Ezekiel 23:19
Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
Original Language Analysis
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
2 of 11
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
תַּזְנוּתֶ֑יהָ
her whoredoms
H8457
תַּזְנוּתֶ֑יהָ
her whoredoms
Strong's:
H8457
Word #:
3 of 11
harlotry, i.e., (figuratively) idolatry
לִזְכֹּר֙
in calling to remembrance
H2142
לִזְכֹּר֙
in calling to remembrance
Strong's:
H2142
Word #:
4 of 11
properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e., to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
5 of 11
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
יְמֵ֣י
the days
H3117
יְמֵ֣י
the days
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
6 of 11
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
נְעוּרֶ֔יהָ
of her youth
H5271
נְעוּרֶ֔יהָ
of her youth
Strong's:
H5271
Word #:
7 of 11
(only in plural collective or emphatic form) youth, the state (juvenility) or the persons (young people)
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
8 of 11
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
זָנְתָ֖ה
wherein she had played the harlot
H2181
זָנְתָ֖ה
wherein she had played the harlot
Strong's:
H2181
Word #:
9 of 11
to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (
Historical Context
During final years before Jerusalem's fall, Judah's kings (especially Jehoiakim and Zedekiah) vacillated between Babylonian and Egyptian alliances, repeatedly turning to Egypt for military support (Jeremiah 37:5-7; Ezekiel 17:15). This political instability reflected spiritual chaos and refusal to submit to Babylonian dominance as God commanded through Jeremiah.
Questions for Reflection
- Why do we return to past sins when present circumstances deteriorate?
- How does divine withdrawal lead to deeper rebellion rather than repentance?
- What formative influences continue to exert pull during spiritual crisis?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Yet she multiplied her whoredoms shows divine alienation didn't stop Jerusalem's pursuit of idols—it accelerated it. In calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt means Jerusalem romanticized origins, returning to Egypt for alliance. When God's presence withdraws, humans don't naturally turn back but plunge deeper into sin. Jeremiah's contemporaries fled to Egypt despite prophetic warning (Jeremiah 42-43). Egypt represented the past, the familiar, the originally corrupting influence. In crisis, we regress to formative patterns, even destructive ones. Apart from grace, abandonment by God produces not repentance but accelerated rebellion—the darkening spiral of Romans 1.