יחזקאל, פרק כ״ג, פסוק מ״ד

The spiritual and moral decay of Samaria and Judah reaches a devastating low point, as their alliances with foreign nations devolve into cheap, degrading exploitation. Rather than earning the respect of these foreign powers, the two nations are treated with profound contempt, used and discarded like common prostitutes.

The narrative emphasizes the absolute lack of boundaries in this degradation. Every single foreign nation approached them individually, taking advantage of them one by one [רד״ק]. Anyone who desired could access them without any hindrance, mirroring the public availability of a notorious prostitute [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. On a spiritual level, this unrestricted access represents their willingness to embrace and worship every conceivable idol that existed in the world [מצודת דוד]. Taking a completely different approach, [מלבי״ם] explains that this constant approach does not refer to foreign nations at all, but rather to the physical manifestation of a curse. In this view, it is sickness, rot, and leprosy that come and attach themselves to the nations. Just as disease ultimately ravages the body of a prostitute as a consequence of her lifestyle, severe physical affliction strikes them as a direct result of their actions.

Ultimately, the two nations are branded as women of depravity. The primary approach among commentators is that this simply identifies them by their immoral behavior [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. However, the specific phrasing used to describe them is highly unusual, deliberately chosen to highlight a deep sense of disgrace and mockery [רד״ק]. Continuing his unique perspective, [מלבי״ם] notes that this unusual phrasing also evokes the concept of fire. It symbolizes both the burning heat of their adulterous passions and the consuming fire of the malignant disease that afflicts them as their ultimate punishment.