1Dostal jsem slovo Hospodinovo: 2„Synu člověčí, byly jednou dvě sestry, dcery jedné matky. 3Žily v Egyptě jako smilnice. Smilnily už od mládí. Nechaly si tam laskat prsa, nechaly si osahávat své dívčí bradavky. 4Starší se jmenovala Ohola a její sestra Oholíba. Potom se vdaly za mne a rodily mi syny a dcery. Ohola představuje Samaří a Oholíba Jeruzalém. 5Ohola mě ale smilně zradila. Roztoužila se po asyrských milencích – po vojevůdcích 6oblečených purpurem, po hejtmanech a velitelích – samých krasavcích, co jezdí na koních. 7Ve svém smilstvu se dala každému z výkvětu asyrských synů. Poskvrnila se s každým, po kom zatoužila, se všemi jejich hnusnými modlami. 8Nepřestala se svým smilstvem, které se naučila v Egyptě, když tam s ní souložili ještě zamlada, když osahávali její dívčí bradavky a vylévali si na ní chtíč. 9Vydal jsem ji proto do rukou jejích milenců, do rukou Asyřanů, po kterých tolik toužila. 10Ti ji vysvlékli donaha, vzali jí syny i dcery a zabili ji mečem. Kvůli té popravě se stala pověstnou mezi všemi ženami. 11Její sestra Oholíba to všechno viděla, ale ve svém chtíči a smilstvu byla ještě horší než její sestra. 12I ona se roztoužila po asyrských hejtmanech a velitelích, po vojevůdcích v plné výstroji – samých krasavcích, co jezdí na koních. 13Viděl jsem, jak se poskvrnila; chovala se stejně jako ta druhá! 14Ve svém smilnění ale zašla ještě dál, když uviděla nástěnné reliéfy mužů, jasně rudé obrazy Chaldejců. 15Byli přepásaní na bedrech, zdobné turbany na hlavě a každý z nich vypadal jako babylonský velitel, rozený Chaldejec. 16Na první pohled se po nich roztoužila a poslala za nimi do chaldejské země vyslance. 17Tehdy k ní Babyloňané vlezli do postele a poskvrnili ji svým chtíčem. Jakmile se však s nimi poskvrnila, hned se jí znechutili. 18Smilnila zjevně, obnažená ve své nahotě, až se mi znechutila tak jako předtím její sestra. 19Smilnila potom čím dál víc. Při vzpomínce na mládí prosmilněné v Egyptě 20se roztoužila po souložnících s údem, jako mají oslové, a s výstřikem jako koně. 21Stýskalo se ti po zvrhlostech tvého mládí, kdy ti Egypťané osahávali bradavky a tvá mladá prsa laskali! 22Proto, Oholíbo, tak praví Panovník Hospodin: Já proti tobě popudím ty tvé milence, kteří se ti znechutili, a přivedu je proti tobě z celého okolí: 23Babyloňany z celé Chaldeje, Pekodu, Šoy a Koy a s nimi všechny krasavce z Asýrie – samé hejtmany a velitele, samé slavné válečníky, co jezdí na koních. 24Přitáhnou na tebe v plné zbroji, s jízdou a vozy a s vojsky spojenců. Až tě obklíčí svými pavézami, štíty a přilbami, svěřím jim rozsudek, aby tě ztrestali podle svých zvyklostí. 25Až na tebe dopadne můj žárlivý hněv, zachovají se k tobě zběsile: Uřežou ti nos a uši a tvé potomky pobijí meči. Vezmou tvé syny i dcery a spálí tvé potomky v ohni. 26Strhají z tebe šaty a seberou ti šperky. 27Tak skoncuji s tvou zvrhlostí a smilstvem, které ses naučila v Egyptě. Tehdy už po nich přestaneš pošilhávat; na Egypt ti nezůstane ani vzpomínka. 28Tak praví Panovník Hospodin: Hle – vydávám tě do rukou těch, které nenávidíš, do rukou těch, kdo se ti znechutili! 29Vrhnou se na tebe s nenávistí, aby tě obrali o všechen zisk. Nechají tě svlečenou donaha, aby se ukázala nahota tvého smilstva. Tvá vlastní zvrhlost a sprostota 30ti to způsobila, protože jsi chodila smilnit s pohany a poskvrňovala ses jejich hnusnými modlami. 31Dávám ti do rukou kalich tvé sestry, protože ses chovala stejně jako ona. 32Tak praví Panovník Hospodin: Kalich své sestry budeš pít, hluboký a široký. Je plný výsměchu a opovržení, plný až k okraji. 33Opiješ se až k zoufalství kalichem hrůzy a zděšení, kalichem své sestry Samaří. 34Až ho až do dna vyprázdníš, budeš hryzat jeho střepy s prsy rozdrásanými. Ano, tak jsem promluvil, praví Panovník Hospodin. 35Nuže, toto praví Panovník Hospodin: Protože jsi na mě zapomněla a hodila jsi mě za hlavu, poneseš následky své zvrhlosti a svého smilnění.“ 36„Synu člověčí,“ řekl mi Hospodin, „obviň Oholu a Oholíbu! Jen jim vyjmenuj jejich ohavnosti. 37Žily jako cizoložnice a ruce mají od krve. Cizoložily se svými hnusnými modlami a krmily je dětmi, které mi porodily. 38Zároveň mi ještě prováděly to, že poskvrňovaly mou svatyni a znesvěcovaly mé soboty. 39Téhož dne, kdy obětovaly své děti modlám, vcházely do mé svatyně, aby ji znesvětily. Takové věci prováděly přímo v mém domě! 40Navíc k sobě zvaly mužské zdaleka, a hle, přicházeli, jakmile si pro ně poslaly. Kvůli nim ses koupala, oči si líčila, šperky se zdobila, 41na skvělém loži ses usadila za prostřený stůl, na který jsi nakladla můj olej a má kadidla. 42Bývala tam spousta lidí, hluk a zábava. K té nejrůznější holotě přiváděli ještě ožralce z pouště, kteří těm ženám navlékali náramky a skvostné čelenky. 43Tenkrát jsem si o té staré běhně pomyslel: To s ní budou souložit ještě teď? 44Souložili s ní jako s courou. Tak souložili s těmi zvrhlicemi Oholou a Oholíbou. 45Spravedliví soudci je ale odsoudí jako cizoložnice a vražedkyně. Vždyť jsou to cizoložnice a ruce mají od krve! 46Nuže, tak praví Panovník Hospodin: Ať se proti nim sejdou davy! Ať propadnou děsu a plenění! 47Ty davy je ukamenují a rozsekají meči, jejich syny a dcery povraždí a jejich domy vypálí. 48Tak skoncuji se zvrhlostí v té zemi. Všechny ostatní ženy se tím poučí, aby nebyly zvrhlé jako vy. 49Za vaši zvrhlost vás potrestají; ponesete trest za své hříšné modlářství. Tehdy poznáte, že já jsem Panovník Hospodin.“
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 ISRAEL'S AND JUDAH'S SIN AND PUNISHMENT ARE PARABOLICALLY PORTRAYED UNDER THE NAMES AHOLAH AND AHOLIBAH. (Eze. 23:1-49)
two . . . of one mother--Israel and Judah, one nation by birth from the same ancestress, Sarah.
3 Even so early in their history as their Egyptian sojourn, they committed idolatries (see on
Ezek 20:6-
Ezek 20:8;
Josh 24:14).
in their youth--an aggravation of their sin. It was at the very time of their receiving extraordinary favors from God (
Ezek 16:6,
Ezek 16:22).
they bruised--namely, the Egyptians.
4 Aholah--that is, "Her tent" (put for worship, as the first worship of God in Israel was in a tent or tabernacle), as contrasted with Aholibah, that is, "My tent in her." The Beth-el worship of Samaria was of her own devising, not of God's appointment; the temple-worship of Jerusalem was expressly appointed by Jehovah, who "dwelt" there, "setting up His tabernacle among the people as His" (
Exod 25:8;
Lev 26:11-
Lev 26:12;
Josh 22:19;
Ps 76:2).
the elder--Samaria is called "the elder" because she preceded Judah in her apostasy and its punishment.
they were mine--Previous to apostasy under Jeroboam, Samaria (Israel, or the ten tribes), equally with Judah, worshipped the true God. God therefore never renounced the right over Israel, but sent prophets, as Elijah and Elisha, to declare His will to them.
5 when . . . mine--literally, "under Me," that is, subject to Me as her lawful husband.
neighbours--On the northeast the kingdom of Israel bordered on that of Assyria; for the latter had occupied much of Syria. Their neighborhood in locality was emblematical of their being near in corruption of morals and worship. The alliances of Israel with Assyria, which are the chief subject of reprobation here, tended to this (
2Kgs 15:19;
2Kgs 16:7,
2Kgs 16:9;
2Kgs 17:3;
Hos 8:9).
6 blue--rather, "purple" [FAIRBAIRN]. As a lustful woman's passions are fired by showy dress and youthful appearance in men, so Israel was seduced by the pomp and power of Assyria (compare
Isa 10:8).
horsemen--cavaliers.
7 all their idols--There was nothing that she refused to her lovers.
8 whoredoms brought from Egypt--the calves set up in Dan and Beth-el by Jeroboam, answering to the Egyptian bull-formed idol Apis. Her alliances with Egypt politically are also meant (
Isa 30:2-
Isa 30:3;
Isa 31:1). The ten tribes probably resumed the Egyptian rites, in order to enlist the Egyptians against Judah (
2Chr 12:2-4).
9 God, in righteous retribution, turned their objects of trust into the instruments of their punishment: Pul, Tiglath-pileser, Esar-haddon, and Shalmaneser (
2Kgs 15:19,
2Kgs 15:29;
2Kgs 17:3,
2Kgs 17:6,
2Kgs 17:24;
Ezra 4:2,
Ezra 4:10). "It was their sin to have sought after such lovers, and it was to be their punishment that these lovers should become their destroyers" [FAIRBAIRN].
10 became famous--literally, "she became a name," that is, as notorious by her punishment as she had been by her sins, so as to be quoted as a warning to others.
women--that is, neighboring peoples.
11 Judah, the southern kingdom, though having the "warning" (see on
Ezek 23:10) of the northern kingdom before her eyes, instead of profiting by it, went to even greater lengths in corruption than Israel. Her greater spiritual privileges made her guilt the greater (
Ezek 16:47,
Ezek 16:51;
Jer 3:11).
12 (
Ezek 23:6,
Ezek 23:23).
most gorgeously--literally, "to perfection." GROTIUS translates, "wearing a crown," or "chaplet," such as lovers wore in visiting their mistresses.
13 one way--both alike forsaking God for heathen confidences.
14 vermilion--the peculiar color of the Chaldeans, as purple was of the Assyrians. In striking agreement with this verse is the fact that the Assyrian sculptures lately discovered have painted and colored bas-reliefs in red, blue, and black. The Jews (for instance Jehoiakim,
Jer 22:14) copied these (compare
Ezek 8:10).
15 exceeding in dyed attire--rather, "in ample dyed turbans"; literally, "redundant with dyed turbans." The Assyrians delighted in ample, flowing, and richly colored tunics, scarfs, girdles, and head-dresses or turbans, varying in ornaments according to the rank.
Chaldea, . . . land of their nativity--between the Black and Caspian Seas (see on
Isa 23:13).
princes--literally, a first-rate military class that fought by threes in the chariots, one guiding the horses, the other two fighting.
16 sent messengers . . . into Chaldea-- (
Ezek 16:29). It was she that solicited the Chaldeans, not they her. Probably the occasion was when Judah sought to strengthen herself by a Chaldean alliance against a menaced attack by Egypt (compare
2Kgs 23:29-35;
2Kgs 24:1-7). God made the object of their sinful desire the instrument of their punishment. Jehoiakim, probably by a stipulation of tribute, enlisted Nebuchadnezzar against Pharaoh, whose tributary he previously had been; failing to keep his stipulation, he brought on himself Nebuchadnezzar's vengeance.
17 alienated from them--namely, from the Chaldeans: turning again to the Egyptians (
Ezek 23:19), trying by their help to throw off her solemn engagements to Babylon (compare
Jer 37:5,
Jer 37:7;
2Kgs 24:7).
18 my mind was alienated from her--literally, "was broken off from her." Just retribution for "her mind being alienated (broken off) from the Chaldeans" (
Ezek 23:17), to whom she had sworn fealty (
Ezek 17:12-
Ezek 17:19). "Discovered" implies the open shamelessness of her apostasy.
19 Israel first "called" her lusts, practised when in Egypt, "to her (fond) remembrance," and then actually returned to them. Mark the danger of suffering the memory to dwell on the pleasure felt in past sins.
20 their paramours--that is, her paramours among them (the Egyptians); she doted upon their persons as her paramours (
Ezek 23:5,
Ezek 23:12,
Ezek 23:16).
flesh--the membrum virile (very large in the ass). Compare
Lev 15:2, Margin;
Ezek 16:26.
issue of horses--the seminal issue. The horse was made by the Egyptians the hieroglyphic for a lustful person.
21 calledst to remembrance--"didst repeat" [MAURER].
in bruising--in suffering . . . to be bruised.
22 lovers . . . alienated-- (
Ezek 23:17). Illicit love, soon or late, ends in open hatred (
2Sam 13:15). The Babylonians, the objects formerly of their God-forgetting love, but now, with characteristic fickleness, objects of their hatred, shall be made by God the instruments of their punishment.
23 Pekod, &c.-- (
Jer 50:21). Not a geographical name, but descriptive of Babylon. "Visitation," peculiarly the land of "judgment"; in a double sense: actively, the inflicter of judgment on Judah; passively, as about to be afterwards herself the object of judgment.
Shoa . . . Koa--"rich . . . noble"; descriptive of Babylon in her prosperity, having all the world's wealth and dignity at her disposal. MAURER suggests that, as descriptive appellatives are subjoined to the proper name, "all the Assyrians" in the second hemistich of the verse (as the verse ought to be divided at "Koa"), so Pekod, Shoa, and Koa must be appellatives descriptive of "The Babylonians and . . . Chaldeans" in the first hemistich; "Pekod" meaning "prefects"; Shoa . . . Koa, "rich . . . princely."
desirable young men--strong irony. Alluding to
Ezek 23:12, these "desirable young men" whom thou didst so "dote upon" for their manly vigor of appearance, shall by that very vigor be the better able to chastise thee.
24 with chariots--or, "with armaments"; so the Septuagint; "axes" [MAURER]; or, joining it with "wagons," translate, "with scythe-armed wagons," or "chariots" [GROTIUS].
weels--The unusual height of these increased their formidable appearance (
Ezek 1:16-
Ezek 1:20).
their judgments--which awarded barbarously severe punishments (
Jer 52:9;
Jer 29:22).
25 take away thy nose . . . ears--Adulteresses were punished so among the Egyptians and Chaldeans. Oriental beauties wore ornaments in the ear and nose. How just the retribution, that the features most bejewelled should be mutilated! So, allegorically as to Judah, the spiritual adulteress.
26 strip . . . of . . . clothes--whereby she attracted her paramours (
Ezek 16:39).
27 Thus . . . make . . . lewdness to cease--The captivity has made the Jews ever since abhor idolatry, not only on their return from Babylon, but for the last nineteen centuries of their dispersion, as foretold (
Hos 3:4).
28 (
Ezek 23:17-
Ezek 23:18;
Ezek 16:37).
29 take away . . . thy labour--that is, the fruits of thy labor.
leave thee naked--as captive females are treated.
31 her cup--of punishment (
Ps 11:6;
Ps 75:8;
Jer 25:15, &c.). Thy guilt and that of Israel being alike, your punishment shall be alike.
34 break . . . sherds--So greedily shalt thou suck out every drop like one drinking to madness (the effect invariably ascribed to drinking God's cup of wrath,
Jer 51:7;
Hab 2:16) that thou shalt crunch the very shreds of it; that is, there shall be no evil left which thou shalt not taste.
pluck off thine own breasts--enraged against them as the ministers to thine adultery.
35 forgotten me-- (
Jer 2:32;
Jer 13:25).
cast me behind thy back-- (
1Kgs 14:9;
Neh 9:26).
bear . . . thy lewdness--that is, its penal consequences (
Pro 1:31).
36 A summing up of the sins of the two sisters, especially those of Judah.
wilt thou judge--Wilt thou (not) judge (see on
Ezek 20:4)?
38 the same day--On the very day that they had burned their children to Molech in the valley of Gehenna, they shamelessly and hypocritically presented themselves as worshippers in Jehovah's temple (
Jer 7:9-
Jer 7:10).
40 messenger was sent--namely, by Judah (
Ezek 23:16;
Isa 57:9).
paintedst . . . eyes-- (
2Kgs 9:30, Margin;
Jer 4:30). Black paint was spread on the eyelids of beauties to make the white of the eye more attractive by the contrast, so Judah left no seductive art untried.
41 bed--divan. While men reclined at table, women sat, as it seemed indelicate for them to lie down (
Amos 6:4) [GROTIUS].
table--that is, the idolatrous altar.
mine incense--which I had given thee, and which thou oughtest to have offered to Me (
Ezek 16:18-
Ezek 16:19;
Hos 2:8; compare
Pro 7:17).
42 Sabeans--Not content with the princely, handsome Assyrians, the sisters brought to themselves the rude robber hordes of Sabeans (
Job 1:15). The Keri, or Margin, reads "drunkards."
upon their hands--upon the hands of the sisters, that is, they allured Samaria and Judah to worship their gods.
43 Will they, &c.--Is it possible that paramours will desire any longer to commit whoredoms with so worn-out an old adulteress?
45 the righteous men--the Chaldeans; the executioners of God's righteous vengeance (
Ezek 16:38), not that they were "righteous" in themselves (
Hab 1:3,
Hab 1:12-
Hab 1:13).
46 a company--properly, "a council of judges" passing sentence on a criminal [GROTIUS]. The "removal" and "spoiling" by the Chaldean army is the execution of the judicial sentence of God.
47 stones--the legal penalty of the adulteress (
Ezek 16:40-
Ezek 16:41;
John 8:5). Answering to the stones hurled by the Babylonians from engines in besieging Jerusalem.
houses . . . fire--fulfilled (
2Chr 36:17,
2Chr 36:19).
48 (
Ezek 23:27).
that all . . . may be taught not to do, &c.-- (
Deut 13:11).
49 bear the sins of your idols--that is, the punishment of your idolatry.
know that I am the Lord God--that is, know it to your cost . . . by bitter suffering.