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 23:22KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 23:22 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 23:22 mean?

Ezekiel 23:22 records God declaring that He will bring against Aholibah her former lovers, whom she now despises, surrounding her with these adversaries. The verse is a warning of coming judgment, where those once allied with her will now become her enemies.

In this passage, God is speaking through Ezekiel to Aholibah, a symbolic name for Jerusalem. The context is a prophetic message describing how Jerusalem, after turning away from God and forming alliances with foreign nations (her "lovers"), will face consequences when those same nations turn against her. The verse uses vivid relationship language to highlight betrayal and the reversal of fortunes.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 23:22

  • אהליבה (Aholibah, 'oholibah): This is a symbolic name for Jerusalem, used throughout Ezekiel 23 to represent the city in a parable about unfaithfulness.
  • נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh, "mind"): This word often means "life," "soul," or "inner self." Here, it emphasizes the deep emotional rejection Aholibah feels toward her former allies.
  • נָקוֹן (naqun, "alienated"): This word is about being estranged or turned away, highlighting that the ones Jerusalem once sought after are now repulsive to her, yet they will be the instruments of her judgment.

Why Ezekiel 23:22 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the judgment against Jerusalem will come from the very nations she once trusted and pursued, showing the irony and consequences of misplaced alliances.
  • Understanding the symbolic use of "Aholibah" helps the reader see that this is not about an individual but about the city of Jerusalem and its relationship with surrounding nations.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Ezekiel 23, where both Samaria and Jerusalem are portrayed as unfaithful, and their punishments come through the nations they engaged with, reinforcing the seriousness of turning away from God.

Where else these words appear

“alienated” Hebrew H5361 · used in 3 verses

  • Ezekiel 23:18 So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.
  • Ezekiel 23:28 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated:

“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 23:11 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 23:36 The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;

“up” Hebrew H5782 · used in 65 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
  • Psalms 73:20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
  • Isaiah 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.