Ezekiel 23:23-27 · Bible study
Ezekiel 23:23-27 Commentary: Judgment through Babylon's Armies
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Ezekiel 23:23-27: God uses Babylon and allies to judge Israel. Study the meaning of Pekod, Shoa, Koa and the covenant consequences.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God uses Babylon and allied nations to judge Jerusalem for covenant unfaithfulness, ending her idolatry through destruction and exile.
- Key words: Pekod, Shoa, Koa, likely Chaldean tribes (or descriptive titles); “desirable young men”, the qualities Israel once craved become instruments of terror.
- Main debate: Whether Pekod, Shoa, Koa are proper names of specific tribes or appellatives describing Babylonian officials.
- Theological theme: Covenant judgment as a jealous God’s response to spiritual adultery, leading to purification and a new beginning.
- Best use: A sobering study on the consequences of unfaithfulness, the seriousness of idolatry, and God’s refusal to tolerate divided loyalty.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them—all desirable young men, governors and commanders, officers and men of renown, mounted on horses.
24They will come against you with a host of peoples, with weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will array themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will punish you according to their own standards.
25And I will set My jealous rage against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your remnant will be consumed by fire.
26They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
27So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, princes and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.
24They will come against you with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you with buckler, shield, and helmet all around. I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their judgments.
25I will set my jealousy against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will take away your nose and your ears. Your remnant will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and the rest of you will be devoured by the fire.
26They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
27Thus I will make your lewdness to cease from you, and remove your prostitution from the land of Egypt, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more.’
KJV King James Version 1769
23The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.
24And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
25And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.
26They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
27Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and rulers all of them, princes and men of renown, all of them riding upon horses.
24And they shall come against thee with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of peoples; they shall set themselves against thee with buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will commit the judgment unto them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
25And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal with thee in fury; they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy residue shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.
26They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
27Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt; so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
23Sons of Babylon, and of all Chaldea, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, All the sons of Asshur with them, Desirable young men, governors and prefects, All of them--rulers and proclaimed ones, Riding on horses, all of them.
24And they have come in against thee, With arms, rider, and wheel, And with an assembly of peoples; Target, and shield, and helmet, They do set against thee round about, And I have set before them judgment, They have judged thee in their Judgments.
25And I have set My jealousy against thee, And they have dealt with thee in fury, Thy nose and thine ears they turn aside, And thy posterity by sword falleth, They, thy sons and thy daughters do take away, And thy posterity is devoured by fire.
26And they have stripped thee of thy garments, And have taken thy beauteous jewels.
27And I have caused thy wickedness to cease from thee, And thy whoredoms out of the land of Egypt, And thou liftest not up thine eyes unto them, And Egypt thou dost not remember again.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
23The children of Babylon, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, all the children of Asshur with them; all of them attractive young men, governors and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.
24And they shall come against thee [with] armour, chariots and wheels, and with an assemblage of peoples; they shall set themselves against thee [with] target, and shield, and helmet round about; and I will put judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
25And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall cut off thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword; they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.
26They shall also strip the of thy garments, and take away thy fair jewels.
27And I will make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom [brought] from the land of Egypt; and thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
23The children of Babylon, and all the Chaldeans, the nobles, and the kings, and princes, all the sons of the Assyrians, beautiful young men, all the captains, and rulers, the princes of princes, and the renowned horsemen.
24And they shall come upon thee well appointed with chariot and wheel, a multitude of people: they shall be armed against thee on every side with breastplate, and buckler, and helmet: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee by their judgments.
25And I will set my jealousy against thee, which they shall execute upon thee with fury: they shall cut off thy nose and thy ears: and what remains shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons, and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by fire.
26And they shall strip thee of thy garments, and take away the instruments of thy glory.
27And I will put an end to thy wickedness in thee, and thy fornication brought out of the land of Egypt: neither shalt thou lift up thy eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Ezekiel 23:23-27 describes God using Babylon and its allies as instruments of judgment against Jerusalem (Oholibah) for her spiritual adultery. The list of nations, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, Assyrians, represents the military might God raises up. There is shared agreement that the punishment is severe: mutilation, captivity, fire, and stripping, all fitting the harlot metaphor. The purpose, stated in verse 27, is to end Israel's idolatry, which historically succeeded after the Babylonian exile. The identity of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa is debated, but all recognize them as part of the coalition. Matthew Henry emphasizes that the lovers Israel pursued become the instruments of her punishment. Gill notes that the jealousy of God is like a husband against an adulterous wife. The passage is read as a warning about covenant unfaithfulness and God's use of historical powers to discipline his people.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Proper names of tribes: Supported by Cambridge Bible, Wesley, and some Assyrian inscriptions; Pekod as Pukūdu, Shoa as Sutu, Koa as Kutu.
- Descriptive appellatives: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and others take Pekod as 'visitation,' Shoa as 'rich,' Koa as 'noble,' describing Babylon's character.
- Ambiguous but functional: Clarke and Barnes note the uncertainty but agree these are part of the invading coalition, leaving the exact identification open.
What is clear: God uses the Babylonian empire and its allies to execute judgment on Jerusalem for her spiritual adultery, with the goal of purging idolatry from his people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Pekod, Shoa, Koa | These are groups that participated in the Babylonian assault on Jerusalem. | Some read them as proper names of small Chaldean tribes (Cambridge, Wesley); others as descriptive titles meaning 'visitation,' 'rich,' 'noble' (JFB, Clarke notes the ambiguity). |
| The mutilation punishment | Cutting off nose and ears was a real practice for adulteresses in Egypt and Persia. | Some emphasize the literal historical practice (Clarke, Barnes); others read it primarily as a metaphor for disgrace and loss of beauty in the allegory. |
| Purpose of the judgment | God intends to make Israel's lewdness cease and remove idolatry from her land. | Some see this as fulfilled historically by the exile (Gill, Henry); others note that the full eschatological cleansing awaits the new covenant. |
| Theological significance of 'lewdness from Egypt' | Israel's idolatry began with exposure to Egyptian practices during the exodus period. | Some interpret this as a pattern of sin that finally ends after the exile; others see it as a continuing spiritual danger that God addresses through judgment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ezekiel 23 presents an extended allegory of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), who played the prostitute with foreign nations and their idols. By Ezekiel 23:22, God declares he will raise against Judah the very lovers she pursued. Verses 23-27 list those lovers: Babylonians, Chaldeans, and the enigmatic Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, along with Assyrians.
The identity of these three groups is uncertain. The Cambridge Bible notes that inscriptions from the region east of the Tigris include names like Pukūdu, Sutu, and Kutu, suggesting they were tribes on the borders of Elam. Wesley identifies Pekod as a province between the Tigris and Lycus, and Shoa and Koa as regions in Armenia and Media. Others, like Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, take the names as descriptive appellatives: Pekod meaning “visitation,” Shoa “rich,” Koa “noble.” This dual possibility, geographic names or descriptive titles, reflects the difficulty of identifying small Chaldean tribes from ancient sources.
The cultural backdrop includes harsh punishments for adultery. Cutting off the nose and ears was a known practice in Egypt and Persia for adulteresses (Clarke, Barnes). The stripping of clothes and jewels, and burning survivors, were common fates of captured cities. The prophecy thus blends literal threats of military disaster with the symbolic language of a shamed wife.
Literarily, the passage repeats the pattern of earlier chapters: God delivers his people into the hands of their own sinful choices. The nations Israel trusted become her judges.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Ezekiel 23:23-27. The passage is stable across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions, including the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate. The variations in translation of the names Pekod, Shoa, and Koa reflect interpretation rather than textual uncertainty.
Reception History
Church fathers and medieval commentators read Ezekiel 23 allegorically, with the two sisters representing the old and new covenants or the two kingdoms. The mutilation passages were interpreted as the stripping of spiritual gifts from a faithless church. Jewish commentators like Rashi and Kimchi, building on earlier rabbinic tradition, identified the nations geographically and saw the passage as fulfilled in Nebuchadnezzar's campaigns. Reformed commentators (Calvin, Henry) emphasized the justice of God and the lesson that idolatry brings national ruin. In the modern period, the passage is often used to illustrate the biblical theme of divine jealousy and the severe consequences of covenant unfaithfulness. The permanent cessation of Israelite idolatry after the exile is frequently cited as evidence of the prophecy's efficacy.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The armies God raises up (vv. 23-24). Babylon, Chaldeans, and lesser-known groups like Pekod, Shoa, Koa form an overwhelming coalition. God delegates judgment to them. Even the nations Israel lusted after become executioners.
- The severity of the sentence (vv. 25-26). Mutilation, death by sword, captivity of children, fire, and stripping. The punishment fits the crime: a harlot’s beauty is destroyed, her wealth taken, her family torn away.
- The purpose: an end to lewdness (v. 27). God acts to stop the cycle of idolatry. After the exile, Israel never again worshipped other gods. Judgment serves restoration.
Five-point outline
- The coalition of judgment (v. 23). The list of nations, proper names or titles, shows the scale of the coming invasion.
- The description of the enemy (v. 23). “Desirable young men, governors and rulers, princes and men of renown, all riding on horses.” These were the very qualities Israel once admired.
- The deployment (v. 24). “Weapons, chariots, wagons, and a company of peoples.” Total military encirclement.
- The divine commission (vv. 24-25). “I will commit the judgment to them… I will set my jealousy against you.” God is both the source and the enforcer of the punishment.
- The final result (v. 27). Ceasing of lewdness and removal of Egypt’s influence. A new beginning born from disaster.
Illustration hooks
- A trust betrayed: when a spouse discovers infidelity and calls the police on their own partner, the very person who was once loved now brings justice.
- Natural consequences: a teenager who sneaks out to dangerous places eventually gets hurt by the very people he thought were cool.
- A clean house: sometimes the only way to get rid of a persistent pest is to tear down the infested structure and rebuild.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God use pagan nations to punish his own people? Does he still use non-believers to discipline Christians today?
- Is this passage too harsh? How do I reconcile God’s love with the violence described here?
- What does “remember Egypt no more” mean for us? How do we leave old sins behind permanently?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is part of God’s case against Jerusalem for her infidelity. Read Ezekiel 23:23-27 together. Notice the list of nations, the detailed punishment, and the stated goal. God is not acting in cruelty but in covenant faithfulness, he will not let his people remain in unfaithfulness forever.
Discussion questions
- What do the names Pekod, Shoa, and Koa suggest about the coalition that attacks Jerusalem? Why do you think the identity is debated?
- How does the description of the attackers in verse 23 mirror the way Israel once admired them (see verses 12-16)?
- Why does the text say God will “set my jealousy against you” (v. 25)? What does this reveal about God’s character?
- The punishments of mutilation, stripping, and fire were real practices. What do they symbolize in this spiritual adultery metaphor?
- Verse 27 says God will make lewdness cease. How did the Babylonian exile actually end Israel’s idolatry? What changed in their worship?
- Can severe consequences in our own lives be a form of God’s mercy? Share an example without requiring personal disclosure.
- This passage is hard to read. How does the hope of restoration (even after such judgment) shape the way we see God?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 2:14 | The name of the third river is Hiddekel. This is the one which flows in front of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. |
| Genesis 25:18 | They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives. |
| II Kings 20:14 | Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, even from Babylon.” |
| II Kings 20:17 | ‘Behold, the days come that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh. |
| II Kings 24:2 | Yahweh sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, bands of the Syrians, bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke by his servants the prophets. |
| II Kings 25:1 | In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it around it. |
| II Kings 25:3 | On the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. |
| Ezra 6:22 | and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes suggests the names Pekod, Shoa, and Koa are likely rank titles or small Chaldaean tribes chosen for their resemblance to expressive Hebrew words. He notes that the mutilation described alludes to a barbarous eastern custom of disfiguring prisoners, and that fire was a known mode of capital punishment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator identifies specific historical peoples east of the Tigris from Assyrian inscriptions as the background for Ezekiel's imagery, and links the punishments mentioned to ancient practices of mutilating adulteresses or disfiguring captives.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that God deliberately hands over judgment to Babylon and its allies, allowing them to apply their own brutal customs. The graphic details of mutilation, slaughter and stripping are presented as God's direct indignation, designed to purge Israel's spiritual adultery and permanently sever her attachment to Egypt.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the invading armies as specific Babylonian provinces—Pekod, Shoa, and Koa—rather than mere titles of officials. He pictures God as a jealous husband punishing Israel’s idolatrous unfaithfulness like an adulterous wife, with disfigurement and captivity. The judgment comes through foreign armies who judge by their own laws, stripping the nation of its leaders, temple, and people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB insists that Pekod, Shoa, and Koa are not place names but descriptive titles for Babylon: "Visitation," "Rich," "Noble." These highlight the irony that Babylon, the nation Judah doted on as a lover, will become the very instrument of her punishment, its vigor turned against her in just retribution.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Ezekiel 23 differs from chapter 16 by shifting focus from God's love for the faithless bride to the seductive splendor of the foreign lovers she pursued. Here the sin is trusting political alliances with heathen nations rather than religious idolatry, and the prospect of pardon recedes behind the certainty of judgment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes a grim poetic justice: the very nations Israel lusted after become her brutal judges and executioners. God's jealousy ensures that the lovers she chased will strip and mutilate her, ending her infatuation with them forever.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the specific Assyrian provinces and peoples God gathers against Israel, then explains that God empowers them to judge by their own ruthless customs toward rebels. He stresses that God's own jealous fury works through these enemies to ensure nothing escapes: the residue, even what Chaldeans cannot carry away, is devoured by fire.