Ezekiel 23:22 Commentary: Former Lovers as Instruments of Judgment

Ezekiel 23 unfolds an extended allegory of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), who play the prostitute by seeking alliances with foreign nations instead of trusting Yahweh. The 'lovers' are the political powers of the day: Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. Samaria fell to Assyria in 722 BC; Jerusalem, despite witnessing that judgment, repeated the pattern by courting Babylon and then rebelling. In verse 22, God declares that He will 'raise up' those same lovers against Jerusalem.

This language echoes a theme found throughout the prophets: God uses pagan nations to discipline His people. As Isaiah 10:5-6 puts it:

"Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation! I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets."

— Isaiah 10:5-6 (WEB)

The Babylonians were not instruments of blind fate; they were raised up by God, even as they acted out of their own ambition. The phrase 'from whom your soul is alienated' (v.17; repeated in vv.22,28) marks a dramatic reversal: the warm alliance turned cold, and the former ally becomes the attacker. The cultural context includes the ancient Near Eastern practice of forming suzerain-vassal treaties, often sealed with oaths and religious rites. To break such a treaty was not only political treachery but also a breach of sworn loyalty, a fitting image for Israel's covenant unfaithfulness. The Babylonians’ siege, described in the following verses with weapons, chariots, and mutilation, was not a random blow; it was the logical and divinely appointed result of trust displaced from God to human power.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Ezekiel 23:22. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts.

Throughout church history, this verse has been read as a sobering reminder that God uses the powers of this world to discipline His people. Early interpreters like Jerome saw the allegory as a warning against the soul's unfaithfulness through idolatry and worldly attachment. The Reformers, especially Calvin, emphasized God's sovereign control over nations and history, using this passage to argue that even hostile powers serve divine purposes. In more recent times, the verse is often cited in discussions of political theology and the danger of putting ultimate trust in human institutions. The graphic nature of Ezekiel 23 has led some traditions to approach it with caution, focusing on its theological message rather than its explicit imagery. Modern preachers frequently draw from it to challenge congregations about where they place their security.

Three-point outline

1. The things we trust instead of God become the things He uses to correct us. Jerusalem loved Babylon for security; Babylon became the agent of its destruction.
2. Estranged love does not stay neutral, it turns hostile. What we once embraced can become what confronts us, by God's design.
3. God is sovereign even over the wicked. The Babylonians did not act outside His plan; He 'raised them up' against His people.

Five-point outline

1. The identity of the lovers: political allies, Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, that replaced trust in God.
2. The nature of the sin: spiritual adultery through idolatry and forbidden alliances.
3. The reversal: from lover to enemy; from comfort to weapon.
4. The agent: God Himself says, 'I will raise up… I will bring them.'
5. The purpose: to bring Judah to its knees, to end the lewdness, and to restore exclusive loyalty.

Illustration hooks

• A spouse who confides everything in a friend rather than their partner, only to have that friend later expose those secrets publicly.
• A small business owner who borrows heavily from a competitor to grow; the competitor then calls in the debt and takes over the company.
• A student who relies on a charismatic group for identity and friendship, only to be bullied by the same group when they disagree.

Questions your congregation is asking

• How can a good God use evil nations to punish His own people? Doesn't that make Him the author of evil?
• What are the 'lovers' in our own lives, the things we turn to for security instead of God, that could become instruments of judgment?
• If God uses our bad choices to discipline us, how do we know when suffering is judgment versus simple consequence?

This verse confronts us with a disturbing truth: the very things we trust to save us can become the tools God uses to correct us. As you read Ezekiel 23:22 together, try to see both the historical situation and its spiritual parallel in your own life.

Discussion questions

1. Observation: Who is speaking in this verse, and to whom is the message addressed? What do the names Oholah and Oholibah represent?
2. Observation: What does God say He will do? Who are the 'lovers,' and what has happened to the relationship between Jerusalem and these nations?
3. Interpretation: Why would God raise up former allies as enemies? What does this reveal about how He views misplaced trust?
4. Interpretation: The word 'alienated' (or 'torn away') describes a complete break. How does this reflect both Israel's responsibility and God's judgment?
5. Interpretation: How do cross-references like Isaiah 10:5-6 (Assyria as the rod of God's anger) help explain how God uses pagan nations for His purposes?
6. Application: In modern life, what are some 'lovers', relationships, systems, or securities, that can subtly replace our trust in God?
7. Application: If God were to 'raise up' one of those false securities against you, what would that look like? How does this passage invite you to realign your loyalties?