Ezekiel 23:21

Translation
King James Version
Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Thus thou calledst to remembrance H6485 the lewdness H2154 of thy youth H5271, in bruising H6213 thy teats H1717 by the Egyptians H4714 for the paps H7699 of thy youth H5271.
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Complete Jewish Bible
You yearned for the lewdness of your girlhood, when the Egyptians used to fondle your nipples and caress your young breasts
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Berean Standard Bible
So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.
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American Standard Version
Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in the handling of thy bosom by the Egyptians for the breasts of thy youth.
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World English Bible Messianic
Thus you called to memory the lewdness of your youth, in the handling of your bosom by the Egyptians for the breasts of your youth.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Thou calledst to remembrance the wickednes of thy youth, when thy teates were bruised by ye Egyptians: therefore ye paps of thy youth are thus.
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Young's Literal Translation
Thou lookest after the wickedness of thy youth, In dealing out of Egypt thy loves, For the sake of the breasts of thy youth.
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In the KJVVerse 21,029 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Ezekiel 23:21 serves as a potent divine indictment within a graphic allegory, where God, through the prophet Ezekiel, condemns Judah (represented by Oholibah) for her profound spiritual unfaithfulness. The verse pointedly recalls Judah's persistent historical pattern of idolatry and illicit political alliances, particularly with Egypt, portraying these actions as a shameful regression to the depraved practices of her spiritual infancy. It vividly depicts the self-inflicted defilement and moral degradation that resulted from seeking security and satisfaction in foreign nations and their gods rather than in the exclusive covenant relationship with the Lord, underscoring God's active remembrance of their persistent rebellion and the deep shame associated with such betrayal.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 23 presents an extended and highly graphic allegory, personifying the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria, Oholah) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem, Oholibah) as two sisters who engage in spiritual harlotry. This chapter is situated within a larger series of oracles against Jerusalem and Judah, which systematically detail their transgressions and prophesy their impending destruction. Verse 21 specifically targets Oholibah (Judah), recalling her early fascination and alliances with Egypt. This recollection is crucial as it demonstrates that Judah's current judgment is not an isolated event but the culmination of a long-standing pattern of covenant infidelity, stretching back to her formative years as a nation. The shocking and explicit sexual imagery throughout the chapter is intentionally employed to convey the depth of God's pain, righteous anger, and profound sense of betrayal over His people's spiritual adultery.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The historical setting for Ezekiel's prophecy is the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE, a period marked by Judah's repeated political and religious compromises. Both Israel and Judah, despite their covenant with Yahweh, frequently sought military and political stability through alliances with powerful pagan empires like Egypt and Assyria. These alliances were consistently condemned by prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah because they fundamentally represented a lack of trust in God's protection and inevitably led to the adoption of foreign deities and religious practices, which constituted idolatry. The "youth" referenced in the verse likely alludes to the early history of Israel, perhaps even their time in Egypt or the period immediately following the Exodus, when they demonstrated a recurring propensity for idolatry, as exemplified by the incident of the golden calf. The pervasive sexual metaphor of Israel as God's unfaithful bride is deeply embedded in prophetic literature, reflecting the covenant as a marriage and spiritual unfaithfulness as adultery.
  • Key Themes: Ezekiel 23:21 powerfully contributes to several foundational themes within the book of Ezekiel and the broader prophetic tradition. A primary theme is Spiritual Adultery and Unfaithfulness, where Israel's idolatry and reliance on foreign powers are depicted as a profound betrayal of her covenant vows to Yahweh, her divine husband. This motif is pervasive in prophetic books, notably in passages like Jeremiah 3:6-10 and throughout Hosea 1-3. Another crucial theme is the Consequences of Sinful Alliances, illustrating how seeking security and identity apart from God inevitably leads to defilement, shame, and ultimately, divine judgment. Judah's historical entanglements with Egypt, far from providing salvation, resulted in spiritual degradation and further provoked God's wrath. Finally, the verse underscores Divine Remembrance and Justice, demonstrating that God does not forget His people's persistent patterns of rebellion. Their present suffering is presented as a just consequence of a long history of unfaithfulness, serving as a solemn reminder that God's patience has limits and His righteous judgment will eventually fall upon unrepentant sin, a truth consistently proclaimed throughout the book of Ezekiel.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • remembrance (Hebrew, pâqad', H6485): This word (H6485) carries a broad semantic range, encompassing "to visit," "to oversee," "to muster," "to charge," "to care for," "to miss," "to punish," and "to remember." In this context, "calledst to remembrance" (a hiphil form) implies that Judah herself, through her continued actions and persistent sin, effectively brought her past "lewdness" back into God's active consideration, thereby triggering divine judgment. It suggests a re-activation or re-acknowledgment of past offenses, not merely a passive recall, indicating God's active engagement with their history.
  • lewdness (Hebrew, zimmâh', H2154): This term (H2154) denotes a "plan," particularly a "bad one," often referring to "heinous crime," "wickedness," or "depravity," frequently with strong sexual connotations. It signifies a premeditated, morally reprehensible act, emphasizing the intentional and egregious nature of Judah's spiritual infidelity and idolatrous practices. It is not merely a mistake or an accidental deviation but a deliberate, wicked scheme of the heart, a chosen path of moral corruption.
  • bruising (Hebrew, ʻâsâh', H6213): While ʻâsâh (H6213) is a very common Hebrew verb meaning "to do" or "to make" in its broadest sense, its usage here as "bruising" (a specific nuance within its wide application) is highly significant. It implies a violent, deforming, or damaging action. In this graphic context, it suggests that Judah's illicit engagement with Egypt resulted in a self-inflicted defilement, a painful and shameful distortion of her very essence, driven by her unholy desires for Egyptian "paps" (symbolizing their idolatrous practices and political allure). It highlights the self-destructive nature of her spiritual harlotry.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth": This clause establishes a direct causal link between Judah's current state and impending judgment, and her historical pattern of sin. The phrase "calledst to remembrance" implies that Judah's ongoing, unrepentant behavior served as the catalyst, reactivating God's memory and bringing her long-standing "lewdness" (moral depravity, spiritual harlotry) from her early days as a nation ("thy youth") back into the forefront of divine judgment. It underscores the cumulative nature of sin and God's righteous response to persistent rebellion.
  • "in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth": This highly graphic and disturbing imagery explains the specific nature of Judah's "lewdness." "Teats" (H1717, dad) and "paps" (H7699, shad) both refer to breasts, symbolizing intimacy, nourishment, and sexual allure. The "bruising" (H6213, ʻâsâh) suggests a violent, self-inflicted defilement or a painful disfigurement. Judah, in her spiritual prostitution, allowed herself to be violated or debased by the Egyptians, actively seeking their "paps"—their idolatrous practices, their false security, and their worldly allure—which she had desired even in her "youth." This portrays a profound and shameful spiritual degradation, where Judah actively pursued and suffered defilement in her pursuit of illicit alliances and false gods, demonstrating a deep-seated spiritual perversion.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 23:21 is profoundly shaped by Allegory and Metaphor, where the prophet employs the vivid, extended narrative of Oholibah (representing Jerusalem/Judah) as a harlot to illustrate the nation's spiritual unfaithfulness to God. The explicit sexual imagery functions as a powerful Metaphor for idolatry and illicit political alliances, portraying them as acts of spiritual adultery against the covenant-keeping God. The verse employs Personification, treating Judah as a woman who engages in depraved acts, making the abstract concept of national sin concrete and visceral. The language is characterized by Graphic Imagery, particularly "bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth," which is designed to evoke strong emotional responses of disgust and shame, underscoring the severity of Judah's sin and the depth of her moral degradation. This explicit imagery serves not only to condemn but also to shock the audience into recognizing the repulsive nature of their spiritual rebellion from God's holy perspective.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 23:21 powerfully articulates the profound theological truth that God remembers the persistent unfaithfulness of His people and that historical patterns of sin lead to inevitable judgment. The graphic depiction of Judah's spiritual harlotry with Egypt underscores the gravity of idolatry and the dangers of seeking security and identity in worldly alliances rather than in the exclusive covenant relationship with Yahweh. It reveals God's righteous indignation over His people's betrayal, emphasizing that their present suffering is a just consequence of a long history of rebellion, not merely isolated transgressions. This passage serves as a sobering reminder that God's covenant demands exclusive devotion, and any deviation into syncretism or reliance on human power structures constitutes a profound spiritual offense that brings shame and divine retribution.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 23:21, despite its graphically unsettling nature, offers profound and timeless lessons for contemporary believers. It confronts us with the insidious nature of spiritual compromise and the enduring temptation to seek fulfillment, security, or identity outside of our exclusive devotion to God. Just as ancient Judah prostituted herself with pagan nations and their gods, we can be prone to seeking validation, comfort, or success in worldly systems, ideologies, or possessions, allowing them to subtly displace God from His rightful place in our hearts. This verse calls us to a radical self-examination: What "Egypts" are we bruising ourselves for? What false "paps" are we seeking for nourishment or satisfaction that only God can truly provide? It urges us to recognize that true security, lasting peace, and genuine flourishing are found solely in unwavering trust and obedience to the Lord. We must vigilantly guard our hearts against any form of idolatry, whether overt or subtle, and commit to living lives of uncompromising faithfulness to the One who has called us into covenant with Himself.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what areas of my life might I be seeking security or satisfaction from "worldly alliances" (e.g., career, finances, relationships, social status) rather than from God alone?
  • How might subtle forms of idolatry manifest in my daily choices, priorities, and affections?
  • What past patterns of spiritual compromise or unfaithfulness does God desire me to "call to remembrance" in order to repent and turn back to Him fully?

FAQ

Why is the language in Ezekiel 23:21 so graphic and disturbing?

Answer: The graphic language in Ezekiel 23:21 and throughout the entire chapter is intentionally shocking and visceral, designed to convey the extreme nature of Judah's spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry in terms that would deeply resonate with the audience. By depicting Judah as a harlot who "bruises her teats" for foreign "paps," God uses the most repulsive imagery of sexual depravity and self-inflicted harm to illustrate the profound shame, defilement, and moral degradation that resulted from their spiritual adultery. This intense imagery underscores God's deep pain and righteous anger over His people's betrayal of their covenant relationship, making it clear that their actions were not trivial but an abhorrent violation of sacred trust. It forces the reader to confront the ugliness of sin from God's holy perspective. The prophets often employed such bold metaphors to break through the spiritual apathy of the people, as seen in other passages like Hosea 1:2 and Jeremiah 3:1-5.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 23:21, with its graphic portrayal of Israel's spiritual harlotry and self-inflicted defilement, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. The "lewdness of youth" and the "bruising" for foreign "paps" highlight humanity's inherent tendency to turn from God and seek satisfaction in idols and worldly alliances, a pattern of sin that culminated in the rejection and crucifixion of the Son of God. Christ, however, stands as the faithful Bridegroom, the one who perfectly fulfills the covenant that Israel repeatedly broke. While Judah debased herself through unholy alliances, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, bearing the shame and defilement of our spiritual adultery on the cross. He was "bruised" (Isaiah 53:5) not for illicit desires, but to redeem His bride, the Church, from her spiritual prostitution, making her pure and blameless before God (see Ephesians 5:25-27). The New Covenant, established through His blood, is not based on human faithfulness that constantly "calls to remembrance" past sins, but on Christ's perfect righteousness and atoning work, which offers forgiveness and new life (as promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34). In Christ, the cycle of unfaithfulness and judgment is broken, and a true, undefiled union with God is made possible, fulfilling the ultimate purpose of God's covenant love and providing the only true source of security and satisfaction (John 4:13-14).

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Commentary on Ezekiel 23 verses 11–21

The prophet Hosea, in his time, observed that the two tribes retained their integrity, in a great measure, when the ten tribes had apostatized (Hos 11:12, Ephraim indeed compasses me about with lies, but Judah yet rules with God and is faithful with the saints; and this was justly expected from them: Hos 4:15, Though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend); but this lasted not long. By some unhappy matches made between the house of David and the house of Ahab the worship of Baal had been brought into the kingdom of Judah, but had been by the reforming kings worked out again; and at the time of the captivity of the ten tribes, which was in the reign of Hezekiah, things were in a good posture: but it lasted not long. In the reign of Manasseh, soon after the kingdom of Judah had seen the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, they became more corrupt than Israel had been in their inordinate love of idols, Eze 23:11. Instead of being made better by the warning which that destruction gave them, they were made worse by it, as if they were displeased because the Lord had made that breach upon Israel, and for that reason became disaffected to him and to his service. Instead of being made to stand in awe of him as a jealous God, they therefore grew strange to him, and liked those gods better that would admit of partners with them. Note, Those may justly expect God's judgments upon themselves who do not take warning by his judgments upon others, who see in others what is the end of sin and yet continue to make a light matter of it. But it is bad indeed with those who are made worse by that which should make them better, and have their lusts irritated and exasperated by that which was designed to suppress and subdue them. Jerusalem grew worse in her whoredoms than her sister Samaria had been in her whoredoms. This was observed before (Eze 16:51), Neither has Samaria committed half of thy sins.

I. Jerusalem, that had been a faithful city, became a harlot, Isa 1:21. She also doted upon the Assyrians (Eze 23:12), joined in league with them, joined in worship with them, grew to be in love with their captains and rulers, and cried them up as finer and more accomplished gentlemen than any that ever the land of Israel produced. "See how richly, how neatly, they are dressed, clothed most gorgeously; how well they sit a horse; they are horsemen riding on horses; how charmingly they look, all of them desirable young men." And thus they grew to affect every thing that was foreign and to despise their own nation; and even the religion of it was mean and homely, and not to be compared with the curiosity and gaiety of the heathen temples. Thus she increased her whoredoms; she fell in love, fell in league, with the Chaldeans. Hezekiah himself was faulty this way when he was proud of the court which the king of Babylon made to him and complimented his ambassadors with the sight of all his treasures, Isa 39:2. And the humour increased (Eze 23:14); she doted upon the pictures of the Babylonian captains (Eze 23:15, Eze 23:16), joined in alliance with that kingdom, invited them to come and settle in Jerusalem, that they might refine the genius of the Jewish nation and make it more polite; nay, they sent for patterns of their images, altars, and temples, and made use of them in their worship. Thus was she polluted with her whoredoms (Eze 23:17), and thereby she discovered her own whoredom (Eze 23:18), her own strong inclination to idolatry. And when she had had enough of the Chaldeans, and grew tired of them and disposed to break her league with them, as Jehoiakim and Zedekiah did, her mind being alienated from them, she courted the Egyptians, doted upon their paramours (Eze 23:20), would come into an alliance with them, and, to strengthen the alliance, would join with them in their idolatries and then depend upon them to be their protectors from all other nations; for so wise, so rich, so strong, was the Egyptian nation, and came to such perfection in idolatry, that there was no nation now which they could take such satisfaction in as in Egypt. Thus they called to remembrance the days of their youth (Eze 23:19), the lewdness of their youth, Eze 23:21. 1. They pleased themselves with the remembrance of it. When they began to set their affections upon Egypt, they encouraged themselves to put a confidence in that kingdom, because of the old acquaintance they had with it, as if they still retained the gust and relish of the leeks and onions they ate there, or rather of the idolatrous worship they learned there, and brought up with them thence. When they began an acquaintance with Egypt they remembered how merrily their fathers worshipped the golden calf, what music and dancing they had at that sport, which they learned in Egypt; and they hoped they should now have a fair pretence to come to that again. Thus she multiplied her whoredoms, repeated her former whoredoms, and encouraged herself to close with present temptations, by calling to remembrance the days of her youth. Note, Those who, instead of reflecting upon their former sins with sorrow and shame, reflect upon them with pleasure and pride, contract new guilt thereby, strengthen their own corruptions, and in effect bid defiance to repentance. This is returning with the dog to his vomit. 2. They called it God's remembrance, and provoked him to remember it against them. God had said indeed that he would reckon with them for the golden calf, that idol of Egypt (Exo 32:34); but such was his patience that he seemed to have forgotten it till they, by their league now with the Egyptians against the Chaldeans, did, as it were, put him in mind of it; and in the day when he visits he will now, as he has said, visit for that. It is very observable how this adulteress changes her lovers: she dotes first on the Assyrians; then she thought the Chaldeans finer and courted them; after a while her mind was alienated from them, and she thought the Egyptians more powerful (Eze 23:20) and she must contract an intimacy with them. This shows the folly, (1.) Of fleshly lusts; when they are indulged they grow humoursome and fickle, are soon surfeited but never satisfied; they must have variety, and what is loved one day is loathed the next. Unius adulterium matrimonium vocant - One adultery is called marriage, as Seneca observes. (2.) Of idolatry. Those who think one God too little will not think a hundred sufficient, but will still be for trying more, as finding all insufficient. (3.) Of seeking to creatures for help; we go from one to another, but are disappointed in them all, and can never rest till we have made the God of Israel our help.

II. The faithful God justly gives a bill of divorce to this now faithless city, that has become a harlot. His jealousy soon discovered her lewdness (Eze 23:13): I saw that she was defiled, that she was debauched, and saw which way her inclination was, that the two sisters both took one way, and that Jerusalem grew worse than Samaria. For, if we stretch out our hand to a strange god, will not God search this out? No doubt he will; and when he has found it can he be pleased with it? No (Eze 23:18): Then my mind was alienated from her, as it was from her sister. How could the pure and holy God any longer take delight in such a lewd generation? Note, Sin alienates God's mind from the sinner, and justly, for it is the alienation of the sinner's mind from God; but woe, and a thousand woes, to those from whom God's mind is alienated; for whom he turns from he will turn against.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 11–21. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Ver. 23, 24 onwards) Again, I raised my hand against them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the lands, because they had not performed my judgments, and had rejected my commandments, and had violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes had been after the idols (or thoughts) of their fathers. Therefore, I also gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they would not live, and I defiled them in their offerings (or transgressions), as they offered (or led astray) everything that opens the womb because of their sins (for which the Septuagint translated, to destroy them and what they had overlooked): and they will know that I am the Lord. Where in the Old Testament, against their children, who fell in the wilderness, the Lord lifted up His hand to scatter them among the nations, Scripture does not say; but it is to be believed that this was done in accordance with what is reported here. Or he signifies by this, that after they entered the promised land, they were given over at various times, for many sins, to different nations and kings, and at that time the commandments of the Lord, which were good according to their nature, and the judgments by which believers could live, were made not good for them, since they were in no way able to keep the precepts of the law in captivity, and to do what the divine word commanded. He did not say, 'I gave them evil commandments,' but, 'not good commandments.' For it does not immediately follow that what is not good is evil, as the Apostle teaches, it is good for a man not to touch a woman; but because of incontinence, let each possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor (I Cor. VII). And if he does not do this, it is neither good nor evil. Therefore, God gave them, dispersed among the nations, not good commandments, that is, he allowed them to follow their own thoughts and desires, to do what is not appropriate. And he defiled them in his gifts: just as a Priest separates lepers from the people, and shows that they are defiled; while they offer to idols what they should offer to God. And they pass everything that opens the womb through the fire of Baal, that is, the firstborn; so that after they have deserted God and been handed over to the worship of idols, then they may understand that He is the Lord whom they have provoked to anger by their own fault. Symmachus interpreted this passage more explicitly, treating the future as past. Therefore, I will also give them bad precepts and judgments for which they will not live, and I will defile them because of their gifts, as they consecrate and offer everything that opens the womb, so that I may destroy them, and they will know that I am the Lord. And the meaning is this: because I have seen the sons of the fathers equaling the wickedness of their ancestors and doing the same things for which they offended God, I wanted to divide them into nations and disperse them throughout the whole world, and give them bad precepts and judgments in which they would not live, so that I may defile them with their gifts, for they consecrated everything that opens the womb to idols, and I may destroy them forever, and they will know that I am the Lord. Through which he showed that he had not given them good commandments who dwelt in the wilderness, but to those whom he wanted to scatter among the nations, and to make foreigners in the whole world, he gave them a desire for things that he did not give: so that there they would do good commandments of God, not good because of their own fault, while they exhibited to idols what God had commanded to be exhibited. This can also be said, that before the offense, they received only the Ten Commandments; but after idolatry and blasphemy, they received multiple ceremonies of the law, so that they would offer victims to God rather than to demons, and by comparison with sacrilege, what was not good in itself became lighter, and by no means evil, because it was offered to God, and yet not good, because they offended the author of good.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Vers. 11 seqq.) When her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more wicked than her, and her desire for sexual immorality surpassed that of her sister. Shamelessly, she displayed her prostitution to the sons of Assyria, to their captains and leaders who came to her. She was dressed in various (or costly) garments, riding on horses with riders, all of them handsome young men. And I saw that both of them had defiled the same path, and they multiplied their sexual immorality. And when she saw the painted figures on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with colors, having their loins girded with belts, and their heads covered with painted turbans, in the likeness of the rulers (or of the most miserable) of the Babylonians and the land of the Chaldeans, where they were born, she was inflamed with lustful desire for them. And she sent messengers to them in Chaldea. And when the sons of Babylon came to her, to the bed of her prostitution, they defiled her with their harlotry, and she was defiled by them, and her soul turned away from them. And she uncovered her fornication and revealed her disgrace, and my soul withdrew from her as my soul withdrew from her sister. For she multiplied her fornication, remembering the days of her youth when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt. And she went crazy with desire for their lovers, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose genitals are like the genitals of horses. And you visited the wickedness of your youth: when your breasts were conquered in Egypt, and the breasts of your puberty were broken. According to the letter, the interpretation is easy, that when Oholibah, that is, Jerusalem, in which was the tabernacle of God, saw the stripes of her sister, she was not warned by example to turn away her foot from error; but she increased her sister's prostitution. For she once made idols outside in Dan and Bethel: but she frequently worshiped the statue of Baal in the high places and in the temple of God, and fornicated with the Assyrians. But the idol of Baal, or Bel, and (to speak plainly) Belis, is the religion of the Assyrians, consecrated by Nino the son of Belis in honor of his father. And he shamelessly offered his prostitution to the Assyrians, to leaders and magistrates, who were clothed in various and multicolored garments, and to horsemen and young men who were distinguished in appearance by all. So that the prostitution of both sisters became one. And in this way Jerusalem increased its own prostitution, for seeing the images of the Chaldeans on the walls, she became crazed with desire and, deceived by their appearance and clothing, sent messengers to them, seeking help: who came and defiled her. And because pleasure is not perpetual, but quickly brings satiety: she, defiled and saturated with them, departed from their company. Therefore, even I, seeing her turpitudes and fornications made public to all, withdrew from her, so that I, who had surpassed the crimes of my sister, would also surpass her in the magnitude of punishments. Her audacity was of such great extent that she committed all the errors of her youth in a more serious age: and she indulged in Egyptian vices, even following the lusts of the Chaldeans. For he once went mad in the company of Egyptians, whose flesh resembles that of donkeys, and with such a copious flow of semen, and genitals so large, that they surpass even the deformity of horses. Nor did his wickedness cease in his youth: on the contrary, after she became mine, she returned to surpass her former lust in the desert and in the land of promise, where she was deflowered, and her breasts were broken, and all the adornment of her virginity was destroyed. Furthermore, according to tropology, it is difficult to understand how the Church conquers heretical desire unless perhaps we can say this: the servant who knows his master's will and does not do it will be beaten with many stripes (Luke 12:47); and that heretics commit unspeakable acts outside the ark, and perish in shipwreck: but those who follow true faith, if they imitate the vices of Assyria and Chaldea and follow the discolored images of sins, are worthy of greater torments. Shall we not send messengers to the Chaldeans, who interpret as if they were demons, when we open to them and offer them our breasts to be broken in the inner chamber of the mind, and having been satiated with pleasures, we pass from one to another; and not so much do we desire fornication as we desire the number of prostitutes, and we have come to such madness that after much time in the service of the Lord's day, we return to Egypt and do the things that we did in the world before we received the name of faith?
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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