HARLOTS OF THE BIBLE
Aholah - Aholah is a feminine name used symbolically by Ezekiel to designate Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, larger than the southern kingdom, of which Jerusalem was the capital. Therefore, Aholah is designated as the elder sister. Her name appears with that of Aholibah, representing Jerusalem. In this allegory the two women are depicted as common harlots, who rival each other in their lewd practices.
In his imagery, Ezekiel makes the point that Aholah (Samaria) went awhoring after the heathen (the Assyrians) and became polluted with their idols. In other words, Aholah (Samaria) committed spiritual adultery.
In using Aholah, the harlot, to symbolize the evil of Samaria, Ezekiel was pointing out that a holy God demanded holiness of his people, that lewdness must cease and that there must come in its place a moral and spiritual rebirth which would bring about a better world than that rept\resented by the unholy Aholah (Samaria). (Ezek. 23:4, 5, 36, 44)
Aholibah - Aholibah was the name of a whore in Ezekiel’s allegory of the two kingdoms of Israel, the northern and southern, which had gone “awhoring” (after idols) of their heathen neighbors.
Aholibah represents Jerusalem, capital of the southern kingdom. Her evil was like that of her lewd sister, Aholah, representing Samaria. Both had gone awhoring after idol, had defiled God’s sanctuary and profaned His sabbaths.
Aholibah is vividly portrayed in Ezekiel’s imagery. He delivers the message that God would employ the Chaldeans to destroy the princes and priests of Judah for violating their covenants with Him. As the whore Aholibah finally must pay for her unholiness, so must Jerusalem suffer the penalty of turning from God. (Ezek. 23:4, 11, 22, 36, 44)
Delilah - Delilah typifies the terrible energy of evil in a woman. She has come down through these thirty-one centuries as the woman who, in an insidious manner, sought to destroy a man who seemed to be unconquerable. She was a beautiful woman from the valley of Sarek in Philistine territory, home of the Israelites' enemies. Samson, having already shown his propensity to fickleness, fell foul of her snare and they married.
Using devious seduction and persistent nagging, she enticed Samson to reveal the secret of his strength, which she then disclosed to the Philistines, who gouged out his eyes and bound him with bronze shackles. What Delilah eventually discovered was that Samson's strength depended on the length of his hair. While he was sleeping she cut his hair so he could be taken captive (Judg. 16:6–22). Her intrigue led to Samson's death, but not before the LORD had used Samson to bring destruction on hundreds of Philistines (vv. 26–30). (Judges, 16:4-22)
Gomer - Gomer was the wife of Hosea and daughter of Diblaim. Hosea, the prophet, lived in the 8th century BC. God called him to marry Gomer, a prostitute. Although Hosea rescued her from her trade, she quickly reverted to it and took other lovers. Finally she effectively became the slave of one of her lovers. Hosea left her but later was ordered by God to buy her back with the price that would have been paid for a slave. She had three children whose names were symbolic: Jezreel (God Soweth because God would soon punish the house of Jehu); Lo-Ruhamah (because God would no longer show love to Israel); Lo-Ammi (because 'you are not my people and I am not your God').
Part of God's calling to Hosea was that he should act out in his own marriage the relationship that was so typical of God and his people of Israel. God had called Israel from being no-one to be someone and to be loved by him. Yet Israel had rebelled again and again going after other gods: an action frequently referred to as adultery. God had repeatedly drawn her back to himself, even though there had been times when he had cut himself off from his people as part of their punishment.
The story of Hosea's life is profoundly sad: a wife whom he dearly loved and yet who continually turned elsewhere. It was a living prophecy of the profound 'sadness' experienced so often by God as his people were attracted elsewhere. Yet God's covenantal love for his people endures, and the love of Hosea for Gomer stands as a vivid picture that God will not let his people go unloved but will remain faithful to his promises. (Hos. 1:2–3; 3:1–3; v.6; v.9)(Isaiah. 49:7; Luke 1:68; 24:21).
The Two Mothers - After King Solomon stood before the Ark of the Covenant at Jerusalem and had a great feast for all the servants, there came before him two strange women. They were harlots, who dwelt in the same house. King Solomon, who presided over Israel with pomp and power, received these women as would a judge.
Each had given birth to a son, one, three days before the other. The real mother rushed before Solomon and excitedly proclaimed that “This woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. She arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while I slept and laid it in her bosom and laid the dead child in my bosom. And when I arose in the morning to give my child a suck, behold it was dead: but it was not my son, which I did bear.”
But now the other harlot interrupted the conversation to tell King Solher vision of the story. Nay, but the living is my son,” she shouted, and the dead son is thy son.”
King Solomon, recalling when he asked God to give him an understanding heart to discern between good and bad, said. ”Bring me a sword that I might divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” The real mother hastened to say. “O my lord, give her the living child, and in no way slay it.” But the other said, “Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.”
King Solomon now knew which was the real mother. The two mothers by their real words, had revealed their identity. The real mother wept as she again held her infant in her arms. The fame of King Solomon’s wisdom now spread over Israel.
Rehab - Known as Rehab the harlot had a house on a gap between the two walls that surrounded Jericho. Because of its location her house attracted the attention of two Israelite spies from the army of Joshua who had succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel on its long journey from Egypt to Canaan. Not until the walls were breached or destroyed could the army of Israel move into the city. It’s questionable if Rehab was actually a harlot because she used her house as an inn and innkeepers of the day were also known as harlots. Since lots of people came and went from her house the Israeli spies wouldn't have been noticed.
The walls of Jericho fell and the city burned and Joshua declared, “The city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rehad the harlot shall live, she and all that are in her house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.” While the city was in flames. Rehab and her family departed from it. Rehab eventually married Joshua and became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth, and their son Obed bore Jesse, the father of King David, through whose line is traced the Christ. (Joshua 6:17-23; Joshua 2:1-25) (Hebrew 11:31)
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Women Whose Heart is Snares and Nets - The woman whose heart is snares and nets is said to be more bitter than death. In other words. She is the evil woman, such as the harlot, whose hands are as bands that enclose a man. He who would please God should escape from such a woman, “But the sinner shall be taken by her.” (Ecclesiastes. 7:26)