Ezekiel 23:36
in Ezekiel 23Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah said moreover unto me: Son of man, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? then declare unto them their abominations.
KJV
The Lord said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;
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This verse in Ezekiel 23
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah
on Ezekiel 23:36-39
JFB reads verse 39 as the chapter's most severe count, child sacrifice followed on the same day by entering the Lord's sanctuary to worship there. Keil notes the phrase profaned my sabbaths ties the sexual and political figure back to the plain covenant law the book keeps returning to.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 36, 37 onwards) And the Lord said to me, saying: Son of man, do you judge Oholah and Oholibah and announce to them their crimes (or iniquities): for they are adulteresses (or have committed adultery), and there is blood on their hands, and they have committed adultery with their idols (or inventions): moreover, they have offered to devour (or have led) their sons whom they have borne to me through fire. But they have also done this to me, they have defiled my sanctuary on that day: and they have profaned my Sabbaths.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Smite the scorner and the simple will beware. The judgments of God upon some are designed to teach others, and happy are those who receive instruction from them not to tread in the steps of sinners, lest they be taken in their snares; those who would be taught this must know God is the Lord (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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. xx. The matter is rather worse than better since the union." I. Let them be made to see the sins they are guilty of: Declare unto them openly and boldly their abominations.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
The Lord said moreover unto me, son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah?....
Thus God will assert the honour of his broken law and injured government, and let the world know what a just and jealous God he is. (2.) Thus they shall be broken off from their sins: I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land,
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֕ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| הֲתִשְׁפּ֥וֹט | hatishpot | ¿ will you judge | H8199 → | 202 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָהֳלָ֖ה | ʾoholah | Oholah | H170 → | 5 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָהֳלִיבָ֑ה | ʾoholivah | Oholibah | H172 → | 6 times |
| וְהַגֵּ֣ד | vehaged | and declare | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לָהֶ֔ן | lahen | to them | ||
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽן׃ | toavoteihen | abominations their | H8441 → | 117 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֵלַ֔יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
בֶּן־O son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֕םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
הֲתִשְׁפּ֥וֹט¿ will you judge
hatishpotH8199 →202 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָהֳלָ֖הOholah
ʾoholahH170 →5 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אָהֳלִיבָ֑הOholibah
ʾoholivahH172 →6 times
וְהַגֵּ֣דand declare
vehagedH5046 →370 times
לָהֶ֔ןto them
lahen
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
תוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽן׃abominations their
toavoteihenH8441 →117 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 1:10See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 31:28
Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4–5
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- Isaiah 44:26–28
who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I…
- Jeremiah 31:4–5
Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.
- Ezekiel 36:36
Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed, and I have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do…
- Jeremiah 31:28
Through
Isaiah 58:1“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins.
it leads to
- Acts 7:51–52
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Titus 2:15
Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
- Hosea 8:1
Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
- Acts 7:51–52
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.