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Contemporary English Version

Ezekiel 23:4

The older one was named Oholah, which stands for Samaria; the younger one was Oholibah, which stands for Jerusalem. They became my wives and gave birth to my children.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aholah;   Aholibah;   Idolatry;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Aholah and Aholibah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Marriage;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Repentance;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Aholah;   Aholibah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Oholah;   Oholibah;   Samaria, Samaritans;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Oholah and Oholibah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Aholah ;   Aholibah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Aholah;   Aholibah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Nebuchadnez'zar,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Sister;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Aholibah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Grace;   Oholah;   Samaria, City of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Aholah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Shomron Ḳol Titten;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The older one was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
Hebrew Names Version
The names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholivah her sister: and they became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Shomron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim Oholivah.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible
"Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
New Century Version
The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became my wives and had sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
Amplified Bible
"Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister, and they became Mine and they gave birth to sons and daughters. And as for [the identity of] their names, Oholah is Samaria (capital city of Israel) and Oholibah is Jerusalem (capital city of Judah).
World English Bible
The names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister: and they became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the names of them were Aholah the elder, & Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sonnes and daughters: thus were their names. Samaria is Aholah, and Ierusalem Aholibah.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
Legacy Standard Bible
Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
Berean Standard Bible
The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
Complete Jewish Bible
Their names were Oholah, the older one, and Oholivah, her sister. They belonged to me, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Shomron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim is Oholivah.
Darby Translation
And their names were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister; and they were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names: Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
Easy-to-Read Version
The older daughter was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became my wives, and we had children. I am using the name Oholah to mean Samaria and the name Oholibah to mean Jerusalem.
George Lamsa Translation
And the name of the elder was Ahlah, and the name of the younger was Ahlibah; and they were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. Thus were their names: Samaria is Ahlah and Jerusalem is Ahlibah.
Good News Translation
The older one was named Oholah (she represents Samaria), and the younger one was named Oholibah (she represents Jerusalem). I married both of them, and they bore me children.
Lexham English Bible
Now as for their names, the older was Oholah, and Oholibah was her sister. And they became mine, and they bore sons and daughters, and their names are Samaria for Oholah, and Jerusalem for Oholibah.
Literal Translation
And their names were Oholah, the oldest, and Oholibah, her sister. And they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And their names: Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The eldest of them was called Oola, and hir yongest sister Ooliba. These two were myne, and bare sonnes and doughters. Their names were, Samaria, and that was Oola: and Ierusalem, that was Ooliba.
American Standard Version
And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister: and they became mine, and they bare sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
Bible in Basic English
Their names were Oholah, the older, and Oholibah, her sister: and they became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem, Oholibah.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister; and they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
King James Version (1611)
And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, & they bare sonnes and daughters: thus were their names: Samaria is Aholah, and Ierusalem Aholibah.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The names of them [were] Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister, and they were mine, and they bare sonnes and daughters: thus [were] their names, Samaria is Aholah, and Hierusalem Aholibah.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And their names were Oola the elder, and Ooliba her sister: and they were mine, and bore sons and daughters: and as for their names, Samaria was Oola, and Jerusalem was Ooliba.
English Revised Version
And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister: and they became mine, and they bare sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the names of hem ben, Oolla, the more sistir, and Ooliba the lesse sistir of hir. And Y hadde hem, and thei childiden sones and douytris; certis the names of hem ben Samarie Oolla, and Jerusalem Ooliba.
Update Bible Version
And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister: and they became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah the name of her younger sister. They became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
New King James Version
Their names: Oholah [fn] the elder and Oholibah [fn] her sister;They were Mine,And they bore sons and daughters.As for their names,Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
New Living Translation
The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
New Life Bible
The name of the older sister was Oholah, and her younger sister was Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
New Revised Standard
Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And their names were Oholah the elder And Oholibah - her sister, And they became mine and hare sons and daughters,- And as for their names, Samaria was Oholah, And Jerusalem, was Oholibah.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And their names were Oolla the elder, and Ooliba her younger sister: and I took them, and they bore sons and daughters. Now for their names, Samaria is Oolla, and Jerusalem is Ooliba.
Revised Standard Version
Oho'lah was the name of the elder and Ohol'ibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oho'lah is Sama'ria, and Ohol'ibah is Jerusalem.
Young's Literal Translation
And their names [are] Aholah the elder, And Aholibah her sister, And they are Mine, and bear sons and daughters. As to their names -- Samaria [is] Aholah, And Jerusalem [is] Aholibah.

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord said: 2 Ezekiel, son of man, listen to this story about two sisters. 3 While they were young and living in Egypt, they became prostitutes. 4 The older one was named Oholah, which stands for Samaria; the younger one was Oholibah, which stands for Jerusalem. They became my wives and gave birth to my children. 5 Even though Oholah was my wife, she continued to be a prostitute and chased after Assyrian lovers. 6 She offered herself to soldiers in purple uniforms, to every handsome, high-ranking officer, and to cavalry troops. 7 She had sex with all the important Assyrian officials and even worshiped their disgusting idols. 8 Once she started doing these things in Egypt, she never stopped. Men slept with her, and she was always ready for sex. 9 So I gave Oholah to the Assyrian lovers she wanted so badly. 10 They ripped off her clothes, then captured her children and killed her. Women everywhere talked about what had happened to Oholah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

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: Ezekiel 16:40, 1 Kings 12:20

they were: Ezekiel 16:8, Ezekiel 16:20, Exodus 19:5, Exodus 19:6, Psalms 45:11-16, Jeremiah 2:2, Jeremiah 2:3, Romans 7:4

Aholah: that is, His tent, or tabernacle, 1 Kings 12:26-33, John 4:22

Aholibah: that is, My tabernacle in her, 1 Kings 8:29, Psalms 76:2, Psalms 132:13, Psalms 132:14

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 17:19 - Also Judah Nehemiah 9:26 - they were Jeremiah 3:1 - but thou hast Jeremiah 31:32 - although I was Ezekiel 16:46 - elder Ezekiel 23:11 - her sister Ezekiel 23:36 - Aholah Ezekiel 23:37 - have also Hosea 2:7 - first Hosea 4:15 - play Hosea 7:1 - wickedness Hosea 7:8 - he hath Hosea 7:11 - they call

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
You will have to sweat to earn a living; you were made out of soil, and you will once again turn into soil."
Genesis 17:8
I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.
Genesis 23:12
Once again, Abraham bowed down
Genesis 23:13
and said to Ephron, "In front of these witnesses, I offer you the full price, so I can bury my wife. Please accept my offer."
Genesis 23:16
Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid him the four hundred pieces of silver in front of everyone at the city gate. That's how Abraham got Ephron's property east of Hebron, which included the field with all of its trees, as well as Machpelah Cave at the end of the field.
Genesis 47:9
Jacob answered, "I have lived only a hundred thirty years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine."
Genesis 50:13
They took him to Canaan and buried him in Machpelah Cave, the burial place Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite.
Leviticus 25:23
No land may be permanently bought or sold. It all belongs to me—it isn't your land, and you only live there for a little while.
1 Chronicles 29:15
We are only foreigners living here on earth for a while, just as our ancestors were. And we will soon be gone, like a shadow that suddenly disappears.
Job 30:23
Soon he will send me home to the world of the dead, where we all must go.

Gill's Notes on the 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, Psalms 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, Genesis 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, Isaiah 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 הגדולה "major", Junius and Tremellius, Polanus, Starckius. n ותהיינה לי "et habui eos", V. L. Heb.; "facte sunt mihi", Piscator; "[sub] uxores", Grotius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 1 Kings 12:32, while with Judah the Temple of God still remained. The presence of God aggravated Judah’s sins. In the times of the captivity it was customary among the Jews to give their children names connected with the temple or tabernacle.


 
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