Ezekiel 23:4

23:4 Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah 1  the name of her younger sister. They became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. 2  Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 23:7

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 3  – with all their idols.

Ezekiel 23:37

23:37 For they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and their sons, whom they bore to me, 4  they have passed through the fire as food to their idols. 5 

1 tn The names Oholah and Oholibah are both derived from the word meaning “tent.” The meaning of Oholah is “her tent,” while Oholibah means “my tent is in her.”

2 sn In this allegory the Lord is depicted as being the husband of two wives. The OT law prohibited a man from marrying sisters (Lev 18:18), but the practice is attested in the OT (cf. Jacob). The metaphor is utilized here for illustrative purposes and does not mean that the Lord condoned such a practice or bigamy in general.

3 tn Heb “lusted after.”

4 sn The Lord speaks here in the role of the husband of the sisters.

5 tn Heb “they have passed to them for food.” The verb is commonly taken to refer to passing children through fire, especially as an offering to the pagan god Molech. See Jer 32:35.