Ezekiel 23:6 kjv
Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
Ezekiel 23:6 nkjv
Who were clothed in purple, Captains and rulers, All of them desirable young men, Horsemen riding on horses.
Ezekiel 23:6 niv
clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.
Ezekiel 23:6 esv
clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.
Ezekiel 23:6 nlt
They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses.
Ezekiel 23 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 23:6 | "She took to herself paramours, Egyptians by the color of their skin, of soldiers in battle array." | Ezekiel 23:6 (original verse) |
| Ezekiel 23:21 | "Thus you were reviled for the lewdness of your promiscuity, when you opened your body to the Egyptians..." | Ezekiel 23:21 (Further description of the sin) |
| Jeremiah 3:7 | "I said that after she had done all these things, she would return to me. But she did not return." | Jeremiah 3:7 (Judah's unfaithfulness) |
| Jeremiah 3:11 | "And the Lord said to me, 'The faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.'" | Jeremiah 3:11 (Comparison of Israel and Judah) |
| Hosea 1:2 | "When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom...'" | Hosea 1:2 (Hosea's marriage symbolizing Israel) |
| Hosea 2:5 | "'For she said, "I will go after my lovers who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil, and my drink."'" | Hosea 2:5 (Israel's false devotion) |
| 2 Kings 17:4 | "When they hear that their king is coming against them, they are filled with panic, and they wage war with their own armies, deserting to the Assyrians." | 2 Kings 17:4 (Samaria's alliances) |
| 2 Kings 18:13-14 | "In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them." | 2 Kings 18:13-14 (Assyrian threat to Judah) |
| Isaiah 30:2-3 | "who walk down to Egypt, without asking at my mouth, to make themselves strong in the strength of Pharaoh..." | Isaiah 30:2-3 (Reliance on Egypt) |
| Isaiah 57:7-9 | "On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed; you went up there to make your sacrifice. You have set your memorial in every prominent place... You send messengers to go to Egypt, and you have made your bed wider and wider..." | Isaiah 57:7-9 (Idolatrous practices resembling verse) |
| Lamentations 4:17 | "Our eyes Vainly looked for help; from our rampart we looked in vain for help..." | Lamentations 4:17 (Despair and looking for help) |
| Romans 1:22-23 | "Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." | Romans 1:22-23 (Exchanging God's truth) |
| 1 Corinthians 6:18 | "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." | 1 Corinthians 6:18 (Sexual immorality as sin) |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these." | Galatians 5:19-21 (List of sinful acts) |
| Revelation 17:1-5 | "Then one of the seven angels who were holding the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters...'" | Revelation 17:1-5 (Babylon as a harlot) |
| Nahum 3:4 | "Because of the many prostitutions of the harlot, pleasing and graceful, mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations into her prostitutions, and clans into her sorceries." | Nahum 3:4 (Prostitution and witchcraft) |
| Ezekiel 16:26 | "And you played the whore with the sons of Egypt, your lustful neighbors, and you multiplied your whoredom so as to provoke me to anger." | Ezekiel 16:26 (Similar imagery with Egypt) |
| Jeremiah 2:36 | "And now, why do you take such a different course? Why do you make your way so sure of yourself when you run a different course? You will be ashamed even of Egypt, as you have been ashamed of it." | Jeremiah 2:36 (Shame from seeking Egyptian help) |
| Psalm 106:35 | "They mingled with the nations and learned their practices." | Psalm 106:35 (Assimilation and apostasy) |
| Deut 7:1-4 | "When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are going to enter to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you... you shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. You shall not intermarry with them..." | Deut 7:1-4 (Command against foreign entanglements) |
Ezekiel 23 verses
Ezekiel 23 6 Meaning
The verse describes Samaria and Jerusalem, personified as two unfaithful sisters. It signifies the deep-seated corruption and idolatry prevalent in both the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the southern kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). The imagery highlights their sexual immorality and spiritual prostitution as they turned away from God to engage with foreign nations and their pagan practices.
Ezekiel 23 6 Context
This verse is found in Ezekiel chapter 23, which vividly describes the spiritual and political harlotry of the two kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem). God uses the allegory of two sisters, Oholah (representing Samaria/Northern Kingdom) and Oholibah (representing Jerusalem/Southern Kingdom), to illustrate their unfaithfulness. This chapter follows Ezekiel's earlier depiction of Judah's sinfulness in chapter 16.
Historically, both Israel and Judah repeatedly turned to foreign alliances, particularly with Egypt and Assyria/Babylonia, seeking military and political protection rather than trusting in God. These alliances often involved adopting the religious and cultural practices of those nations, leading to syncretism and idolatry. Egypt, in particular, was a powerful ancient empire that Israel often looked to, despite God's explicit warnings against such reliance. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, had a history of engaging with various foreign powers, while Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom, also repeatedly sought Egyptian aid during periods of threat from Assyria and Babylonia.
Ezekiel 23 6 Word Analysis
- אֹהֹלָה (Oholah) - Means "her tent" or "her tabernacle." This name symbolizes the established worship of God that was corrupted.
- וְאֹהֹלִיבָה (Ve'oholibah) - Means "and my tent is in her" or "and my tabernacle is in her." This name signifies Jerusalem, where God's presence (the Temple) was uniquely situated.
- אֲחֹתֹ (achoto) - "Her sister." This establishes the allegorical relationship between Samaria and Jerusalem.
- נַעֲרוּתֶ (na'arutey) - "Her youth" or "her virginity." Refers to the early period of their devotion to God.
- הִתְעָֽרוּ (hit'aru) - "She corrupted herself," "she played the harlot," or "she prostituted herself." This verb emphasizes active and willful sin.
- בְּמִדְרָשׁ (bemidrash) - "For paramours" or "with lovers." Implies intimate, forbidden relationships.
- מִצְרַיִם (Mitzrayim) - "Egypt." A specific historical and powerful nation with whom Israel had a complex relationship, from bondage to alliances.
- לְזֹנ֖וּת (lezonut) - "To commit whoredom" or "to play the harlot." Reinforces the theme of spiritual and sexual impurity.
- יִרְחֹט (yirchot) - "She sent forth" or "she ran to." Indicates seeking out or actively pursuing these forbidden relationships.
- רֹכְבֵי (rochvey) - "Riders," often associated with chariots and military might.
- כֶּ֣בֶשׂ (keves) - "Lamb" or "ram." This term is not present in Ezekiel 23:6. The verse speaks of "red-skinned ones," implying Egyptians.
- דַם (dam) - "Blood." Used metaphorically here in connection with Egyptian soldiers, possibly alluding to their color or warlike nature. The Hebrew is actually clearer in the context of those who lust for and associate with Egyptians, likely referring to their warriors or allies. Scholars suggest "of red skin" or referring to the complexion of the Egyptians.
- חַֽיִל (chayil) - "Army" or "strength."
Group Analysis
- "Her sister, Samaria, and her sisters": The comparison of Samaria and Jerusalem highlights their shared descent into sin from a common spiritual heritage.
- "Corrupted herself in her youth for paramours": This phrase signifies an early turning away from God's covenant for illegitimate relationships.
- "Egypt of her lustful neighbors, lovers of the Egyptian horsemen": This specific phrase emphasizes Samaria's entanglements with Egypt, attracted by their military strength and perhaps their perceived virility or status. The "horsemen" or "riders" points to military power and prowess as a source of attraction, superseding reliance on God.
Ezekiel 23 6 Bonus Section
The naming of the two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), is significant. "Oholah" means "her tent," a reference to the tabernacle and the worship established in the north. "Oholibah" means "my tent is in her," signifying Jerusalem as the location of God's dwelling place, the Temple. This makes their apostasy even more grievous, as they were sinning in the very places associated with God's presence and covenant. The graphic descriptions are intended to shock the exiles into recognizing the depth of their sin and the consequences of breaking their covenant with God, rather than merely recounting historical events. The specific mention of Egyptians as paramours highlights a recurring theme in Israelite history, as seen in the warnings against returning to Egypt (Deut. 17:16; Isa. 31:1-3).
Ezekiel 23 6 Commentary
Ezekiel 23:6 serves as a critical point in the prophecy's allegorical depiction of Israel and Judah's unfaithfulness. The personification of Samaria (Oholah) as the elder sister, initiating the spiritual harlotry by seeking out the powerful Egyptians, sets a somber tone. Her attraction to Egyptians, described in terms of their youthful appearance and military might ("horsemen"), reflects a misplaced trust and desire for worldly security and influence. This choice demonstrates a conscious turning away from God, who was their true protector and covenant partner. This act of spiritual adultery signifies a deep societal and religious corruption, where divine allegiance was exchanged for foreign entanglements and idolatrous practices, a pattern that characterized much of Israel's history and eventually led to severe judgment.