The open discussion thread is also available for more casual exchange on the topic, or to discuss modern&contemporary reception of the text. The horse was made by the Egyptians the hieroglyphic for a lustful person. Unius adulterium matrimonium vocant--One adultery is called marriage, as Seneca observes. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It is possible, however, that zirmah has the sense of the noun (not the verb) ejaculate. It is also possible that flesh in this verse is a euphemism for penis.. And I saw that she had defiled herself; they both went one way. Jerusalem returned to her old lover, namely, Egypt. #3 whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. Meant to illustrate their great earthly power, it also is meant to be a disgusting image of adultery against God. She too will drink the cup of Gods wrath (31-35). If you like the folowing commentary, you can use it for whatever Scripture you choose: Thanks for the replies netchaplain and Major, although a still bit bedazzled here, may God Bless you All in jesus name i just want to say bro Calvin that the city name is Samaria, other important thing that the Jews they deserve to know what exactly they really are as last warning for them before the wrath of God pour on them God didn't cheat them he told them what they really are. on Job, en loc.). It is no reply to this, to state that the woman does not send ambassadors till afterwards (Ezekiel 23:16), as Hitzig argues; for Judah sent ambassadors to Chaldea not to view the glories of Assyria, but to form alliances with the Chaldeans, or to sue for their favour. And God said, "My mind was alienated from her like as My mind was alienated from her sister." Now Aholah means her tent. Thou lookest after the lewdness of thy youth, when they of Egypt handled thy bosom because of thy virgin breasts. What do you mean by instead of reflecting female desire it reflects male obsession? For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated: And they shall deal with thee hatefully, they shall take away all thy labor, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. JavaScript is disabled. He went up to Assyria and there he saw the altar of the gods of the Assyrians. And God said, "I can't stand it. ma] by "members" and comments: The noun zirmah, which occurs only here, is derived from a verbal stem that means to flow. It seems formally analogous to shufkhah, a term for the penis derived from a verb that means to pour. In both cases, the use to indicate the male member would be through metonymy. And thus, Samaria was destroyed by Assyria. It not only indulged in sinful intercourse with Assyria, which led on to idolatry as the latter had done, but it also allowed itself to be led astray by the splendour of Chaldea, to form alliances with that imperial power, and to defile itself with her idolatry. , the overhanging, used here of the cap. Moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? Ezekiel 23:14. 21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth. Ezekiel 23:13. Verses 5 through 10 tell us howAholah engages sexually with these handsome young men wearing purple garments. II. The importance of repentance and 3 Parables about forgiveness, This Is The Day The Lord Has Made: Psalm 118: 24 Meaning, Jeremiah 29:11 meaning of For I know the plans I have for you, Romans 8:31 If God is for us who can be against us meaning, Psalm 61:2 When My Heart Is Overwhelmed Meaning, Ezekiel 23:20:the story of Aholah and Aholibah, Breaking Down the Key Parts of Ezekiel 23:20, Ezekiel 23:20 Bible verse and Translation, 10 ways to develop a powerful Prayer life, 60 Bible Verses about Prayer with powerful quotes, 25 Short Bible Scriptures on Unforgiveness KJV, 52 warfare Prayer for business breakthrough and success, 30 Powerful Prayers For Divine Intervention with Bible Verses, The 7 Spirits of Goddescribed in Isaiah 11:1-3 KJV, 25 powerful calls to worship prayers and declarations, 10 Prayer points for children with bible verses, 8 Thursday Prayer with bible verses and quote, 10 prayer points for divine protection with bible verse. Verse Ezekiel 23:20. If some points remain a bit opaque, don't hesitate to ask about them. No (Ezekiel 23:18; Ezekiel 23:18): Then my mind was alienated from her, as it was from her sister. The consequence of all this was, that the Lord became tired of Judah (Ezekiel 23:17, Ezekiel 23:18). She was inflamed with lust towards the sons of Asshur, governors and officers, standing near, clothed in perfect beauty, horsemen riding upon horses, choice men of good deportment. After she became a vassal of Babylon, she became disgusted with the Babylonians and turned away to seek help from Egypt (cf. And she burned toward their paramours, who have members like asses and heat like horses. And they introduced all of these gods of the Assyrians and the gods of the nations round about and they turned from the true and the living God and they began to worship idols. Soon she went lusting again, this time seeking the favours of Egypt, hoping for Egyptian aid to fight against Babylon (17-21).Therefore, Judahs former lover, Babylon, with the assistance of other peoples from the Babylonian region, will return and attack her (22-24). Relevant topics might include general exegetical issues, ancient languages and translation, the study of the historical Jesus, textual criticism, reception history of early Jewish/Christian literature, etc. Moreover this have they done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and they have profaned my sabbaths. And so God then speaks of His jealousy that is against them and how the Babylonians will come and they will deal furiously with you and you'll fall by the sword and the residue that remains will be devoured by the fire. NASB 1977 And she lusted after their paramours, whose flesh islikethe flesh of donkeys and whose issue islikethe issue of horses. Then, verse 11, speaks of Aholibah, who despite witnessing what her elder sister did began to play the harlot even more than her. , coloured cloth, from , to colour; here, according to the context, variegated head-bands or turbans. GODS WORD Translation She lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses. Gods chosen nation was saved from Egypt and settled in Canaan, but it soon divided into two, the northern kingdom Israel (capital: Samaria) and the southern kingdom Judah (capital: Jerusalem). yea, declare unto them their abominations; That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them ( Ezekiel 23:36-37 ). Been reading bits and pieces of Ezekiel and although i do know that this book has to do a lot with prophecy that verse doesn't make sense to me. He then prompts Ezekiel to judge both sisters, because they sacrificed their children to smelly idols and that they did so in Gods own house, who also tells the prophet that he will put an end to these sins: prostitution and idolatry, and adds that just men will punish adulterous women.. We have not to look for these sculptures in Jerusalem or Palestine. For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 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. I won't have it." She also doted upon the Assyrians (Ezekiel 23:12; Ezekiel 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. NASB 1995 She lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses. Contemporary English Version She eagerly wanted to go to bed with Egyptian men, who were famous for their sexual powers. Aholibah means her tent is in her. on Exodus 14:7 and 2 Samuel 23:8). For instead of returning to the Lord, Judah turned to the other power of the world, namely, to Egypt; and in the time of Zedekiah renewed its ancient coquetry with that nation (Ezekiel 23:19-21 compared with Ezekiel 23:8). [Note: Keil, 1:327-28.] Anciently harlot meant in our language either the male or female prostitute. (Ezekiel 23:21), to look about for anything, i.e., to search for it; not to miss it, as Hvernick imagines. And he sent a design and all back to the priest in Jerusalem and ordered that an altar be built in Jerusalem like this altar of the false gods in Assyria so that when he returned to Jerusalem the priest had made this altar that was fashioned after the altar of the Assyrian gods. 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. We are the best plug when it comes to prayers bible verse, inspiration about christianity. Learn more about Reddits use of cookies. (2.) God is like a jealous husband and our forsaking of him or idols is as disgraceful and gross as this image portrays. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. The only part really focused on the donkeys and horses genitals is this quote: "Van Dijk-Hemmes comments: The depiction of Oholibahs desire in terms of the size of (animal-like) male members seems not just an example of mere misnaming of female experience, but an actual distortion of it. For, if we stretch out our hand to a strange god, will not God search this out? They pleased themselves with the remembrance of it. Donkeys and horses were proverbial for their strong sexual drive (cf. Ezekiel concludes Gods testimony by claiming that sins of lewdness will fall upon them, and that is when all will know that he is(God) the Lord Almighty. Ezekiel 23:17. Then the sons of Babylon came to her to the bed of love, and defiled her with their whoredom; and when she had defiled herself with them, her soul tore itself away from them. Can some one please care to explain if in the context of prophecy what does it mean or if not what does it mean, either way? And you have walked in the way of your sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. 19 Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. God tells him that the two sisters allowed their virgin breasts to be handled from a very young age, but thateven so, he decided to join them and that both gave him many sons and daughters;however, in verse 5, Ezekiel quickly recounts that Aholah began to be unfaithful to God and became the mistress of the Assyrians. They called it God's remembrance, and provoked him to remember it against them. Ezekiel tells us what God said to him in chapter 23, dealing with the story of two sisters he married, Aholah, the eldest, and Aholibah, the youngest. Throwing them into the fire, their little baby boys. She too made alliances, first with Assyria and later with Babylon (Chaldea) (11-16). The description of these engravings answers perfectly to the sculptures upon the inner walls of the Assyrian palaces in the monuments of Nimrud, Khorsabad, and Kouyunjik (see Layard's Nineveh and its Remains, and Vaux, Nineveh and Persepolis). God had said indeed that he would reckon with them for the golden calf, that idol of Egypt (Exodus 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. And her younger sister is Aholibah. New Heart English Bible She doted on their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. The Babylonians responded to her invitations and came to Judea where they polluted her by entering into treaties with her. Ezekiel 23:19. These are the gods that you worship." , an adjective form , wearing a girdle. (z) "equecubinas eorum", Vatablus, so Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "concubitores", Munster, Tigurine version; "cinaedos", Castalio; and, as Ben Melech observes, these were men, and not women. 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 (Ezekiel 23:20; Ezekiel 23:20) and she must contract an intimacy with them. Hi Jake and God's blessings to you! I. Jerusalem, that had been a faithful city, became a harlot,Isaiah 1:21. They were destroying their own children in the fires to the god Molech and to the god Baal. HSB and lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions. fleshthe membrum virile (very large in the ass). You must log in or register to reply here. Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses See on Ezekiel 16:25. 20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. God tells Ezekiel that he got tired of her as before he had tired of his sister, andthat is when the controversial passage appears where it appears that Aholibah fell in love with these handsome men with donkey penisesand horse semen. And he installed calf worship; later on Baal worship and Molech. ESV and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. This was observed before (Ezekiel 16:51; Ezekiel 16:51), Neither has Samaria committed half of thy sins. 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. Others may have preceded this, concerning which the books of Kings and Chronicles are just as silent as they are concerning that of Zedekiah. BSB and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions. The true meaning is perfection; and when used of the clothing, it signifies perfect beauty. Thus was she polluted with her whoredoms (Ezekiel 23:17; Ezekiel 23:17), and thereby she discovered her own whoredom (Ezekiel 23:18; Ezekiel 23:18), her own strong inclination to idolatry. The one's name is Aholah; she is the older one. Ezekiel 23:20. Such an embassy, for example, was sent to Babylon by Zedekiah (Jeremiah 29:3); and there is no doubt that in v. 16b Ezekiel has this in his mind. The prophet Hosea, in his time, observed that the two tribes retained their integrity, in a great measure, when the ten tribes had apostatized (Hosea 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: Hosea 4:15, Though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend); but this lasted not long. Ezekiel 23:11. 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. #2 she lusted after her lovers, The Israelites bore some of the responsibility for their enslavement in Egypt and appropriated that culture a little too readily even while they were slaves. The lewd imagery was chosen for a reason. Youngs Literal Translation And she doteth on their paramours, Whose flesh is the flesh of asses, And the issue of horses their issue. "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." Amp For she lusted after her lovers [there], whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses. And in the interpreting of this little parable of these two sisters who were prostitutes, the one sister, the older sister is Samaria, the Northern Kingdom which first went into idolatry. NIV There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. Douay-Rheims Bible And she was mad with lust after lying with them whose flesh is as the flesh of asses: and whose issue as the issue of horses. And then they would go to the temple and worship God. 15 million Ukrainian are displaced by Russia's war. The faithful God justly gives a bill of divorce to this now faithless city, that has become a harlot. NKJV For she lusted for her paramours, Whose fleshis likethe flesh of donkeys, And whose issueis likethe issue of horses. 11 And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms. But rather than learning from the idolatry of the north that perpetrated its fall, they started doing the very same things. z "equecubinas eorum", Vatablus, so Junius Tremellius, Polanus "concubitores", Munster, Tigurine version; "cinaedos", Castalio; and, as Ben Melech observes, these were men, and not women. The figurative epithet answers to the licentious character of the Egyptian idolatry. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. 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. In fact, king Ahaz went up to Assyria, and he makes mention of this here, how they went to Assyria. Even, according to those who have decided to believe in this hypothesis of the peculiar history of high sexual content,maintain that these prophecies were eventually fulfilled, due to the enormous number of wars and coups that have occurred in these territories, especially in the ancient time. The Septuagint rendering, , with a beautiful border - more especially a variegated one - merely expresses the sense, but not the actual meaning of . KJV For she doted upon their paramours, whose fleshis asthe flesh of asses, and whose issueis likethe issue of horses. The reference is to the tiarae tinctae (Vulgate), the lofty turbans or caps, as they are to be seen upon the monuments of ancient Nineveh. And her sister Aholibah saw this and she was more corrupt in her inordinate love that she in her whoredoms more than her sister. The Chaldeans themselves came and laid the foundation for an intercourse which led to the pollution of Judah with heathenism, and afterwards filled it with disgust, because it was brought thereby into dependence upon the Chaldeans. The part focused on 23:20 is not available in preview, so here again, I will use screenshots (to avoid bloating this post and to not break the formatting and the Hebrew words), put in the same folder than earlier. NET Bible She lusted after their genitalsas large as those of donkeys, and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions. Ezekiel 23:21. JPS Tanakh 1917 And she doted upon concubinage with them, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. The Lord also became disgusted with her, as He had with her sister. 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. anim. whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses; by "flesh" is meant the "membrum virile", which in asses is very large, and therefore dedicated to Priapus by the Heathens; and vast is the profusion of seed in coitus by horses, to which the flesh and issue of the Egyptian paramours are compared; who were very libidinous, and therefore desirable to insatiable women; all which serves to express the eagerness of the people of the Jews after idolatry. 18 So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. Those who think one God too little will not think a hundred sufficient, but will still be for trying more, as finding all insufficient. You are using an out of date browser. So, this is a chapter of the Torah that seeks to condemn infidelity on the part of women, but is it referring to that? For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh. American Standard Version And she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 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. Of idolatry. #1 There God is specifically referring to Egypt when Israel was enslaved there. Literal Standard Version And she lusts on their lovers, Whose flesh [is] the flesh of donkeys, And the emission of horsestheir emission. are scorta mascula (here (Kimchi) - a drastically sarcastic epithet applied to the sarisim, the eunuchs, or courtiers. 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. The form in Ezekiel 23:20, which the Keri also gives in Ezekiel 23:18, has taken ah as a feminine termination (not the cohortative ah), like in Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 8:1 (vid., Delitzsch, Comm. Nevertheless she persisted in her immoral conduct that she had learned in Egypt. The intercourse between Palestine and Nineveh, which was carried on even in Jonah's time, was quite sufficient to render it possible for the pictures to be seen. 17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. Then, with the feeling of disgust that often follows immorality, Judah turned away from Babylon. Although apparently, this legend does not necessarily speak about unfaithful women with a large sexual appetite provoking the wrath of God, it will always be interesting to remember Ezekiel 23: 20, the peculiar biblical passage that speaks of men with donkey penises. For she doted upon their paramours,. Or "concubines" z; the neighbouring nations and allies of the Egyptians, whose friendship the Jews courted, and whose idols they served: the Septuagint and Arabic versions wrongly read the Chaldeans: whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses; by "flesh" is meant the "membrum virile", which in asses is very large, and therefore dedicated to Priapus by the Heathens; and vast is the profusion of seed in coitus by horses, to which the flesh and issue of the Egyptian paramours are compared; who were very libidinous, and therefore desirable to insatiable women; all which serves to express the eagerness of the people of the Jews after idolatry. Aholibah also fell madly in love with the Assyrians,but he also emphasizes that he went further than his sister, since later he fell in love with the Babylonians of Chaldea and even sent messengers to this land. And he goes on to speak of these two daughters. And when she uncovered her whoredom, and uncovered her nakedness, my soul tore itself away from her, as my soul had torn itself away from her sister.