Ezekiel 8:5

5 Then he said unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

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 And that likeness put forth his hand and took me by the locks of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the heaven and the earth and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looks toward the north where the habitation of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy.

4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there like the vision that I saw in the plain.

5 Then he said unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here to cause me to go far away from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.

7 And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.