The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, there
were two women, the daughters of one mother: And they committed
whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth: there
were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of
their virginity. And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and
Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and
daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem
Aholibah (verses 1-4).
The two daughters of one mother are Samaria and Jerusalem, called
sisters in chapter xvi:46. They were sisters not only because they had
the same mother, the Jewish nation, but they were also sisters in their
vile idolatry. Samaria is called Aholah. Aholah means "her tent."
Jerusalem is named Aholibah, "my tent is in her." The latter denotes the
fact that the true sanctuary was in Judah, while the Kingdom of Israel,
Samaria, practised a "false worship." Yet Jehovah owned them both as His
people.