Page 118 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

CHAPTER XXIII.
T h e prophet still continues the exposure of Israel’s
sin, especially of Jerusalem’s. The holy city is here
compared with Samaria, as two sisters of a common
parent—the Jewish people; sisters too in their idola­
trous iniquity. The evil is traced up to its earliest
exhibition. The idols which beguiled them in Egypt
exposed them at last to Assyria and to Babylon. In
Egypt they manifested their lewdness, and their old
age was according to the sins of their youth. Their
symbolic names are here given as Aholah the elder, and
Aholibah, her sister; the former meaning “ her own
tent,” the latter, “ my tent is in her.” The reader will
not fail to observe the striking appropriateness of these
symbolic names. The worship of Samaria was of self-
will, at best an imitation, but really independence of
Jehovah. But in Jerusalem the divine service was
ordered of Jehovah as His own appointment; never­
theless not one only but both were His. “ They were
mine, and they begat sons and daughters.” Jeroboam’s
usurpation did not destroy the title of Jehovah but
rather drew out the special ministry of Elijah and Elisha
as well as of others in God's grace, if peradventure
they might be warned. The elder Aholah, or Samaria,
speedily shewed the old evil unremoved. (Vers. 5, 8.)
The worship of the calves led to worse and brought
finally judgment, through those who last of all allured
her from Jehovah, and the Assyrian executed judgment
on Samaria. (Yers. 0, 10.)
Was Jerusalem admonished ? Did the sight of Aholah