View Ezekiel 23 in the note window.
The apostacy of Israel and Samaria from God, ver. 1 - 8.
Their ruin, ver. 9, 10.
The apostacy of Judah and Jerusalem from God, ver. 11 - 21.
Their ruin, ver. 22 - 35.
The joint wickedness of them both, ver. 36 - 44.
And their joint ruin, ver. 45 - 49.
2: Two women - Judah, and Israel, two kingdoms.
3: Whoredoms - Idolatry.
4: Aholah - That is, his own tabernacle; for Israel falling off
from the house of David, fell off from the tabernacle, or temple of
God; so that all the temple they had was of their own making.
The elder - Greater for number of tribes, and for power, wealth, and
for multitudes of people. Aholibah - That is, my tabernacle in her:
the two tribes had the temple of God with them. Mine - By solemn
marriage - covenant. Bare sons - Were fruitful and brought forth children
to me; they increased in numbers of people; and among these, some there
were that were children of God by faith, love, and obedience.
5: Played the harlot - United in idolatry, with the Assyrians.
Mine - When under my government, and protection.
6: Horsemen - Skillful in riding, and well furnished with choice
horses.
7: With all - Other nations, with whom she had commerce.
10: Discovered - Stript her naked, and exposed her to shame.
Took her sons - Captives. Slew her - The kingdom of Israel, under
Hoshea, was by Salmanesar utterly destroyed.
They - The Assyrians, had executed God's just displeasure upon her.
15: Girded - With soldiers belts, which includes the rest of the
habit of soldiers. In dyed attire - Both rich, comely, large, and of
divers colours. Princes - Of princely aspect and majesty.
17: Alienated - She grew weary of the Chaldeans.
18: Discovered - Made it appear to all, far and near.
19: By - Remembering her idolatries in Egypt, her alliance with
it in days past, which she now resolved to act over again.
20: Paramours - The nations, that were confederate with the
Egyptians.
23: Pekod - Pekod is the province between Tigris, and
Lycus; in this was old Nineveh. Shoa - Either Sia in
Armenia, or the Sohia, among which were the Adiabeni, and
this contained the middle part of the kingdom of Babylon.
Koa - This bordered upon Media, the inhabitants were called Kohai,
and dwelt about Arbela. And all - All subjects of the Assyrian
monarchy.
24: And wheels - Lest in their march the carriage wheels should
break, a store of these were provided. An assembly - A mighty confluence
of people. I will set - Give them a power in right of conquest over
their rebels, as well as mine, and I will give them a spirit of judgment
to discern the greatness of this people's sins. Judge - Condemn, and
execute sentence upon thee. According - To their will, power, wrath,
and custom, against rebels; for these are their rules of judgment.
25: I will set my jealousy - As a jealous provoked husband, I will be
as much against thee as they are. Thy residue - Either the people, who
hid themselves in vaults and cellars, or what the Chaldeans cannot carry
away, all this shall be devoured by fire.
29: Take away - Deprive thee of the comfortable use of all thy
labour, which they will exact of thee in captivity.
32: It - Is large, and contains what will last many years, even 'till
the seventy years be expired.
34: Thou - Shalt stagger with sorrows, that shall intoxicate, and
astonish. Suck it out - The dregs shalt thou drink, and multiply thine
own sorrows. Break the sheards - To suck out what remains.
And pluck - Revenging thyself upon thyself.
35: Bear thou - The guilt, I will impute it, the punishment, I will
not pardon it.
38: In the same day - When they had newly polluted themselves with
idolatry and murder, they thrust into the temple.
39: My house - Nay, these things have been in my house.
40: Wash thyself - After the manner of harlots.
41: Sattest - Prepared to feast them. A stately bed - A magnificent
bed, on which women sat to feast, when men leaned on their sides.
Incense - Offered to their idols.
42: A voice - A shout for joy, that there was a treaty of peace
between the Jews, and the Chaldeans.
45: Righteous men - Men that keep the law of their God.
46: Upon them - Against the Jews, the children of this
Aholibah.
47: The company - The Babylonian army.
48: Lewdness - Idolatry. And indeed we do not read of any after
their return out of this captivity.
49: They - The Babylonians. The sins - The guilt of worshipping
idols; and you shall bear the punishment of idolaters.
