They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just about a literal stripping; it's about the removal of everything that made Jerusalem proud and defined her identity. The "beautiful jewels" are more than just adornments; they represent the very glory and security she mistakenly placed in her own achievements and perceived strength, rather than in God.
They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is recounting the prophetic judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, personified as a woman named Aholibah. This passage paints a picture of the nation's spiritual adultery, comparing their alliances with foreign nations to prostitution. The judgment is described as an invading army that will violently punish their unfaithfulness, tearing away their fine clothing and precious jewels, symbols of their former glory and allure.
Imagine being stripped bare, your most treasured possessions taken. This isn't just a physical act; it's a profound symbol of judgment. Ezekiel uses this shocking imagery to reveal God's heartbreak.
In Ezekiel 23, the prophet uses the allegory of two unfaithful sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), to expose Israel's deep-seated idolatry. God chose Jerusalem as the place to "put his name there," a place of sacred worship. Yet, both sisters prostituted themselves with foreign nations and their gods.
This verse, "They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels," describes the ultimate consequence of their unfaithfulness. The "clothes" and "jewels" represent not just outward adornment but the very privileges and status God bestowed upon them as His chosen people. To be stripped bare is to be exposed in their sin and to lose all the honor and security that came from their covenant relationship with God. This imagery highlights the deep shame and utter desolation that comes when God's people turn away from Him.
What were once symbols of divine favor and beauty become the plunder of enemies. This verse reveals the tragic inversion that occurs when loyalty is misplaced.
The 'beautiful jewels' (or 'vessels of your glory') mentioned in Ezekiel 23:26 were not mere decorations. In the ancient Near East, a nation's wealth, including its temple treasures and royal ornaments, were seen as tangible proof of its gods' power and favor.
When the enemies come, they don't just take gold and silver; they take the very symbols of Oholibah's (Jerusalem's) supposed glory and prestige. This is a devastating spiritual defeat. It's as if God is saying, 'You trusted in these idols and alliances more than Me? Fine. Let them save you now. Let them give you your glory.' But of course, they cannot. The jewels are looted, the clothes are torn away, and the people are left exposed, demonstrating that their true glory and security were meant to be found only in their covenant with the Lord.
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Ezekiel's prophecy uses the imagery of stripping and plundering, familiar from the brutal realities of conquest, to underscore the total devastation and disgrace that awaits Jerusalem for its spiritual adultery and betrayal of God.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (represented by 'Aholah' in Ezekiel's vision) falls to the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Sargon II. This event marks the end of the northern kingdom and the beginning of the exile of many Israelites.
597 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar II conquer Jerusalem, deporting King Jehoiachin and many of the elite, including the prophet Ezekiel. This signifies the impending doom of Judah.
c. 593 BC
Ezekiel's Call and Vision
Ezekiel receives his prophetic call by the Chebar canal in Babylon. He begins to deliver his messages of judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, often using powerful symbolic visions and parables.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This event is the culmination of the judgments Ezekiel has been prophesying and is the direct context for his vivid descriptions of desolation and shame.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of the Temple
The magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, the symbol of God's presence and Judah's covenant faithfulness, is utterly destroyed by the Babylonians. This act brings immense grief and a sense of abandonment.
This passage uses similar imagery of stripping away clothes and taking treasures, directly linking the judgment described in Ezekiel 23 to the spiritual unfaithfulness of Jerusalem depicted in Ezekiel 16.
Jeremiah 52:17-18This historical account shows the Babylonian army plundering Jerusalem, taking its treasures and vessels, which serves as a historical parallel to the symbolic stripping of 'jewels' and clothes described in Ezekiel's prophecy.
Isaiah 3:18-23This prophetic passage describes the Lord taking away the ornaments of the daughters of Zion, foreshadowing the loss of beauty and wealth as a consequence of their sin, echoing the theme of stolen jewels and stripped clothing.
Hosea 2:9This verse speaks of God reclaiming the wool, linen, and gold that Israel had used to make idols, illustrating how divine judgment involves the confiscation of the very things people used to adorn their sin.
clarkeEzekiel 23:26: "They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels."
They shall also strip thee - See on Ezekiel 16:39 (note).
henryEzekiel 23:1-49: "The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,"
23:1-49 A history of the apostacy of God's people from him, and the aggravation thereof. - In this parable, Samaria and Israel bear the name Aholah, her own tabernacle; because the places of worship those kingdoms had, were of their own devising. Jerusalem and Judah bear the name of Aholibah, my tabernacle is in her, because their temple was the place which God himself had chosen, to put his name there. The language and figures…
This isn't just about a literal stripping; it's about the removal of everything that made Jerusalem proud and defined her identity. The "beautiful jewels" are more than just adornments; they represent the very glory and security she mistakenly placed in her own achievements and perceived strength, rather than in God.
Ezekiel is recounting the prophetic judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, personified as a woman named Aholibah. This passage paints a picture of the nation's spiritual adultery, comparing their alliances with foreign nations to prostitution. The judgment is described as an invading army that will violently punish their unfaithfulness, tearing away their fine clothing and precious jewels, symbols of their former glory and allure.
Ezekiel is recounting the prophetic judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, personified as a woman named Aholibah. This passage paints a picture of the nation's spiritual adultery, comparing their alliances with foreign nations to prostitution. The judgment is described as an invading army that will violently punish their unfaithfulness, tearing away their fine clothing and precious jewels, symbols of their former glory and allure.
"They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels." — This isn't just about a literal stripping; it's about the removal of everything that made Jerusalem proud and defined her identity. The "beautiful jewels" are more than just adornments; they represen…
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Last reviewed October 2026