What is the meaning of Ezekiel 23:4? The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. • In this single sentence the Lord introduces two sisters, immediately putting us in mind of real family relationships such as Leah and Rachel or Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:23; 29:16-18). • Their very naming comes from God; He is the Author of their story, so the historical reliability is beyond question (Isaiah 40:8). • Oholah and Oholibah are distinct persons, yet bound together from birth, foreshadowing how the northern and southern kingdoms share a common ancestry through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (1 Kings 12:24). • Scripture often uses family imagery to make covenant truths vivid; here, sisterhood underscores shared privilege—and later, shared guilt (Jeremiah 3:6-10). They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. • “They became Mine” points to the covenant marriage God entered with His people, just as He had promised at Sinai: “You shall be My treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5-6; cf. Ezekiel 16:8). • In that covenant, fruitfulness followed: “sons and daughters.” These children represent the population boom and blessings Israel and Judah enjoyed while walking with the Lord (Deuteronomy 7:13; Psalm 127:3-5). • By affirming ownership first, God reminds the reader of His rightful claim before any later charges of unfaithfulness (Hosea 2:19-20). • The statement also exposes how tragic their later spiritual adultery will be: they will sacrifice the very sons and daughters He gave (Ezekiel 23:37). As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. • God removes all mystery: – Oholah = Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom, established after the split under Jeroboam (1 Kings 16:24; 2 Kings 17:5-8). – Oholibah = Jerusalem, capital of the southern kingdom, site of the temple where God set His Name (1 Kings 11:13; Psalm 48:1). • The older/younger order fits history: Samaria’s apostasy and fall came first (722 BC), then Jerusalem’s (586 BC). • Identifying the sisters forces both audiences—north and south—to face their sin, leaving no room for regional pride (Isaiah 1:10; Micah 3:9-12). • The literal cities are still in view; God does not spiritualize away their accountability but ties His prophetic symbolism to concrete locations, people, and dates (2 Kings 17; 24-25). summary Ezekiel 23:4 sets up the entire chapter by: • Presenting two literal sister kingdoms, Samaria and Jerusalem, under covenant with the LORD. • Affirming their blessed beginning—belonging to God and enjoying offspring—before any judgment is pronounced. • Making it clear that the same faithful God who named and claimed them will also hold them accountable for later unfaithfulness. Understanding this verse anchors the rest of Ezekiel 23: their history, their sin, and the righteous judgment that follows all flow from the truth declared here. |
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