Place Old Testament
Shoa
Shoa was a people group mentioned along with the Babylonians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians in Ezekiel's prophecy against Jerusalem (Ezek. 23:23). Mentioned once in Scripture, at Ezekiel 23:23.
Why it matters. People group mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy
- Primary passages
- Location
- 34.798, 48.515 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Shoa
Shoa is mentioned briefly in the book of Ezekiel, in the context of a prophecy against Jerusalem and its unfaithfulness to God (Ezek. 23:23). In this prophecy, Ezekiel uses the metaphor of two sisters, Oholah (representing Samaria) and Oholibah (representing Jerusalem), who engaged in prostitution with various nations. Among the nations mentioned are the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, and the people of Shoa. The exact identity and location of Shoa are uncertain, but it is likely that they were a people group from the region of Mesopotamia or the Arabian Peninsula. Some scholars propose that Shoa may be a reference to the Sutu, a nomadic people mentioned in Assyrian and Babylonian texts. The inclusion of Shoa in this list of nations highlights the extent of Jerusalem's spiritual unfaithfulness and its alliances with foreign powers. The prophecy warns of the judgment that will come upon Jerusalem for its sins, as God will bring these nations against the city to execute His punishment.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Ezekiel (1 verse)