39 For when they had slain H7819 their children H1121 to their idols, H1544 then they came H935 the same day H3117 into my sanctuary H4720 to profane H2490 it; and, lo, thus have they done H6213 in the midst H8432 of mine house. H1004
And he built H1129 altars H4196 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 of which the LORD H3068 said, H559 In Jerusalem H3389 will I put H7760 my name. H8034
For both prophet H5030 and priest H3548 are profane; H2610 yea, in my house H1004 have I found H4672 their wickedness, H7451 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
In that ye have brought H935 into my sanctuary strangers, H1121 H5236 uncircumcised H6189 in heart, H3820 and uncircumcised H6189 in flesh, H1320 to be in my sanctuary, H4720 to pollute H2490 it, even my house, H1004 when ye offer H7126 my bread, H3899 the fat H2459 and the blood, H1818 and they have broken H6565 my covenant H1285 because H413 of all your abominations. H8441
Also he built H1129 altars H4196 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 whereof the LORD H3068 had said, H559 In Jerusalem H3389 shall my name H8034 be for ever. H5769 And he built H1129 altars H4196 for all the host H6635 of heaven H8064 in the two H8147 courts H2691 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And he caused H5674 his children H1121 to pass through H5674 the fire H784 in the valley H1516 of the son H1121 of Hinnom: H2011 also he observed times, H6049 and used enchantments, H5172 and used witchcraft, H3784 and dealt H6213 with a familiar spirit, H178 and with wizards: H3049 he wrought H6213 much H7235 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 to provoke him to anger. H3707 And he set H7760 a carved image, H6459 the idol H5566 which he had made, H6213 in the house H1004 of God, H430 of which God H430 had said H559 to David H1732 and to Solomon H8010 his son, H1121 In this house, H1004 and in Jerusalem, H3389 which I have chosen H977 before all the tribes H7626 of Israel, H3478 will I put H7760 my name H8034 for ever: H5865
The shew H1971 of their countenance H6440 doth witness against them; H6030 and they declare H5046 their sin H2403 as Sodom, H5467 they hide H3582 it not. Woe H188 unto their soul! H5315 for they have rewarded H1580 evil H7451 unto themselves.
Behold, ye trust H982 in lying H8267 words, H1697 that cannot profit. H3276 Will ye steal, H1589 murder, H7523 and commit adultery, H5003 and swear H7650 falsely, H8267 and burn incense H6999 unto Baal, H1168 and walk H1980 after H310 other H312 gods H430 whom ye know H3045 not; And come H935 and stand H5975 before H6440 me in this house, H1004 which is called H7121 by my name, H8034 and say, H559 We are delivered H5337 to do H6213 all these abominations? H8441 Is this house, H1004 which is called H7121 by my name, H8034 become a den H4631 of robbers H6530 in your eyes? H5869 Behold, even I have seen H7200 it, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
What hath my beloved H3039 to do in mine house, H1004 seeing she hath wrought H6213 lewdness H4209 with many, H7227 and the holy H6944 flesh H1320 is passed H5674 from thee? when thou doest evil, H7451 then thou rejoicest. H5937
Moreover this they have done H6213 unto me: they have defiled H2930 my sanctuary H4720 in the same day, H3117 and have profaned H2490 my sabbaths. H7676
The heads H7218 thereof judge H8199 for reward, H7810 and the priests H3548 thereof teach H3384 for hire, H4242 and the prophets H5030 thereof divine H7080 for money: H3701 yet will they lean H8172 upon the LORD, H3068 and say, H559 Is not the LORD H3068 among H7130 us? none evil H7451 can come H935 upon us.
Then G3767 led they G71 Jesus G2424 from G575 Caiaphas G2533 unto G1519 the hall of judgment: G4232 and G1161 it was G2258 early; G4405 and G2532 they themselves G846 went G1525 not G3756 into G1519 the judgment hall, G4232 lest G3363 they should be defiled; G3392 but G235 that G2443 they might eat G5315 the passover. G3957
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 23
Commentary on Ezekiel 23 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 23
This long chapter (as before ch. 16 and 20) is a history of the apostasies of God's people from him and the aggravations of those apostasies under the similitude of corporal whoredom and adultery. Here the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the ten tribes and the two, with their capital cities, Samaria and Jerusalem, are considered distinctly. Here is,
And all that is written for warning against the sins of idolatry, and confidence in an arm of flesh, and sinful leagues and confederacies with wicked people (which are the sins here meant by committing whoredom), is that others may hear and fear, and not sin after the similitude of the transgressions of Israel and Judah.
Eze 23:1-10
God had often spoken to Ezekiel, and by him to the people, to this effect, but now his word comes again; for God speaks the same thing once, yea, twice, yea, many a time, and all little enough, and too little, for man perceives it not. Note, To convince sinners of the evil of sin, and of their misery and danger by reason of it, there is need of line upon line, so loth we are to know the worst of ourselves. The sinners that are here to be exposed are two women, two kingdoms, sister-kingdoms, Israel and Judah, daughters of one mother, having been for a long time but one people. Solomon's kingdom was so large, so populous, that immediately after his death it divided into two. Observe,
Eze 23:11-21
The prophet Hosea, in his time, observed that the two tribes retained their integrity, in a great measure, when the ten tribes had apostatized (Hos. 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: Hos. 4:15, Though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend); but this lasted not long. 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. In the reign of Manasseh, soon after the kingdom of Judah had seen the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, they became more corrupt than Israel had been in their inordinate love of idols, v. 11. Instead of being made better by the warning which that destruction gave them, they were made worse by it, as if they were displeased because the Lord had made that breach upon Israel, and for that reason became disaffected to him and to his service. 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. Note, Those may justly expect God's judgments upon themselves who do not take warning by his judgments upon others, who see in others what is the end of sin and yet continue to make a light matter of it. But it is bad indeed with those who are made worse by that which should make them better, and have their lusts irritated and exasperated by that which was designed to suppress and subdue them. Jerusalem grew worse in her whoredoms than her sister Samaria had been in her whoredoms. This was observed before (ch. 16:51), Neither has Samaria committed half of thy sins.
Eze 23:22-35
Jerusalem stands indicted by the name of Aholibah, for that she, as a false traitor to her sovereign Lord the God of heaven, not having his fear before her eyes, but moved by the instigation of the devil, had revolted from her allegiance to him, had compassed and imagined to shake off his government, had kept up a correspondence had joined in confederacy with his enemies, and the pretenders to a deity, in contempt of his crown and dignity. To this indictment she has pleaded, Not guilty: I am not polluted; I have not gone after Baalim. But it is found against her by the notorious evidence of the fact, and she stands convicted of it, nor has any thing material to offer why judgment should not be given and execution awarded according to law. In these verses, therefore, we have the sentence.
Eze 23:36-49
After the ten tribes were carried into captivity, and that kingdom was made quite desolate, the remains of it by degrees incorporated with the kingdom of Judah, and gained a settlement (many of them) in Jerusalem; so that the two sisters had in effect become one again; and therefore, in these verses, the prophet takes those to task jointly who were thus conjoined: "Wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah together? v. 36. Wilt thou go about to frame an excuse for them? Thou seest the matter is so bad as not to bear an excuse.' Or, rather, "Thou shalt now be employed, in God's name, to judge them, ch. 20:4. The matter is rather worse than better since the union.'