Ezekiel 8
CHAPTER 8
This eighth chapter begins a new stage of Ezekiel's prophecies and continues to the end of the eleventh chapter. The connected visions at Ezekiel 3:12-7:27' comprehended Judah and Israel; but the visions (Ezekiel 8:1-11:25') refer immediately to Jerusalem and the remnant of Judah under Zedekiah, as distinguished from the Babylonian exiles.
1. sixth year--namely, of the captivity of Jehoiachin, as in Ezekiel 1:2 , the "fifth year" is specified. The lying on his sides three hundred ninety and forty days ( Ezekiel 4:5 Ezekiel 4:6 ) had by this time been completed, at least in vision. That event was naturally a memorable epoch to the exiles; and the computation of years from it was to humble the Jews, as well as to show their perversity in not having repented, though so long and severely chastised.
elders--namely, those carried away with Jehoiachin, and now at the Chebar.
sat before me--to hear the word of God from me, in the absence of the temple and other public places of Sabbath worship, during the exile ( Ezekiel 33:30 Ezekiel 33:31 ). It was so ordered that they were present at the giving of the prophecy, and so left without excuse.
hand of . . . Lord God fell . . . upon me--God's mighty operation fell, like a thunderbolt, upon me (in Ezekiel 1:3 , it is less forcible, "was upon him"); whatever, therefore, he is to utter is not his own, for he has put off the mere man, while the power of God reigns in him [CALVIN].
2. likeness--understand, "of a man," that is, of Messiah, the Angel of the covenant, in the person of whom alone God manifests Himself ( Ezekiel 1:26 , John 1:18 ). The "fire," from "His loins downward," betokens the vengeance of God kindled against the wicked Jews, while searching and purifying the remnant to be spared. The "brightness . . . upward" betokens His unapproachable majesty ( 1 Timothy 6:16 ). For Hebrew, eesh, "fire," the Septuagint, &c., read ish, "a man."
colour of amber--the glitter of chasmal [FAIRBAIRN],
3. Instead of prompting him to address directly the elders before him, the Spirit carried him away in vision (not in person bodily) to the temple at Jerusalem; he proceeds to report to them what he witnessed: his message thus falls into two parts: (1) The abominations reported in Ezekiel 8:1-18 . (2) The dealings of judgment and mercy to be adopted towards the impenitent and penitent Israelites respectively (Ezekiel 9:1-11:25'). The exiles looked hopefully towards Jerusalem and, so far from believing things there to be on the verge of ruin, expected a return in peace; while those left in Jerusalem eyed the exiles with contempt, as if cast away from the Lord, whereas they themselves were near God and ensured in the possessions of the land ( Ezekiel 11:15 ). Hence the vision here of what affected those in Jerusalem immediately was a seasonable communication to the exiles away from it.
door of the inner gate--facing the north, the direction in which he came from Chebar, called the "altar-gate" ( Ezekiel 8:5 ); it opened into the inner court, wherein stood the altar of burnt offering; the inner court ( 1 Kings 6:36 ) was that of the priests; the outer court ( Ezekiel 10:5 ), that of the people, where they assembled.
seat--the pedestal of the image.
image of jealousy--Astarte, or Asheera (as the Hebrew for "grove" ought to be translated, 2 Kings 21:3 2 Kings 21:7 , 2 Kings 23:4 2 Kings 23:7 ), set up by Manasseh as a rival to Jehovah in His temple, and arresting the attention of all worshippers as they entered; it was the Syrian Venus, worshipped with licentious rites; the "queen of heaven," wife of Phoenician Baal. HAVERNICK thinks all the scenes of idolatry in the chapter are successive portions of the festival held in honor of Tammuz or Adonis ( Ezekiel 8:14 ). Probably, however, the scenes are separate proofs of Jewish idolatry, rather than restricted to one idol.
provoketh to jealousy--calleth for a visitation in wrath of the "jealous God," who will not give His honor to another (compare the second commandment, Exodus 20:5 ). JEROME refers this verse to a statue of Baal, which Josiah had overthrown and his successors had replaced.