Read & explore together
Judgment on Both Sisters
In this passage, the Lord tells Ezekiel to announce judgement on Oholah and Oholibah. The language is deliberately severe. It names idolatry, bloodshed and profaning what belongs to God, then declares the judgement that will follow.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
Ezekiel 23:36–49 is a prophetic accusation and judgement speech. The Lord addresses Oholah and Oholibah and lists their abominations, including adultery with idols, bloodshed, defiling the sanctuary and profaning the Sabbaths. The passage then gives their accusation, sentence and the stated purpose of that judgement.
Ezekiel 23:36–49Main takeaway
This prophecy teaches that the Lord openly judges persistent idolatry, bloodshed and profaning what is holy.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A charge of abominationsThe passage begins with the Lord telling Ezekiel to judge Oholah and Oholibah by declaring their abominations.
Explanation
The passage begins with the Lord telling Ezekiel to judge Oholah and Oholibah by declaring their abominations. Those sins are named clearly: adultery, blood on their hands, adultery with idols, and causing sons to pass through the fire. The passage itself connects unfaithfulness to both idolatry and deadly wrongdoing.
02Profaning what belongs to GodThe accusation continues by saying they defiled the Lord’s sanctuary and profaned his Sabbaths.
Explanation
The accusation continues by saying they defiled the Lord’s sanctuary and profaned his Sabbaths. Verse 39 sharpens the offence: after slaying their children to idols, they came into the sanctuary on the same day. The problem is not only private sin but bringing defilement into the Lord’s house and treating holy things with contempt.
03A picture of shameless unfaithfulnessVerses 40–44 use sexual imagery to portray spiritual unfaithfulness. The prophecy pictures the sisters as sending for men from far away, adorning themselves, and even setting the Lord’s incense and oil before them.
Explanation
Verses 40–44 use sexual imagery to portray spiritual unfaithfulness. The prophecy pictures the sisters as sending for men from far away, adorning themselves, and even setting the Lord’s incense and oil before them. This imagery presents a deliberate misuse of what belongs to God and shows their conduct as persistent, public and disgraceful.
04Judgement and its purposeThe final verses announce judgement. Righteous men will judge them as adulteresses and women who shed blood.
Explanation
The final verses announce judgement. Righteous men will judge them as adulteresses and women who shed blood. A mob will come, houses will be burned, and their lewdness will be made to cease from the land. The closing purpose is clear: they will bear their idol sins and know that he is the Lord Yahweh.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Which sins are named at the start of the judgement, and how are they linked together?
Look closely at the repeated words in verses 36–39, especially adultery, idols, blood, sanctuary and Sabbaths.
02What details show that the sisters misused things that belonged to the Lord?
Notice the references to the sanctuary, Sabbaths, incense and oil, and ask how the passage presents these as holy things being profaned.
03According to the last two verses, what result is the judgement meant to produce?
Read for the stated outcomes in the land and in the knowledge of the people, rather than adding outcomes from elsewhere.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ezekiel 23:36–49
36Yahweh said moreover to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.
37For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have also caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass through the fire to them to be devoured.
38Moreover this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
39For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and behold, they have done this in the middle of my house.
40“Furthermore you sisters have sent for men who come from far away, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came; for whom you washed yourself, painted your eyes, decorated yourself with ornaments,
41and sat on a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon you set my incense and my oil.
42“The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her. With men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on their hands, and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43Then I said of her who was old in adulteries, ‘Now they will play the prostitute with her, and she with them.’
44They went in to her, as they go in to a prostitute. So they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women.
45Righteous men will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
46“For the Lord Yahweh says: ‘I will bring up a mob against them, and will give them to be tossed back and forth and robbed.
47The company will stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords. They will kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
48“ ‘Thus I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to be lewd like you.
49They will recompense your lewdness on you, and you will bear the sins of your idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.’ ”