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.

EZEKIEL 23:11KJV
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Ezekiel 23:11 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 23:11 mean?

Ezekiel 23:11 says that Aholibah, after seeing her sister’s actions, became even more corrupt in her desires and unfaithfulness than her sister had been. The verse highlights that Aholibah’s behavior surpassed her sister’s in both intensity and wrongdoing.

In this passage, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem. The two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, are symbolic names for Samaria and Jerusalem. The verse points out that Jerusalem (Aholibah) did not learn from Samaria’s (Oholah’s) mistakes, but instead became even more involved in the same kinds of unfaithfulness, which in this context refers to idolatry and alliances with other nations.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 23:11

  • אֲחֹתָהּ (ʾachotah, "sister"): This word is used twice in the verse to emphasize the close relationship between the two cities, showing that Jerusalem and Samaria are being compared as sisters in their actions.
  • עָלֶיהָ (Aholibah): This is the symbolic name for Jerusalem, used throughout the chapter to make the message more vivid and personal for the audience.
  • שָׁחַת (shachath, "corrupt"): This word carries the sense of moral ruin or destruction, stressing that Aholibah’s behavior was not just wrong but deeply damaging.
  • דֹּדִים (dodim, "love"): This word is often used for passionate or intimate love, but here it is described as "inordinate," pointing to desires that have gone out of bounds, especially in the context of unfaithfulness to God.
  • תַּזְנוּת (taznuth, "whoredoms"): This word is used twice, underlining the repeated and escalating nature of the unfaithfulness being described.

Why Ezekiel 23:11 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jerusalem’s guilt was even greater than Samaria’s, despite having the example of her sister’s downfall to learn from.
  • The verse emphasizes personal responsibility and warns against repeating the mistakes of others, especially when those mistakes are clearly visible.
  • By using strong language and vivid imagery, the verse connects the spiritual unfaithfulness of the people to real-life consequences, setting up the rest of the chapter’s warnings and judgments.

Where else these words appear

“Aholibah” Hebrew H172 · used in 5 verses

  • Ezekiel 23:4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
  • Ezekiel 23:22 Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;
  • Ezekiel 23:36 The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;

“whoredoms” Hebrew H2183 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 38:24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
  • Hosea 1:2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
  • Hosea 4:12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

“whoredoms” Hebrew H8457 · used in 19 verses

  • Ezekiel 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
  • Ezekiel 16:33 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.
  • Ezekiel 23:17 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.

“sister” Hebrew H269 · used in 104 verses

  • Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
  • Leviticus 18:13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest,(for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.