and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The imagery here is jarring, and it's easy to miss that the "paramours" aren't just objects of desire, but specifically their male partners from foreign nations. The intense comparison to donkeys and horses isn't merely about lust, but about the perceived virility and power that Judah craved, even to the point of adopting their idolatrous practices. This reveals a deep-seated desire for foreign strength and alliances over trusting in God's protection.
and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse continues Ezekiel's harsh allegory of Judah as a harlot named Aholibah, who has now become infatuated with her Egyptian lovers after a long affair. The imagery here vividly depicts Judah's intense, almost orgiastic pursuit of idolatry and foreign alliances, abandoning her covenant with God. This addiction to forbidden relationships and pagan worship is presented as a return to the lustful practices of her youth.
Ezekiel uses shockingly graphic language to describe Israel's 'affairs' with other nations. What does this imagery reveal about the nature of idolatry?
In this passage, Ezekiel paints a vivid picture of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to God. The "paramours" aren't just foreign political allies; they represent the allure of pagan religions and practices.
The Allure of the "Other"
Israel, symbolized as Aholibah, "doted upon" these foreign connections. This wasn't just casual interest; it was an intense longing, a fascination that drew her away from her covenant with God. The imagery of lustful desire highlights how captivating and consuming these idolatrous pursuits became.
More Than Just Politics
While these alliances had political and economic implications, Ezekiel frames them as acts of spiritual adultery. The desire for foreign protection and prosperity blinded Israel to the true source of her strength and well-being. She sought fulfillment in what seemed powerful and appealing, forgetting the One who had established her.
The comparison to donkeys and horses is jarring and offensive. Why would God use such extreme language to describe His people's sin?
The crude, almost vulgar, comparison to the "members" and "issue" of donkeys and horses serves a powerful purpose. It's meant to shock and disgust, mirroring the repulsive nature of Israel's spiritual actions.
Exaggerated Lust
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The animals chosen are known for their strong sexual drives and physical characteristics. This imagery exaggerates the lustful passion Israel felt for foreign gods and nations. It strips away any pretense of nobility or spiritual seeking, exposing the raw, base desires driving their apostasy.
Divine Disgust
This isn't just about describing lust; it's about conveying God's profound disgust and sorrow over His people's betrayal. The language reflects the impurity and degradation associated with their idolatry, portraying it as a debased and ugly form of worship that defiles them.
Understand the original words
agabim · Hebrew Noun
Those to whom one turns for security, validation, or emotional satisfaction instead of turning to God. Prophetically, these often represent pagan nations or false gods that the people of Israel pursued in place of their covenant faithfulness to Yahweh.
Ezekiel's stark imagery of 'lovers' like donkeys and horses highlights Judah's spiritual prostitution, not just in idolatry, but in seeking alliances with powerful but morally corrupt nations like Egypt, turning away from their covenant with God.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) falls to the Assyrians, leading to the exile of many Israelites and the establishment of pagan worship in the land.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a portion of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiles the majority of the population to Babylon. This marks a devastating turning point for the Southern Kingdom.
c. 590 BC
Ezekiel's Ministry Begins
Ezekiel, himself in exile in Babylon, begins his prophetic ministry, delivering messages of judgment and hope to the exiles and to the people in Judah.
c. 586-570 BC
Ezekiel Delivers the Parable of Aholah and Aholibah
During the final siege and after the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel delivers the powerful allegory of the two sisters, representing Samaria and Jerusalem, detailing their spiritual adultery with foreign powers.
This passage also uses the imagery of lustful, oversexed stallions to describe Judah's unfaithfulness to God, highlighting a recurring theme of spiritual adultery depicted through animalistic desire.
Ezekiel 16:26This chapter, like Ezekiel 23, uses the metaphor of whoredom to describe Israel's idolatry and political entanglements, directly comparing their sinful actions to harlotry and sexual impurity.
Hosea 2:5Hosea powerfully illustrates Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness by stating they 'played the harlot' with their lovers, revealing a deep-seated pattern of straying from God for foreign affections and idolatrous practices.
Leviticus 15:2-3While not directly metaphorical, this Levitical law addresses the uncleanness of male 'issues,' providing a backdrop for understanding the emphasis on bodily fluids and physical impurity when Ezekiel describes the excessive lust of the nations.
ellicottEzekiel 23:20: "For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses."
(20) Their paramours. —The word is masculine, as indicating the abominable sins copied by the Israelites from the heathen, and asses and horses are introduced to show the intensity of lust. (Comp. Jeremiah 5:8 .)
pulpitEzekiel 23:20: "For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses."
Verse 20. - She doted on her paramours. Commonly the word is used of a concubine (Genesis 22:24; Judges 8:31). Here it is used in scorn of the Egyptian princes whose favor Judah courted, reminding us of Homer's Ἀχαιίδες οὐκετ Ἀχαίοι, as indicating their political weakness. All that need be said of the comparison that follows is that here also Ezekiel follows in…
The imagery here is jarring, and it's easy to miss that the "paramours" aren't just objects of desire, but specifically their male partners from foreign nations. The intense comparison to donkeys and horses isn't merely about lust, but about the perceived virility and power that Judah craved, even to the point of adopting their idolatrous practices. This reveals a deep-seated desire for foreign strength and alliances over trusting in God's protection.
This verse continues Ezekiel's harsh allegory of Judah as a harlot named Aholibah, who has now become infatuated with her Egyptian lovers after a long affair. The imagery here vividly depicts Judah's intense, almost orgiastic pursuit of idolatry and foreign alliances, abandoning her covenant with God. This addiction to forbidden relationships and pagan worship is presented as a return to the lustful practices of her youth.
This verse continues Ezekiel's harsh allegory of Judah as a harlot named Aholibah, who has now become infatuated with her Egyptian lovers after a long affair. The imagery here vividly depicts Judah's intense, almost orgiastic pursuit of idolatry and foreign alliances, abandoning her covenant with God. This addiction to forbidden relationships and pagan worship is presented as a return to the lustful practices of her youth.
"and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses." — The imagery here is jarring, and it's easy to miss that the "paramours" aren't just objects of desire, but specifically their male partners from foreign nations. The intense comparison to donkeys a…
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Last reviewed October 2026