Then said I unto [her that was] old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she [with them]?
Then said {H559} I unto her that was old {H1087} in adulteries {H5004}, Will they now commit {H2181} whoredoms {H8457} with her, and she with them?
I thought, 'That woman! She's worn out from all her adulteries, but they still go to fornicate with her!'
Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’
Then said I of her that was old in adulteries, Now will they play the harlot with her, and she with them.
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Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. -
Daniel 9:16
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people [are become] a reproach to all [that are] about us. -
Ezekiel 23:3
And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. -
Ezra 9:7
Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, [and] our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as [it is] this day. -
Psalms 106:6
¶ We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
Context
Ezekiel 23 is a vivid allegory where God uses the imagery of two sisters, Oholah (representing Samaria, the Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Oholibah (representing Jerusalem, the Southern Kingdom of Judah), to expose their spiritual harlotry and idolatry. Both sisters, despite being betrothed to God, engaged in promiscuous relationships with foreign nations and their gods, abandoning their covenant with Yahweh. Oholah was judged and devastated by Assyria for her unfaithfulness. This verse, Ezekiel 23:43, comes at the climax of the chapter, highlighting Oholibah's (Jerusalem's) persistent and brazen sin. Despite witnessing the severe judgment meted out to her sister, Samaria, Oholibah not only continued but intensified her spiritual adultery with various pagan powers, including Assyrians, Babylonians, and Egyptians.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The KJV terms "adulteries" and "whoredoms" translate the Hebrew word zenut (זְנוּת), which literally means "prostitution" or "fornication." In the prophetic books, particularly Ezekiel and Hosea, this term is consistently used metaphorically to describe Israel's spiritual infidelity to God. It emphasizes the breach of their covenant relationship, likened to a marriage, where worshiping other gods or relying on foreign nations is seen as an act of unfaithfulness against their divine husband, Yahweh. The vivid imagery aims to shock the audience into recognizing the severity of their sin.
Practical Application
Ezekiel 23:43 serves as a sobering warning for all generations. It cautions against: