Ezekiel 23:5

“And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine, &c.] His married wife, and so ought to have cleaved to him alone: or, under mef346; under his cover, power, and protection, and therefore it was their interest to serve him only: or, “instead of me”f347; or, as the Syriac version, “besides me”: they worshipped other gods in the room of the true God, or other gods besides him. The Targum is, “and Aholah erred from my worship;” the ten tribes fell into idolatry, when they were God’s professing people: and she doted on her lovers; whom she loved even to madness; she was mad with love, to the idols, temples, altars, and idolatrous worship of the Heathens; particularly doted “on the Assyrians her…”

“when . . . mine--literally, "under Me," that is, subject to Me as her lawful husband. neighbours--On the northeast the kingdom of Israel bordered on that of Assyria; for the latter had occupied much of Syria. Their neighborhood in locality was emblematical of their being near in corruption of morals and worship. The alliances of Israel with Assyria, which are the chief subject of reprobation here, tended to this (Kg2 15:19; Kg2 16:7, Kg2 16:9; Kg2 17:3; Hos 8:9).”

“Played the harlot - United in idolatry, with the Assyrians. Mine - When under my government, and protection. Ezekiel 23:6”

“23:5-8 Oholah: The northern kingdom, far from being converted by God’s covenant of grace, was fascinated with the power and prestige of Assyria. Alliances with Assyria were part of Israel’s political strategy from the 800s BC, but in the end, such alliances did not keep Israel safe.”

“Aholah: The Israelites, in addition to their former gross idolatries, received the impure idolatrous worship of the Assyrians, who became their neighbours by the conquest of Syria. Kg1 14:9, Kg1 14:16, Kg1 15:26, Kg1 15:30, Kg1 16:31, Kg1 16:32, Kg1 21:26; Kg2 17:7-18 doted: Eze 23:7, Eze 23:9, Eze 23:12, Eze 23:16, Eze 23:20, Eze 16:37; Jer 50:38 on the: Eze 16:28; Kg2 15:19, Kg2 16:7, Kg2 17:3; Hos 5:13, Hos 8:9, Hos 8:10, Hos 10:6, Hos 12:1 Ezekiel 23:6”

“Samaria's Whoredom and Punishment Eze 23:5. And Oholibah played the harlot under me, and burned towards her lovers, even as far as Assyria, standing near; Eze 23:6. Clothed in purple, governors and officers, all of them choice men of good deportment, horsemen riding upon horses. Eze 23:7. And she directed her whoredom toward them, to the choice of the sons of Assyria all of them, and with all towards whom she burned, with all their idols she defiled herself. Eze 23:8. Also her whoredom from Egypt she did not give up; for they had lain with her in her youth, and they had handled her virgin bosom, and had poured out their lust upon her. Eze 23:9. Therefore I have given her into the hand of her…”