Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 23:4
And the names of them [were] Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. Thus [were] their names; Samaria [is] Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
4. The name Oholah may mean “her tent,” though not so pointed, and Oholibah “my tent in her.” Possibly the words mean “tent” (or, tents) and “tent in her;” and the reference may be to the worship practised on the high places in both kingdoms, cf. Eze 16:16. It is doubtful if the prophet means that Samaria had “her tent,” i.e. a sanctuary or worship of her own devising, while Jerusalem had Jehovah’s tent or true sanctuary in her. Cf. the names Hephzi-bah, Isa 62:4, and Oholibamah (high-place tent), Gen 36:2. It was common in the east to give sisters or brothers names almost the same, as Hasan and Husein (little Hasan), the two sons of ‘Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammed.
they were mine ] became mine, my wives, cf. Eze 16:8; Eze 16:20. It is curious that Jehovah is represented as the husband of two sisters, a thing which the law disallows, Lev 18:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Aholah … and Aholibah – More correctly Oholah (her own tent or tabernacle) and Oholibah (My tent or tabernacle is in her): names chosen to express that after the division Israel set up her own tabernacle in the place of the temple in which God dwelt 1Ki 12:32, while with Judah the Temple of God still remained. The presence of God aggravated Judahs sins. In the times of the captivity it was customary among the Jews to give their children names connected with the temple or tabernacle.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
That we might know them, they are described.
Aholah; which, rendered in English, is, His own tabernacle; for Israel, falling off from the house of David, also fell off from the tabernacle or temple of God, so that all the temple and worship they had amongst them was of their own making.
The elder; greater for number of tribes, being ten of twelve; and greater for power, wealth, and multitudes of people.
Aholibah: this, rendered in English, is, My tabernacle in her: the two tribes had the temple and worship of God with them; Gods own tent was pitched there, and his solemn services.
They were mine, by solemn marriage covenant, Eze 16:18.
They bare sons and daughters; were fruitful, and brought forth children to me, saith God; they increased in numbers of people, and among these, some there were that were children of God by faith, love, and obedience.
Samaria; the chief city of the apostate ten tribes.
Jerusalem; the chief city of the two tribes.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. Aholahthat is, “Hertent” (put for worship, as the first worship of God inIsrael was in a tent or tabernacle), as contrasted withAholibah, that is, “My tent in her.” The Beth-elworship of Samaria was of her own devising, not of God’sappointment; the temple-worship of Jerusalem was expressly appointedby Jehovah, who “dwelt” there, “setting up Histabernacle among the people as His” (Exo 25:8;Lev 26:11; Lev 26:12;Jos 22:19; Psa 76:2).
the elderSamaria iscalled “the elder” because she preceded Judah in herapostasy and its punishment.
they were minePreviousto apostasy under Jeroboam, Samaria (Israel, or the ten tribes),equally with Judah, worshipped the true God. God therefore neverrenounced the right over Israel, but sent prophets, as Elijah andElisha, to declare His will to them.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the names of them were Aholah the elder,…. Or, “the greater” m meaning the ten tribes of Israel, which were more in number than Judah, and greater in power and riches; their name, Aholah, signifies “her tent or tabernacle”, which was entirely their own, and not the Lord’s: their worship, and places of worship, were of their own appointing, namely, their calves at Dan and Bethel; God had nothing to do with them, there he did not dwell; his tabernacle was not there, that was at Salem, Ps 76:1:
and Aholibah her sister; which name signifies “my tent or tabernacle is in her”: this is the name of Judah or the two tribes, in which stood the temple of the Lord, where he was worshipped, and where he dwelt: some think these were proper names of two Egyptian harlots; others think there is allusion to the wife of Esau, Ge 36:2:
and they were mine; or, “I had them n”; when they were together; they were originally espoused unto him; he avouched them to be his people, and they avouched him to be their God; he chose them for himself above all other people, and they professed themselves to be his, and promised to serve and worship him; and for a while did continue in his service and worship: and they bare sons and daughters; to the Lord, whom they brought up in the fear of God, and taught them to serve him: the phrase is expressive of their increase, and of their happiness and prosperity, while they adhered to the pure worship of God:
thus were their names; this is the application of them: “Samaria is Aholah”; or Aholah signifies Samaria, which was the metropolis of Ephraim, and belonged to the ten tribes, and is put for the whole, Isa 7:9: “and Jerusalem Aholibah”; or Aholibah designs Jerusalem, the head city of Judah, and stands for the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
m “major”, Junius and Tremellius, Polanus, Starckius. n “et habui eos”, V. L. Heb.; “facte sunt mihi”, Piscator; “[sub] uxores”, Grotius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4) Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.Samaria, as the capital, is put for the northern kingdom, and is called Aholah = her own tabernacle, because she set up her own worship instead of resorting to the Temple; while the southern kingdom, represented by Jerusalem, is called Aholibah = my tabernacle is in her, because she still contained the sanctuary of the Lord. The word elder should be translated greater, as in Eze. 16:46. (See Note there.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Aholah and Aholibah Rather, Oholah and Oholibah. These sisters have symbolic names, meaning “her tent” and “my tent in her”; probably signifying that Samaria dwelt apart, in a sanctuary of her own devising, while Jehovah dwelt with Judah. This special privilege would magnify the guilt of Oholibah’s apostasy. It is possible, however, that the reference may only be to the worship on high places common to both divisions of the kingdom. (Compare chap. xvi, where Jerusalem is represented as a harlot having two sisters, Samaria and Sodom.) For the sake of the allegory Ezekiel pictures both of these sisters as wives of the same husband, though he well knew this was contrary to the law (Lev 18:18).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 23:4. Thus were their names And as to their names.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 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.
Ver. 4. And the names of them were Aholah, ] i.e., Her tent, not mine (so he calleth Samaria, or the ten tribes). What have I to do with it or her Compare 1Ki 12:16 ; 1Ki 12:28 ; 1Ki 12:31 . She is gone to her tent, and hath set her up tabernacles, where to worship her golden idols.
The elder.
And Aholibah.
Samaria is Aholah.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Aholah. Hebrew. ‘ahalah = [She has] her own tent. So named probably because Israel set up her own worship as distinct from Jehovah’s.
elder. Refers not to age, but to extent.
Aholibah. Hebrew. ‘ahalibah = My tent [is] in her.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the names: The kingdom of Israel, of which Samaria was the capital, containing ten tribes, and occupying a larger extent of country than that of Judah, is therefore called “her elder sister;” and Aholah, the name given to her, implies that the whole religious establishment in Israel was a human invention, a temple and service of their own, and not of God’s appointment. Aholibah, the name given to Judah, implies that the worship established there was from God, and that His temple was truly at Jerusalem.
the elder: Eze 16:40, 1Ki 12:20
they were: Eze 16:8, Eze 16:20, Exo 19:5, Exo 19:6, Psa 45:11-16, Jer 2:2, Jer 2:3, Rom 7:4
Aholah: that is, His tent, or tabernacle, 1Ki 12:26-33, Joh 4:22
Aholibah: that is, My tabernacle in her, 1Ki 8:29, Psa 76:2, Psa 132:13, Psa 132:14
Reciprocal: 2Ki 17:19 – Also Judah Neh 9:26 – they were Jer 3:1 – but thou hast Jer 31:32 – although I was Eze 16:46 – elder Eze 23:11 – her sister Eze 23:36 – Aholah Eze 23:37 – have also Hos 2:7 – first Hos 4:15 – play Hos 7:1 – wickedness Hos 7:8 – he hath Hos 7:11 – they call
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 23:4. We are given the names of the two women involved in the unholy case at hand. Samaria and Jerusalem are named because they were the capitals of the two kingdoms. Aholah is called the eider because the 10-tribe kingdom was formed first, it being the one that revolted from the lawful standard in. Jerusalem.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 23:4. The names of them were Aholah and Aholibah The word Aholah signifies, Her tent, or tabernacle: Aholibah denotes, My tent, or tabernacle, is in her. These two different appellations imply that Samaria had indeed a tabernacle, or place for public worship, but of her own devising; namely, the cities of Dan and Bethel, where the golden calves were set up; whereas Gods tabernacle first, and afterward his temple, was placed in Jerusalem. He placed his name there, or chose it for the place of his peculiar residence, 1Ki 8:29. Aholah, or Samaria, is here called the elder sister, as having the greatest dominion, power, wealth, and number of people belonging to her, ten tribes out of twelve being under her jurisdiction. And they were mine By a solemn marriage covenant. And they bare sons and daughters Were fruitful, and brought forth children to me: they increased in number of people, and among these there were some that were my spiritual children by adoption and grace, by faith, love, and obedience.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
23:4 And the names of {c} them [were] Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. Thus [were] their names; Samaria [is] Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
(c) Aholah signifies a mansion or dwelling in herself, meaning Samaria, which was the royal city of Israel and Aholibah signifies my mansion in her, by which is meant Jerusalem, where God’s temple was.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Oholah was the name of the older sister (lit. "her tent," probably a reference to her pagan tent shrines), and she represents Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of Israel. Oholibah was the younger sister (lit. "my tent is in her," probably a reference to the temple), and she represents Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom of Judah. One of Esau’s wives was Oholibamah, meaning "tent of the high place" (Gen 36:2). Oholah and Oholibah became the wife of the Lord and bore Him sons and daughters (i.e., inhabitants and surrounding villages). Evidently the Lord regarded Samaria as the older sister because the Northern Kingdom was the first to apostatize and to establish political alliances with foreign nations, particularly the Assyrians (Hos 8:9).
While this allegory suggests that Yahweh committed bigamy and incest, He obviously did nothing in relation to Israel that was in any way improper. This is an excellent example of why we should not apply what the parable excludes; there is no reference to the sisters’ father in the parable. The story makes certain comparisons, but if we try to apply all the implications of the story we end up with some incongruities.
"Though the law prohibited a man from marrying sisters (Lev 18:18), such marriages are not unknown in the Bible (cf. Jacob). The Lord here uses a contextually conditioned metaphor for illustrative purposes. The use of such an illustration does not mean that the Lord condoned bigamy." [Note: Chisholm, Handbook on . . ., p. 263. See also Allen, Ezekiel 20-48, p. 48.]