria, capital of Israel, accused of defiling their spiritual "tent" or place of worship with idols, often establishing altars in numerous places like tents.
  • Oholibah (אָהֳלִיבָה): Meaning "My tent is in her" or "My tent is with her." Represented Jerusalem, capital of Judah, highlighting that God's very Temple (His "tent" or dwelling) was there, making their idolatry even more egregious.
• the lewd women: Hebrew nāšîm zōʿnôt (נָשִׁים זֹנוֹת): "Women, harlots."
  • the lewd women: This is an intensifying and explicit designation. The noun nāšîm (women) adds to the personification. The adjective zōʿnôt (harlots/prostituting ones, feminine plural) is derived from zônâ, strongly affirming their moral degradation and spiritual infidelity as prostitutes. This final descriptive phrase serves as the unequivocal verdict against the two sisters.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And they went in unto her, as they go in unto a harlot": This opening establishes a direct and uncompromising parallel. It underscores that the manner of Israel and Judah's spiritual engagements was identical in nature and intent to those seeking a common prostitute for illicit gain or pleasure. It conveys a sense of premeditation and base desire.
• "so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholibah": This phrase directly applies the preceding analogy, confirming that the spiritual 'visitors' (idolatrous nations, foreign alliances, and false gods) found Oholah and Oholibah willing and active participants in this spiritual harlotry. It's a statement of active complicity, not just passive temptation.
• "the lewd women": This conclusive phrase serves as a summary judgment, an ultimate and undeniable classification of Oholah and Oholibah. It removes all ambiguity, solidifying their identity not merely as occasional sinners but as perpetually faithless entities, characterized by spiritual promiscuity. The stark, repetitive language amplifies God's indignation and highlights the grave nature of their betrayal.

Ezekiel 23 44 Bonus section

The shock value of Ezekiel's explicit sexual imagery in Chapter 23, culminating in verse 44, is intentional. It forces the original audience to confront the ugly, demeaning reality of their spiritual condition, stripped of any euphemism or religious justification. This graphic language serves not just to describe but to evoke strong feelings of shame and revulsion, mirroring God's own grief and outrage over His people's treachery. The verse's final, terse designation of "the lewd women" acts as a definitive theological declaration, permanently stamping the character of these kingdoms as fundamentally unfaithful and undeserving of their covenant privileges, setting the stage for the severe judgment that was to follow.

Ezekiel 23 44 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:44 delivers a biting, concluding judgment within a chapter renowned for its raw and vivid allegory. After extensive and graphic descriptions of Israel and Judah's spiritual adultery, this verse distills the essence of their sin: their engagement with idolatry and foreign powers was fundamentally no different from visiting a common prostitute. The deliberate repetition of "went in" and the explicit comparison to a "harlot" convey a divine sense of profound betrayal, disgust, and clarity regarding their actions. It emphasizes that their apostasy was not accidental or coerced but a willful, debased pursuit of gratification, just as a harlot engages in transactions for selfish desire rather than covenant fidelity. The names Oholah ("her tent") and Oholibah ("my tent is in her") symbolize the north and south kingdoms, with the latter's name amplifying the tragedy given God's sanctuary resided in Jerusalem. The final epithet, "the lewd women," seals their fate and defines their spiritual identity in God's eyes as faithless, adulterous women. This underscores the intensity of God's jealousy for His covenant people and the severity with which He views spiritual compromise, portraying it as a grotesque violation of a sacred, marital bond.