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Oholah in the Bible
also known as: Aholah
Hebrew: אהלה —meaning: “she has her own tent” or “her tent”
This is a name used Yahweh in speaking to Ezekiel (Ezek. 23:4-5, 36, 44) as a symbol of the idolatry of the Kingdom of Israel (the ten tribes), referred to as Samaria, which was the kingdom’s capital.
This kingdom is described as a lewd woman, an adulteress, given up to the abominations and idolatries of the Egyptians and Assyrians.
Because of her crimes, she came under the judgment of God and was carried away captive, and ceased to be a kingdom.
“The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying… Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah. …Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors, who were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.
She gave her harlotries to them, all of them the choicest men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she defiled herself.
She did not forsake her harlotries from the time in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their harlotry on her.
Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they killed her with the sword. Thus she became a despised name among women, and they executed judgments on her. —Ezek. 23:1-10 LSB excerpt
(Compare Psalm 78:67-69; 1 Kings 12:25-33; 2 Chronicles 11:13-16.)
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