Ezekiel 8:5-15

5 Then he said to me, "Human being, raise your eyes toward the north." I raised my eyes toward the north and saw, north of the Altar Gate, this image that [arouses God's] jealousy in the entryway.

6 He asked me, "Human being, do you see what they are doing, the horribly disgusting practices that the house of Isra'el is committing here, so that I must distance myself from my own sanctuary? But you will see even worse abominations."

7 He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard; and when I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.

8 He said to me, "Human being, dig into the wall." After digging in the wall, I saw a door.

9 "Go in," he said, "and see the wicked practices they are engaged in here."

10 So I went in and looked, and there, carved on the walls all around, were every kind of reptile and repulsive animal, along with all the idols of the house of Isra'el.

11 Standing in front of them were seventy of the leading men of the house of Isra'el - in the center stood Ya'azanyahu the son of Shafan. Each man had his incense-burner in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.

12 Then he said to me, "Human being, did you see what the leaders of the house of Isra'el are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his own carved image, because they say, 'ADONAI can't see us; ADONAI has left the land.'?"

13 He also said to me, "You will see even worse abominations that they are doing."

14 He brought me to the entrance of the north gate to ADONAI's house; and there before me were women weeping for Tammuz.

15 "Human being," he asked me, "have you seen this? You will see practices even more disgusting than these."

Ezekiel 8:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

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.