אׇהֳלָה
Oholah, a symbolic name for Samaria
Definition
Oholah is a symbolic name given to the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) in Ezekiel's allegory of the two sisters (Ezekiel 23). The name means 'her tent' and represents Israel's idolatrous worship, which was conducted in unauthorized high places and shrines, as opposed to the true tabernacle (tent) of God in Jerusalem. In the allegory, Oholah and her sister Oholibah (representing Judah) are portrayed as promiscuous women who prostitute themselves by pursuing political and religious alliances with foreign nations like Assyria and Egypt (Ezekiel 23:5-10). This name is used exclusively by the prophet Ezekiel to condemn the spiritual adultery and covenant unfaithfulness of the northern kingdom.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun is used exclusively in the book of Ezekiel, specifically in chapter 23. It appears four times, always within the extended allegory of the two adulterous sisters (Ezekiel 23:4, 23:5, 23:36, 23:44). The usage is entirely symbolic and prophetic, serving as a literary device to deliver a message of judgment against Israel for its idolatry and political infidelity. The pattern is consistent: Oholah is named, her actions are described as harlotry, and her punishment is declared.
Etymology
The name אׇהֳלָה (ʼOhŏlâh) is derived from the common noun אֹהֶל (ʼohel, H168), meaning 'tent.' It is formed as the feminine possessive form, meaning 'her tent.' This directly contrasts with the 'tent of meeting' (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד), the proper tabernacle of God. The etymology is intentionally polemical; it labels Israel's places of worship not as God's dwelling but as 'her own tent,' highlighting the self-directed, idolatrous nature of their cultic practices established in rebellion against Jerusalem.
Semantic Range
Oholah is a theologically rich symbol for idolatry and covenant betrayal. It underscores the biblical theme that God views spiritual unfaithfulness—turning to other gods or trusting in political alliances over divine protection—as adultery (a breach of the marriage covenant between Yahweh and Israel). Understanding this Hebrew name enriches the reading of Ezekiel 23 by revealing the profound insult of Israel's actions: they replaced God's ordained 'tent' with their own. It connects to doctrines of God's holiness, his jealousy for pure worship, and the severe consequences of syncretism.
In the ancient Near East, forming political alliances often involved recognizing the patron gods of the superior nation, which Israel and Judah did with Assyria and Egypt. Ezekiel's metaphor of 'harlotry' would have been immediately understood as a violation of exclusive covenant loyalty. The 'tent' (ohel) carried deep cultural and religious significance as a place of dwelling and worship; labeling Samaria's worship sites as 'her tent' dismissed them as illegitimate and personal, in contrast to the divinely authorized Tabernacle, which was central to Israel's identity.
Oholibah (ʼOhŏlîyḇâh, H172) — The symbolic name for Jerusalem/Judah, the other sister in the same allegory. Shomron (Shômᵉrôwn, H8111) — The standard Hebrew name for Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom, used in historical and prophetic contexts.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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