Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
Parallel translations
- WEB She gave herself as a prostitute to them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them. She defiled herself with the idols of whoever she lusted after.
- BSB She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.
- NKJV Thus she committed her harlotry with them, All of them choice men of Assyria; And with all for whom she lusted, With all their idols, she defiled herself.
- NASB She bestowed her obscene practices on them, all of whom were the choicest men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she defiled herself.
- NLT And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols and defiling herself.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Samaria gave herself to Assyria's choicest men and defiled herself with their idols. Her alliances brought idolatry and corruption.
Overview
Beyond political ties, Samaria adopted the idols of those she pursued, defiling herself with their worship. The link between foreign alliance and idolatry is central to the allegory. It illustrates that turning to the world for help often leads to embracing its false gods and values.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Hos 6:10I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
- Hos 5:3I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
- Ezek 20:7Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
- Ezek 22:3–4Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
- Ezek 16:15But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
- Ezek 23:30I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.
- Ps 106:39Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
- Gen 10:22The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
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The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 23:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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