Ezekiel 8:5

Pagan Practices in the Temple

5 The Lord said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." I looked to the north, and there was this offensive statue north of the altar gate, at the entrance.

Ezekiel 8:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 8:5

Then said he unto me, son of man
That is, the glorious Person described above in this vision, the glorious God of Israel, seen by the prophet in the temple, he spoke unto him, calling him son of man; a name by which he often goes in this prophecy: lift up thine eyes now toward the north;
of the mountain of the house without the court, as Jarchi interprets it: so I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north:
being obedient to the heavenly vision: and behold northward at the gate of the altar;
at the northern gate of the inner court, where was the altar of burnt offering, brought by Ahaz; to the north of the altar he built in imitation of that at Damascus, ( 2 Kings 16:10-14 ) ; and here stood this image of jealousy in the entry;
or the image of this jealousy; the image before mentioned, which provoked the Lord to jealousy; this stood at the entry of the northern gate, which led into the inner court, and to the altar.

Ezekiel 8:5 In-Context

3 He stretched out what appeared to be a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces north, where the offensive statue that provokes jealousy was located.

4 I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, like the vision I had seen in the plain.

5 The Lord said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." I looked to the north, and there was this offensive statue north of the altar gate, at the entrance.

6 He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here, so that I must depart from My sanctuary? You will see even greater abominations."

7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked there was a hole in the wall.