Lexical Summary zirmah: Flow, stream, flood Original Word: זִרְמָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance issue Feminine of zerem; a gushing of fluid (semen) -- issue. see HEBREW zerem NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of zerem Definition an issue (a fluid) NASB Translation issue (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs זִרְמָה noun feminine issue (of semen virile), in figure of the paramours of Jerusalem וְזִרְמַת סוּסִים זִרְמָתָם Ezekiel 23:20. Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Immediate Context The term זִרְמָה appears twice, both in the prophetic allegory of Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem) in Ezekiel 23:20–21. The prophet presents the sisters’ political alliances with Egypt and Assyria as brazen sexual immorality. In verse 20 the vocabulary is graphic: “She lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses” (Ezekiel 23:20). Verse 21 recalls “the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your breasts” (Ezekiel 23:21). The double use of the word intensifies the depiction of unchecked, animal-like lust meant to expose Israel’s spiritual prostitution. Linguistic and Symbolic Nuances זִרְמָה denotes a forceful sexual emission and, by extension, wanton lechery. Ezekiel purposely chooses an earthy, even shocking term to underscore two ideas: 1. The sheer intensity of Judah’s craving for foreign alliances. The metaphor is not gratuitous; it functions as prophetic satire. By equating political dependence with bestial passion, Ezekiel strips away the veneer of respectability from diplomacy rooted in unbelief. Historical and Cultural Background During the late seventh and early sixth centuries B.C., Judah vacillated between Egypt and Babylon in search of security. Egyptian religion was saturated with fertility imagery, and Ezekiel’s audience would have recognized the allusions. The prophet’s word choice therefore cuts two ways: it references literal Egyptian sexual rites and exposes the nation’s eagerness to imitate them. The exile looming over Judah underscores the stakes—political adultery invites divine judgment just as sexual adultery invites social ruin. Theological Significance 1. Covenant Fidelity: The Sinai covenant frames idolatry as marital unfaithfulness (Exodus 34:15–16; Hosea 2:2). זִרְמָה communicates the ugliness of breaking that bond. Ministry and Pastoral Implications • Prophetic Boldness: Pastors and teachers can note how Scripture does not shrink from confronting sin in vivid terms when necessary for repentance. Intertextual Echoes • Hosea’s marriage parable (Hosea 1–3) employs similar marital imagery but with greater emphasis on restorative love. Summary זִרְמָה in Ezekiel 23 functions as an arresting emblem of Israel’s covenant betrayal, equating political idolatries with animalistic lust. Its rare use magnifies its potency, calling God’s people to shun both literal impurity and the figurative fornication of misplaced trust. Far from mere sensationalism, the term serves the redemptive aim of Scripture: to expose sin, evoke repentance, and point toward the cleansing available through God’s promised Spirit and the ultimate Bridegroom. Forms and Transliterations וְזִרְמַ֥ת וזרמת זִרְמָתָֽם׃ זרמתם׃ vezirMat wə·zir·maṯ wəzirmaṯ zir·mā·ṯām zirmaTam zirmāṯāmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 23:20 HEB: חֲמוֹרִים֙ בְּשָׂרָ֔ם וְזִרְמַ֥ת סוּסִ֖ים זִרְמָתָֽם׃ NAS: of donkeys and whose issue is [like] the issue KJV: of asses, and whose issue [is like] the issue INT: of donkeys is the flesh issue of horses is the issue Ezekiel 23:20 2 Occurrences |
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