Yǐsījiēshū 8

1 Dì liù nián liù yuè chū wǔ rì , wǒ zuò zaì jiā zhōng . Yóudà de zhòng zhǎnglǎo zuò zaì wǒ miànqián . zaì nàli zhǔ Yēhéhuá de líng ( yuánwén zuò shǒu ) jiàng zaì wǒ shēnshang .

2 Wǒ guānkàn , jiàn yǒu xíngxiàng fǎngfú huǒ de xíngzhuàng , cóng tā yào yǐxià de xíngzhuàng yǒu huǒ , cóng tā yào yǐshàng yǒu guāng huī de xíngzhuàng , fǎngfú guāng yào de jīng jīn .

3 Tā shēn chū fǎngfú yī zhǐ shǒu de yàngshì , zhuāzhù wǒde yī liǔ tóufa , líng jiù jiāng wǒ jǔ dào tiāndì zhōngjiān , zaì shén de yìxiàng zhōng , daì wǒ dào Yēlùsǎlĕng zhāo bĕi de neì yuàn ménkǒu , zaì nàli yǒu chù dòng zhǔ nù ǒuxiàng de zuò wèi , jiù shì rĕ dòng jì xié de .

4 Shuí zhī , zaì nàli yǒu Yǐsèliè shén de róngyào , xíngzhuàng yǔ wǒ zaì píngyuán suǒ jiàn de yíyàng .

5 Shén duì wǒ shuō , Rénzǐ a , nǐ jǔmù xiàng bĕi guānkàn . wǒ jiù jǔmù xiàng bĕi guānkàn , jiàn jìtán mén de bĕibiān zaì ménkǒu yǒu zhè rĕ jì xié de ǒuxiàng .

6 Yòu duì wǒ shuō , Rénzǐ a , Yǐsèliè jiā suǒ xíng de , jiù shì zaì cǐ xíng zhè dà kĕ zēng de shì , shǐ wǒ yuǎn lí wǒde shèng suǒ , nǐ kànjian le ma . nǐ hái yào kànjian Lìng yǒu dà kĕ zēng de shì .

7 Tā lǐng wǒ dào yuàn ménkǒu . wǒ guānkàn , jiàn qiáng shang yǒu gè kūlóng .

8 Tā duì wǒ shuō , Rénzǐ a , nǐ yào wā qiáng . wǒ yī wā qiáng , jiàn yǒu yī mén .

9 Tā shuō , nǐ jìn qù , kàn tāmen zaì zhèlǐ suǒ xíng kĕ zēng de è shì .

10 Wǒ jìn qù yī kàn , shuí zhī , zaì sìmiàn qiáng shang huà zhe gèyàng pá wù hé kĕ zēng de zǒushòu , bìng Yǐsèliè jiā yīqiè de ǒuxiàng .

11 Zaì zhèxie xiàng qián yǒu Yǐsèliè jiā de qī shí gè zhǎnglǎo zhàn lì , shā fān de érzi yǎ sā ní yà yĕ zhàn zaì qízhōng . gèrén shǒu ná xiāng lú , yān yún de xiāngqì shang téng .

12 Tā duì wǒ shuō , Rénzǐ a , Yǐsèliè jiā de zhǎnglǎo ànzhōng zaì gèrén huà xiàng wū lǐ suǒ xíng de , nǐ kànjian le ma . tāmen cháng shuō , Yēhéhuá kàn bú jiàn wǒmen . Yēhéhuá yǐjing lí qì zhè dì .

13 Tā yòu shuō , nǐ hái yào kànjian tāmen Lìngwaì xíng dà kĕ zēng de shì .

14 Tā lǐng wǒ dào Yēhéhuá diàn waì yuàn zhāo bĕi de ménkǒu . shuí zhī , zaì nàli yǒu fùnǚ zuò zhe , wèi dā mó sī kūqì .

15 Tā duì wǒ shuō , Rénzǐ a , nǐ kànjian le ma . nǐ hái yào kànjian bǐ zhè gèng kĕ zēng de shì .

16 Tā yòu lǐng wǒ dào Yēhéhuá diàn de neì yuàn . shuí zhī , zaì Yēhéhuá de diàn ménkǒu , lángzi hé jìtán zhōngjiān , yuē yǒu èr shí wǔ gèrén bēi xiàng Yēhéhuá de diàn , miàn xiàng dōngfāng baì rìtou .

17 Tā duì wǒ shuō , Rénzǐ a , nǐ kànjian le ma . Yóudà jiā zaì cǐ xíng zhè kĕ zēng de shì hái suàn wèi xiǎo ma . tāmen zaì zhè dì biàn xíng qiángbào , zaì sān rĕ wǒ fānù , tāmen shǒu ná zhī tiaó jǔ xiàng bí qián .

18 Yīncǐ , wǒ yĕ yào yǐ fèn nù xíngshì , wǒ yǎn bì bù gù xī , yĕ bùkĕ lián tāmen . tāmen suī xiàng wǒ ĕr zhōng dàshēng hū qiú , wǒ háishì bù tīng .

Yǐsījiēshū 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The idolatries committed by the Jewish rulers. (1-6) The superstitions to which the Jews were then devoted, the Egyptian. (7-12) The Phoenician. (13,14) The Persian. (15,16) The heinousness of their sin. (17,18)

Verses 1-6 The glorious personage Ezekiel beheld in vision, seemed to take hold upon him, and he was conveyed in spirit to Jerusalem. There, in the inner court of the temple, was prepared a place for some base idol. The whole was presented in vision to the prophet. If it should please God to give any man a clear view of his glory and majesty, and of all the abominations committing in any one city, he would then admit the justice of the severest punishments God should inflict thereon.

Verses 7-12 A secret place was, as it were, opened, where the prophet saw creatures painted on the walls, and a number of the elders of Israel worshipped before them. No superiority in worldly matters will preserve men from lust, or idolatries, when they are left to their own deceitful hearts; and those who are soon wearied in the service of God, often grudge no toil nor expense when following their superstitions. When hypocrites screen themselves behind the wall of an outward profession, there is some hole or other left in the wall, something that betrays them to those who look diligently. There is a great deal of secret wickedness in the world. They think themselves out of God's sight. But those are ripe indeed for ruin, who lay the blame of their sins upon the Lord.

Verses 13-18 The yearly lamenting for Tammuz was attended with infamous practices; and the worshippers of the sun here described, are supposed to have been priests. The Lord appeals to the prophet concerning the heinousness of the crime; "and lo, they put the branch to their nose," denoting some custom used by idolaters in honour of the idols they served. The more we examine human nature and our own hearts, the more abominations we shall discover; and the longer the believer searches himself, the more he will humble himself before God, and the more will he value the fountain open for sin, and seek to wash therein.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 8

This chapter contains a vision the prophet had of the idolatry of the Jews, which was the cause of their destruction. The time when, place, where, and persons with whom he was, when the hand of the Lord came upon him, are mentioned, Eze 8:1; then follows a description of the divine Person that appeared to him, Eze 8:2; and an account is given how he was in a visionary way brought to Jerusalem, and to the temple, where he saw the glory of the God of Israel, and the idolatry of the people, Eze 8:3,4; which latter was gradually represented to him; first the image of jealousy in the entry at the gate of the altar northward, Eze 8:5; then greater abominations through a hole in the wall, by which he saw their idols, in the form of reptiles and four footed beasts, portrayed on the wall, Eze 8:6-10; next seventy of the ancients of Israel, among whom were one mentioned by name, offering incense to these idols, Eze 8:11,12; after this, greater abominations still are showed him, at the north of the temple, women weeping for Tammuz, Eze 8:13,14; and then again far greater ones, twenty five men, between the porch and the altar, with their backs to the temple, and their face to the east, worshipping the sun, and putting the branch to the nose, Eze 8:15-17; wherefore it is reasoned to deal with them in fury, without any mercy, pity, and compassion, Eze 8:18.