Ezekiel 23 8

Ezekiel 23:8 kjv

Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.

Ezekiel 23:8 nkjv

She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt, For in her youth they had lain with her, Pressed her virgin bosom, And poured out their immorality upon her.

Ezekiel 23:8 niv

She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.

Ezekiel 23:8 esv

She did not give up her whoring that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her.

Ezekiel 23:8 nlt

For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 8 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:8 depicts Jerusalem (Aholibah), as representative of Judah, as continuing in her spiritual prostitution—her unfaithfulness to God through persistent idolatry and illicit political alliances—a practice deeply rooted from the very beginnings of the nation's history, specifically stemming from their entanglement in Egypt. The stark imagery illustrates Egypt's defiling influence, corrupting Israel in her "youthful" and formative stages, initiating a pattern of covenant betrayal that laid the groundwork for subsequent and sustained spiritual harlotry.

Ezekiel 23 8 Context

Ezekiel chapter 23 is a deeply symbolic and highly graphic allegory of two sisters, Aholah (Samaria, representing the Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Aholibah (Jerusalem, representing the Southern Kingdom of Judah). Both sisters engage in extreme spiritual harlotry by continually pursuing idolatry and forging illicit political alliances with powerful pagan nations such as Assyria, Babylon, and especially Egypt, rather than remaining faithful to Yahweh, their covenant Lord. This specific verse, Ezekiel 23:8, details Aholibah’s (Judah’s) culpability, emphasizing that her unfaithfulness was not a new development but a deeply entrenched pattern, tracing its origin and the depth of its defilement back to Israel's national beginnings with Egyptian influences. The chapter serves to justify God's judgment against Jerusalem, illustrating how her spiritual depravity surpassed even that of Samaria, despite having witnessed Samaria’s destruction as a consequence of similar sins. Historically, Judah, through kings like Hezekiah, Josiah, and Zedekiah, frequently made and broke treaties with Egypt, continuously defying divine warnings against relying on human strength over God's.

Ezekiel 23 8 Word analysis

• "She": Refers to Aholibah, the prophetic personification of Jerusalem, representing the kingdom of Judah. In the broader narrative of chapter 23, it implies the nation as a whole.
• "did not give up" (לֹא־עָזְבָהּ, lo-azvah): From the Hebrew verb עָזַב (azav), meaning "to forsake," "to abandon." The negation emphasizes that Judah's harlotry was not merely an occasional lapse but a persistent, unbroken commitment to her unholy practices, highlighting the ingrained and stubborn nature of her rebellion.
• "her whoring" (תַּזְנוּתָהּ, taznutah): Derived from the root זנה (zanah), which means "to commit fornication," "to prostitute." In biblical prophecy, this term is consistently used metaphorically to denote spiritual unfaithfulness. It specifically refers to the twin sins of idolatry—worshipping other gods—and entering into forbidden political alliances with foreign powers, thereby betraying the covenant relationship with Yahweh, which is likened to a sacred marriage.
• "from Egypt": This phrase pinpoints the historical and geographical origin of Israel's spiritual decline. It signifies that the roots of Judah's unfaithfulness extend all the way back to the period of their formation as a nation in and after their enslavement in Egypt, linking the foreign land with its corrupting religious and political influences.
• "for in her youth": This refers to the early, formative stages of Israel as a nation. It encompasses the time of their captivity in Egypt, the Exodus, their wanderings in the wilderness, and their initial settlement in Canaan. The implication is that even from their nascent period, Israel (and consequently Judah) was quick to stray from God.
• "they had lain with her" (שָׁכְבוּ אֹתָהּ, shachvu otah): "They" refers to the Egyptians. "Lain with her" describes sexual intercourse. Metaphorically, this powerfully portrays the deep spiritual and political entanglement and defilement that resulted from Israel's adoption of Egyptian idolatrous practices and reliance on their political and military might, signifying an early and profound betrayal of God's covenant.
• "and had squeezed her virgin breasts" (וּמָעֲכוּ דַּדֵּי בְּתוּלֶיהָ, u-ma'akhu daddei betuleyha):
  • "squeezed" (מָעֲכוּ, ma'achu): From the root מעך (ma'akh), meaning "to crush," "to bruise," "to press forcefully." This verb choice suggests a violent, intrusive, and exploitative act, not gentle intimacy, highlighting the coercive and damaging nature of Egypt's influence.
  • "virgin breasts": The imagery of "virgin breasts" conveys a state of potential purity, innocence, or undeveloped readiness. Metaphorically, it implies that Israel, as a young nation delivered by God, was intended to be solely devoted to Him. The act of "squeezing" denotes that Egypt exploited and defiled this potential purity from the very beginning, initiating Israel's spiritual corruption even before a full commitment to the covenant, setting a destructive pattern of future unfaithfulness. It emphasizes the foundational and deeply intrusive nature of this early spiritual contamination.
• "and poured out their whoring on her" (וְשָׁפְכוּ תַּזְנוּתָם עָלֶיהָ, ve-shafkhu taznutam aleyha):
  • "poured out" (שָׁפְכוּ, shafkhu): Meaning "to spill," "to shed," or "to cast out profusely." This verb conveys a sense of abundance, pervasiveness, and overwhelming saturation.
  • This phrase vividly highlights the extent and intensity of the spiritual corruption that Egypt inflicted upon Israel. It signifies that Egyptian idolatry and worldly practices were abundantly transmitted and thoroughly infused into the nation, infecting them profoundly, a defilement from which Judah never fully purged itself.

Ezekiel 23 8 Bonus section

The explicit sexual metaphors employed by Ezekiel (and other prophets like Hosea and Jeremiah) serve as divinely inspired shock language. Their purpose is to convey the profound revulsion and heinousness of spiritual adultery and idolatry from God's holy perspective. This stark language strips away any superficial religiosity or self-deception, exposing the nation’s actions as utterly abominable and deeply offensive to their covenant Lord. Furthermore, the persistent nature of sin "from Egypt" illustrates a principle of generational spiritual decline. The failure of one generation to wholly dedicate themselves to God and forsake foreign influences can tragically cascade into succeeding generations, exacerbating initial compromises into pervasive rebellion that impacts the national identity and ultimately its fate.

Ezekiel 23 8 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:8 serves as a searing indictment of Judah's persistent and deep-rooted spiritual apostasy. The verse clarifies that Jerusalem’s habitual "whoring"—her entanglement in idolatry and reliance on foreign alliances—was not an isolated or recent deviation but an ingrained pattern tracing back to Israel's national infancy. The explicit imagery portrays Egypt as a spiritual seducer, violating and initiating the young nation into a destructive course of covenant unfaithfulness. This early, foundational defilement by Egypt established a continuous cycle of rebellion. Thus, Judah’s prolonged and intensified unfaithfulness, despite having witnessed the catastrophic judgment upon Samaria for similar sins, underscores their egregious guilt and the inexorable nature of divine judgment when covenant fidelity is abandoned.