This verse emphasizes the shared heritage of God’s people and foreshadows the consequences of their unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel declares, “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.” (v.2) In this statement, the prophet Ezekiel (who ministered during the Babylonian captivity around 593-571 BC) presents a vivid allegory. By referring to “two women,” the verse introduces the symbolic representation of Samaria and Jerusalem—two sister cities belonging to the same heritage, stemming from the people of Israel. This imagery emphasizes their shared spiritual inheritance but also foreshadows the unfaithfulness that each woman symbolizes in the verses to come.
The language used in this verse underscores a familial link (“the daughters of one mother”), suggesting that both entities belong to a single covenant community. Samaria, located in the northern part of ancient Israel, was historically the capital of the Northern Kingdom after the nation split following the reign of Solomon around 930 BC. Meanwhile, Jerusalem resided in the south, central to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. These distinct realms shared the same ancestor—God’s chosen people descended from Abraham—yet persisted in widespread practices of idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness. This continuity of lineage heightens the tragedy of their eventual betrayal of the Lord’s ways.
By calling Ezekiel “Son of man,” the Lord addresses him as a mortal messenger commissioned to proclaim divine truth. Ezekiel’s prophetic role sets him among prominent figures of the Old Testament, tracing the timeline from prophets like Isaiah (around 740-681 BC) and Jeremiah (late 7th to early 6th century BC). Ezekiel’s assignment was to warn his generation of impending judgment and to call them back to covenant faithfulness, an appeal that echoes forward to the New Testament, where Jesus calls believers to spiritual fidelity and abiding in Him (John 15:4).
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Ezekiel 23:2 meaning
Ezekiel declares, “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.” (v.2) In this statement, the prophet Ezekiel (who ministered during the Babylonian captivity around 593-571 BC) presents a vivid allegory. By referring to “two women,” the verse introduces the symbolic representation of Samaria and Jerusalem—two sister cities belonging to the same heritage, stemming from the people of Israel. This imagery emphasizes their shared spiritual inheritance but also foreshadows the unfaithfulness that each woman symbolizes in the verses to come.
The language used in this verse underscores a familial link (“the daughters of one mother”), suggesting that both entities belong to a single covenant community. Samaria, located in the northern part of ancient Israel, was historically the capital of the Northern Kingdom after the nation split following the reign of Solomon around 930 BC. Meanwhile, Jerusalem resided in the south, central to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. These distinct realms shared the same ancestor—God’s chosen people descended from Abraham—yet persisted in widespread practices of idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness. This continuity of lineage heightens the tragedy of their eventual betrayal of the Lord’s ways.
By calling Ezekiel “Son of man,” the Lord addresses him as a mortal messenger commissioned to proclaim divine truth. Ezekiel’s prophetic role sets him among prominent figures of the Old Testament, tracing the timeline from prophets like Isaiah (around 740-681 BC) and Jeremiah (late 7th to early 6th century BC). Ezekiel’s assignment was to warn his generation of impending judgment and to call them back to covenant faithfulness, an appeal that echoes forward to the New Testament, where Jesus calls believers to spiritual fidelity and abiding in Him (John 15:4).