Ezekiel 8

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 8

1¶ And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, [as] I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.

2Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

3And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where [was] the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

4And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel [was] there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

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

6He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? [even] the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations.

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

8Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

9And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.

10So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.

11And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.

12Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

13¶ He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.

14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which [was] toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen [this], O son of man? turn thee yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations than these.

16And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were] about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen [this], O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

18Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, [yet] will I not hear them.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

In a divine vision, Ezekiel is transported to Jerusalem, where he witnesses a series of escalating abominations committed within the temple precincts. He first observes the "image of jealousy," then seventy elders secretly worshipping idols in a hidden chamber, followed by women weeping for Tammuz. Finally, he sees twenty-five men in the inner court worshipping the sun with their backs to the temple. The Lord declares His intent to deal with them in fury, without pity, due to their profound idolatry and violence.

Medium Summary

In the sixth year of his captivity, Ezekiel experiences a profound divine vision, wherein the spirit transports him to Jerusalem's temple. There, he is shown the "image of jealousy" at the inner gate, symbolizing the idolatry that provokes God. He is then led to a hidden chamber where seventy elders of Israel are secretly burning incense to various idols of creeping things and abominable beasts, mistakenly believing the Lord does not see them. Next, Ezekiel witnesses women at the temple gate engaging in the pagan ritual of weeping for Tammuz. Finally, in the inner court, he observes twenty-five men turning their backs on the temple to worship the sun toward the east. The Lord expresses His profound anger over these escalating acts of idolatry and violence, declaring that He will execute judgment without mercy or hearing their pleas.

Long Summary

In the sixth year, while Ezekiel sat with the elders of Judah, the hand of the Lord God fell upon him, and he beheld a fiery, bright likeness. A divine hand then lifted him by his hair, and the spirit carried him in visions to Jerusalem, specifically to the inner gate facing north, where the "image of jealousy" was situated, provoking God to anger. The glory of the God of Israel was present, mirroring a previous vision. The Lord commanded Ezekiel to observe the great abominations committed by the house of Israel that caused Him to depart from His sanctuary, promising to reveal even greater transgressions. Ezekiel was first led to a hidden entrance in the court wall; after digging, he entered a secret chamber where he saw the walls covered with portrayals of creeping things, abominable beasts, and various idols of Israel. Seventy elders, including Jaazaniah, stood before these images, offering incense in the dark, under the delusion that the Lord did not see them and had forsaken the earth. Next, Ezekiel was shown women at the north gate of the Lord's house, engaged in the pagan ritual of weeping for Tammuz. The Lord then revealed yet greater abominations, bringing Ezekiel into the inner court. There, between the porch and the altar, approximately twenty-five men were seen with their backs to the temple of the Lord, facing eastward, actively worshipping the sun. The Lord questioned whether these acts were trivial to Judah, highlighting their pervasive violence and their deliberate provocation of His anger. Consequently, the Lord declared His unwavering resolve to deal with them in fury, stating that His eye would not spare, nor would He have pity, and He would not hear their cries, however loud.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Vision and TransportEzekiel is transported by the spirit in a vision from his house to Jerusalem, specifically to the temple precincts, to witness the abominations committed there. This highlights the direct and supernatural nature of God's revelation to His prophet.
  • Image of JealousyA specific idol or symbol placed at the temple gate, explicitly described as provoking the Lord to jealousy. This signifies a direct affront to God's exclusive claim to worship and His covenant with Israel.
  • Secret Idolatry of EldersSeventy elders of Israel, including a prominent figure, are depicted secretly worshipping various animal and idol images in a hidden chamber within the temple court. Their belief that the Lord does not see them underscores their profound spiritual blindness and moral corruption.
  • Weeping for TammuzWomen at the north gate of the Lord's house are observed engaging in a pagan mourning ritual for Tammuz, a Mesopotamian deity. This demonstrates the deep infiltration of foreign religious practices into Israelite worship, even at the temple itself.
  • Sun WorshipApproximately twenty-five men, positioned between the porch and the altar in the inner court, are seen with their backs to the temple, facing eastward to worship the sun. This represents a direct and egregious rejection of the Lord and His sanctuary in favor of pagan astral worship.
  • Escalation of AbominationsThe chapter systematically presents three increasingly severe forms of idolatry and paganism, moving from a public symbol to secret rituals, and finally to direct sacrilege within the temple's inner court. This progression illustrates the deepening spiritual apostasy of Judah.
  • God's Fury and JudgmentThe Lord expresses His intense anger and unwavering resolve to execute judgment without pity or hearing their pleas, directly linking the observed abominations to His impending wrath. This emphasizes the certainty and severity of divine retribution for their transgressions.