Hebrew word · H172

אׇהֳלִיבָה

'oholivah

Oholibah

A symbolic name built on ʾōhel, "tent". Usually taken as ʾohŏlî-bāh, "my tent is in her". Her sister's name, ʾohŏlâ (Oholah), is often explained as "her tent" or "tent-woman".

Appears 6 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A woman living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezk.23.4;

sister of: Oholah (H0170)

§ Aholibah = "woman of the tent" or "the tent is in her"

(metaph) Jerusalem as adulterous wife of Jehovah

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezekiel 23:11

Range of meaning

A symbolic name built on ʾōhel, "tent". Usually taken as ʾohŏlî-bāh, "my tent is in her". Her sister's name, ʾohŏlâ (Oholah), is often explained as "her tent" or "tent-woman".

Against the English

Translations transliterate the name (KJV and YLT spell it "Aholibah"). Most give the meaning in a footnote.

Used elsewhere in the period

The name is invented for this allegory. Compare Oholibamah, an Edomite name ("tent of the high place", Gen 36:2), and the tent tradition of the wilderness tabernacle, where God "dwelt" among Israel.

Similar words

Where it appears

Ezekiel · 6

  1. Ezekiel 23:4 וְאָהֳלִיבָ֣ה אָהֳלִיבָֽה׃ and [was] Oholibah, Oholibah

    The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

  2. Ezekiel 23:11 אָהֳלִיבָ֔ה Oholibah

    Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.

    Here: A symbolic name for Jerusalem (v. 4), usually explained as "my tent is in her". It points to God's sanctuary in Jerusalem, which makes her unfaithfulness all the worse: the bride who had God's own dwelling in her is the more depraved one.

  3. Ezekiel 23:22 אָהֳלִיבָ֗ה O Oholibah

    Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side—

  4. Ezekiel 23:36 אָהֳלִיבָ֑ה Oholibah

    Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.

  5. Ezekiel 23:44 אָ֣הֳלִיבָ֔ה Oholibah

    And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.