She bestowed her harlotries upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them: She bestowed her harlotries upon them means Oholah gave herself as a prostitute to the Assyrian officers. The choicest men of Assyria are the “elite” (New International Version, New American Bible), the most “important” (Contemporary English Version, New Century Version), the best of the Assyrians. All of them implies that she had sex with all the Assyrian officers who came to Samaria. This is an exaggeration, but it shows how wicked the woman was. This sentence may be rendered “She was a prostitute for [or, had sex with] all the most important men of Assyria.”

And she defiled herself with all the idols of every one on whom she doted: She made herself ritually unclean by worshiping all the idols of all the Assyrians she had sex with. For defiled herself, see 4.14; for on whom she doted, see Ezek 23.5; and for the Hebrew word rendered idols (“foul idols” in New Jerusalem Bible; “disgusting idols” in Contemporary English Version), see 6.4. This sentence may be translated “She made herself unfit for my presence by worshiping all the idols of every man she lusted after [or, desired to have sex with].”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .