יחזקאל, פרק כ״ג, פסוק כ׳

A harsh and blunt picture of moral and spiritual collapse emerges through intense, physical imagery drawn from the animal kingdom. This graphic description serves as a sharp metaphor for the Kingdom of Judah, which, driven by political despair, humiliated itself by obsessively chasing alliances with foreign powers. The depth of this degradation is captured in the very nature of her desire. The primary approach among commentators is that she deeply craved to become a wanton concubine to the Egyptians, willingly sinking to the level of a submissive slave ready for their beds [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, her obsession reached such a low point that she actually approached the Egyptian concubines themselves, speaking with them about how fortunate they were to be with men of such immense physical power. This reflects the absolute peak of moral decay, where she occupies herself with such degraded talk with other women [אברבנאל].

The focus then shifts to the raw intensity of her lust, using bold terms to describe the male anatomy [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם ביאור המילות, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The foreign men are compared to animals to illustrate the sheer force of their lust and promiscuity. They are likened to donkeys because of their large physical size, and to horses because of their uncontrollable sexual drive, mating more frequently than other animals [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. The physical release is described as coming forth with great force and in massive quantities, much like a rushing stream of water [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. All of this points to a blind, irrational attraction to the ugliest and lowest behaviors of the Egyptians, which she eagerly learned and adopted as her own [רד״ק].

Beneath the surface of this shocking metaphor lies a clear historical and political reality. The Kingdom of Judah is depicted as someone prostituting herself to foreign empires like Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt. Instead of placing her trust in God, Judah attached herself to these nations for military support. In doing so, she surrendered to them completely, becoming just another subjugated nation while fully adopting their idols and culture [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].