Yehezkiel 23:5-9

23:5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was mine. ¹  She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians ²  – warriors ³  23:6 clothed in blue, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 23:7 She bestowed her sexual favors on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired ⁴  – with all their idols. 23:8 She did not abandon the prostitution she had practiced in Egypt; for in her youth men had sex with her, fondled her virgin breasts, and ravished her. ⁵  23:9 Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians ⁶  for whom she lusted.

[23:5]  ¹ tn Heb “while she was under me.” The expression indicates that Oholah is viewed as the Lord’s wife. See Num 5:19-20, 29.

[23:5]  sn Played the harlot refers to alliances with pagan nations in this context. In Ezek 16 harlotry described the sin of idolatry.

[23:5]  ² tn Heb “Assyria.”

[23:5]  ³ tn The term apparently refers to Assyrian military officers; it is better construed with the description that follows. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:738.

[23:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “lusted after.”

[23:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “and poured out their harlotry on her.”

[23:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the sons of Assyria.”