Ezekiel 23:5
New International Version
“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

New Living Translation
“Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers.

English Standard Version
“Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors

Berean Standard Bible
Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

King James Bible
And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,

New King James Version
“Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians,

New American Standard Bible
“Oholah prostituted herself while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors,

NASB 1995
“Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors,

NASB 1977
“And Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors,

Legacy Standard Bible
“Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors,

Amplified Bible
“Oholah played the prostitute while she was Mine; and she adored and lusted after her lovers (allies), the Assyrians, her neighbors,

Christian Standard Bible
“Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriors

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriors

American Standard Version
And Oholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,

Contemporary English Version
Even though Oholah was my wife, she continued to be a prostitute and chased after Assyrian lovers.

English Revised Version
And Oholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby.

Good News Translation
Although she was mine, Oholah continued to be a prostitute and was full of lust for her lovers from Assyria.

International Standard Version
"Oholah committed sexual immorality while she belonged to me. She lusted for Assyria's warriors,

Majority Standard Bible
Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

NET Bible
"Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians--warriors

New Heart English Bible
"Oholah played the prostitute when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,

Webster's Bible Translation
And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors.

World English Bible
“Oholah played the prostitute when she was mine. She doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Aholah goes whoring under Me, and she lusts on her lovers, on the neighboring Assyrians,

Young's Literal Translation
And go a-whoring doth Aholah under Me, And she doteth on her lovers, On the neighbouring Assyrians,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Aholah will commit fornication under me; and she will desire after those loving her, after Assur, they being near.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Oolla committed fornication against me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that came to her,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And then, Oholah committed fornication against me, and she acted madly with her lovers, with the Assyrians who approached her,

New American Bible
Oholah became a prostitute while married to me and lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriors

New Revised Standard Version
Oholah played the whore while she was mine; she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Ahlah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Ahlah went whoring from me and she had sexual intercourse with her lovers, the Assyrians, who were near to her
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Oholah played the harlot when she was Mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians, warriors,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Oola went a-whoring from me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that were her neighbors,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Adultery of Oholah and Oholibah
4The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. 5Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians— warriors 6clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds.…

Cross References
Hosea 2:5
For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’

Jeremiah 3:6
Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.

Jeremiah 2:20
“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.

Hosea 9:1
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

2 Kings 17:7
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods

Isaiah 57:8
Behind the door and doorpost you have set up your memorial. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed; you climbed up and opened it wide. And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved; you have gazed upon their nakedness.

Jeremiah 3:1
“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.

Hosea 4:12
My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.

Hosea 5:3
I know all about Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me. For now, O Ephraim, you have turned to prostitution; Israel is defiled.

2 Kings 16:7-9
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hands of the kings of Aram and Israel, who are rising up against me.” / Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. / So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death.

Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

Revelation 2:20-22
But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols. / Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling. / Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds.

James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

1 Corinthians 6:15-16
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! / Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”

Galatians 5:19
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;


Treasury of Scripture

And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,

Aholah.

1 Kings 14:9,16
But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: …

1 Kings 15:26,30
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin…

1 Kings 16:31,32
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him…

doted

Ezekiel 23:7,9,12,16,20
Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself…

Ezekiel 16:37
Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

Jeremiah 50:38
A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.

on the

Ezekiel 16:28
Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.

2 Kings 15:19
And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

2 Kings 16:7
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.

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Aholah Assyrians A-Whoring Desire Doted Doteth Engaged Full Harlot Lovers Neighbors Neighbouring Neighbours Oholah Oho'lah Played Prostitute Prostitution Untrue Warriors
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Aholah Assyrians A-Whoring Desire Doted Doteth Engaged Full Harlot Lovers Neighbors Neighbouring Neighbours Oholah Oho'lah Played Prostitute Prostitution Untrue Warriors
Ezekiel 23
1. The unfaithfulness of Aholah and Aholibah
23. Aholibah is to be plagued by her lovers
36. The prophet reproves the adulteries of them both
45. and shows their judgments














Oholah prostituted herself
The name "Oholah" is symbolic, representing Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In Hebrew, "Oholah" means "her tent," suggesting a place of dwelling or worship. The phrase "prostituted herself" is a metaphor for idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idolatry was often depicted as spiritual adultery. The Israelites were in a covenant relationship with God, akin to a marriage, and turning to other gods was seen as infidelity. This phrase underscores the gravity of Israel's sin, as they abandoned their exclusive devotion to Yahweh.

while she was still Mine
This phrase emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and Israel. Despite being chosen and set apart by God, Israel chose to pursue other nations and their gods. The possessive "Mine" highlights God's enduring love and rightful claim over Israel, even in their unfaithfulness. Historically, this reflects the period when Israel was still under God's protection and guidance, yet they chose to rebel. It serves as a reminder of God's patience and the pain of betrayal He experiences when His people turn away.

And she lusted after her lovers
"Lusted" conveys a strong, uncontrolled desire, often used in the context of idolatry and foreign alliances. The "lovers" symbolize the foreign nations and their deities that Israel pursued. This pursuit was not just political but spiritual, as Israel sought security and identity outside of God. The imagery of lust indicates a deep-seated infatuation that led Israel away from their true love, God. It reflects the historical alliances Israel made with surrounding nations, seeking power and protection rather than relying on God.

the Assyrians
The Assyrians were a dominant empire during the time of Ezekiel, known for their military prowess and cultural influence. Historically, Israel sought alliances with Assyria, hoping to gain protection against other threats. However, these alliances often led to the adoption of Assyrian religious practices, furthering Israel's spiritual decline. The mention of Assyria serves as a specific indictment of Israel's political and spiritual missteps. It highlights the futility of trusting in human power rather than divine providence, a recurring theme in the prophetic literature.

(5) The Assyrians her neighbours.--Or, the Assyrians drawing near. They are described in Ezekiel 23:40 as those who "come from far." The nearness here spoken of is to be understood not locally, but spiritually, of sympathy in idolatry. Of the earlier connection between Israel and Assyria there is little remaining record. In 2Kings 15:19-20, it is said that Pul exacted tribute of Menahem, and the mention seems to imply a still earlier intercourse. According to the Assyrian records, Jehu was tributary to Shalmaneser; Assyria, as representing the great northern power, in contrast to Egypt on the south, is probably used here in a sense broad enough to include also Syria.

Verse 5. - The history of both the sisters passes from the time of the Exodus to that of their separate existence, and starts, in fact, from their first intercourse with the great monarchies of Asia. So far it is less a survey of their successive stages of degradation, like that of Ezekiel 16, than a retrospect of their political alliances. Aholah played the harlot. The lovers, as in Ezekiel 16:33, are the nations with which the kings of Israel were in alliance, and of these the Assyrians are named as pre-eminent. The word neighbors, which in its literal sense is hardly applicable, is probably to be taken of spiritual affinity, or may be taken as "come near" is in Genesis 20:4; Ezekiel 18:6; Leviticus 20:16. The Assyrians were those who, in that sense, came near to the harlot city. We have in 2 Kings 15:20 the fact that Menahem paid tribute to Pul. Hosea 5:13 and Hosea 7:11 speak generally of such alliances. The black obelisk of Shalmaneser records the fact that Jehu paid tribute to him ('Records of the Past,' 5:41). In the last-named case the tribute consisted chiefly of vessels of gold, bowls, goblets, etc.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Oholah
אָהֳלָ֖ה (’ā·ho·lāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 170: Oholah -- 'she who has a tent', a symbolic name for Samaria

prostituted herself
וַתִּ֥זֶן (wat·ti·zen)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2181: To commit adultery, to commit idolatry

while she was still Mine.
תַּחְתָּ֑י (taḥ·tāy)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

She lusted
וַתַּעְגַּב֙ (wat·ta‘·gaḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5689: To have inordinate affection, lust

after
עַֽל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

her lovers,
מְאַהֲבֶ֔יהָ (mə·’a·hă·ḇe·hā)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

the Assyrians—
אַשּׁ֖וּר (’aš·šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804: Ashshur

warriors
קְרוֹבִֽים׃ (qə·rō·w·ḇîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7138: Near


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 23:5 Oholah played the prostitute when she was (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 23:4
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