“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's striking here is that these two unfaithful "women" are described as "daughters of one mother." This isn't just about them being related; it emphasizes that their shared origin with God's people, their common heritage, makes their betrayal all the more profound and personal. They are part of the same family, yet they stray in such devastating ways.
“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is told to speak of two sisters, representing the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, who, though descended from the same people, have both engaged in spiritual adultery through idolatry. This parable serves as a stark allegory to expose the deep corruption and unfaithfulness of God's chosen people, both the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the southern kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). The narrative that follows will detail their repeated betrayals and the consequences that will follow.
The Bible often uses family imagery to describe God's relationship with His people. But what happens when siblings go their separate ways?
Ezekiel is called to address two "women," representing the two kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem). They are described as "daughters of one mother." This highlights their shared origin and heritage as descendants of Abraham. Yet, their stories diverge dramatically. While they sprang from the same spiritual and national family, their spiritual paths and ultimate fates were vastly different. This foundational concept sets the stage for understanding their unique, yet connected, journeys of unfaithfulness.
Idolatry wasn't just a sudden temptation; it had deep, early roots in Israel's history. How did their 'youth' set a dangerous pattern?
The imagery of these two 'sisters' is deeply tied to their history, particularly their time in Egypt. The commentary suggests that it was in Egypt that the Israelites first learned idolatry. This 'youth' period, when they were becoming a nation, was marred by this spiritual corruption. They 'committed whoredoms' there, meaning they turned from God to worship other gods. This sets a disturbing precedent: the nation's foundational years were marked by unfaithfulness, creating a pattern that would tragically repeat throughout their history and lead to judgment.
Ezekiel uses powerful symbolic names to expose the spiritual state of these sister nations. What do 'Aholah' and 'Aholibah' reveal?
Ask a follow-up
While verse 2 introduces the two women, the context provided by scholars points to the significance of their later symbolic names: Aholah ('her own tent') and Aholibah ('my tent is in her'). Aholah represents Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, which established its own places of worship separate from God's chosen sanctuary in Jerusalem. Aholibah represents Judah, which, despite its own failings, still had the Temple in Jerusalem, God's designated dwelling place. These names are not just labels; they are potent warnings about the nature of their worship – one self-made and rebellious, the other maintaining a connection to God's presence, yet still deeply compromised.
Understand the original words
ben-adam · Hebrew Noun phrase
The common prophetic title for Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity and status as a mortal creature before the transcendent, holy God. It highlights the vast distinction between the Creator and the created messenger.
c. 931 BC
Kingdom Divides
Following the death of King Solomon, the united Kingdom of Israel splits into two. The northern kingdom, known as Israel (Samaria), and the southern kingdom, known as Judah (Jerusalem).
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deports much of its population, scattering them and ending the existence of the northern kingdom as a distinct entity.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II conquers the Southern Kingdom of Judah, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiles many of its people to Babylon.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus's Decree
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon. He issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
This passage also speaks of two 'sisters,' Samaria and Judah, highlighting their shared lineage and divergent paths, mirroring the imagery introduced in Ezekiel 23.
Ezekiel 16:46Here, Ezekiel uses a similar sisterly comparison between Samaria and Jerusalem, calling them older and younger sisters who have also strayed, reinforcing the theme of sibling nations and their spiritual infidelity.
Genesis 25:23This earlier scripture foreshadows the tension and distinct destinies of two nations born from the same mother (Rebekah), setting a precedent for understanding sibling nations with separate spiritual paths.
Hosea 1:2God's command to Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman serves as a foundational parallel for the theme of unfaithfulness within a relationship, which Ezekiel extends to the national level between the two kingdoms.
cambridgeEzekiel 23:2: "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:"
2 . The two kingdoms are already called sisters, Jeremiah 3:7 . Cf. Ezekiel 16:46 .
bensonEzekiel 23:2: "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:"
Ezekiel 23:2-3 . There were two women, daughters of one mother — Judah and Israel, two kingdoms. “Countries are commonly represented as mothers of their people, and the inhabitants as their children: so the daughters of Syria signify the inhabitants of that country, Ezekiel 16:57 . Thus Samaria and Jerusalem are described in this chapter as sisters, the offspring of the same land, or country.” And they committed whor…
What's striking here is that these two unfaithful "women" are described as "daughters of one mother." This isn't just about them being related; it emphasizes that their shared origin with God's people, their common heritage, makes their betrayal all the more profound and personal. They are part of the same family, yet they stray in such devastating ways.
Ezekiel is told to speak of two sisters, representing the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, who, though descended from the same people, have both engaged in spiritual adultery through idolatry. This parable serves as a stark allegory to expose the deep corruption and unfaithfulness of God's chosen people, both the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the southern kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). The narrative that follows will detail their repeated betrayals and the consequences that will follow.
Ezekiel is told to speak of two sisters, representing the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, who, though descended from the same people, have both engaged in spiritual adultery through idolatry. This parable serves as a stark allegory to expose the deep corruption and unfaithfulness of God's chosen people, both the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the southern kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). The narrative that follows will detail their repeated betrayals and the consequences that will follow.
"“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother." — What's striking here is that these two unfaithful "women" are described as "daughters of one mother." This isn't just about them being related; it emphasizes that their shared origin with God's peopl…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026