1Ezekiel is brought in a vision of God to Jerusalem, 5and shewed the image of jealousy set up in the temple, 7the worship of the ancients in their chambers of imagery, 13the mourners for Tammuz, 16and the worshippers of the sun. 17God's wrath for their idolatry.
1AND it came to pass in the 1sixth year, in the 2sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in 3mine house, and the 4elders of Judah 5sat before me, that 6the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
1 Namely, after the carrying away of Jehoiachin. See Ezek. 1 on verse 2.
2 Called by the Hebrews Elul. See Neh. 6:15 and the annotation.
3 Namely, in Babylonia or Mesopotamia, among the Jews who were carried away captive.
4 That is, the rulers of the Jews. See Exod. 3:16; Lev. 4:15, and the annotations. Some understand those who dwelt in Jerusalem; others, those who dwelt there among the captives. Compare Ezek. 14:1; 20:1
5 Namely, hoping to receive some advice, counsel, instruction, or comfort concerning the state of the land of Judah, and of the church of God from the prophet. Compare Exod. 3:16; 2 Kings 6:32 and the annotations.
6 See Ezek. 1 on verse 3.
2Then I 7beheld, and lo a 8likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, 9fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance 10of brightness, as the colour of 11amber.
7 Namely, in the spirit, and in a trance. See of the prophetical visions Gen. 15 on verse 1; Gen. 46 on verse 2.
8 Namely, of the shape of a man.
9 Which signified God’s vengeance and just wrath which was kindled against the wickedness of the Jews. Compare Deut. 4 on verse 24.
10 Signifying God’s majesty and gracious kindness towards them who receive His Word with faith and reverence. See Ezek. 1 on verse 28.
11 See Ezek. 1 on verse 4.
3And 12he put forth thea form of an hand, and took me by 13a lock of mine head; and the 14spirit 15lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me 16in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner 17gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of 18the image of 19jealousy, which provoketh to 20jealousy.
12 Namely, which likeness and shape are described in the previous verse.
a Dan. 5:5.
13 Or, hair-locks.
14 That is, the Holy Spirit, Who showed him this vision. See Ezek. 1 on verse 12.
15 This was done in the spirit, not in the body, by a trance and not by change of places. For, the prophet explains himself right away by saying: in the visions of God. Compare Ezek. 11:24.
16 Namely, which God by His Spirit wrought in my mind. Also Ezek. 1:1; 40:2.
17 Or, inner court. This word is expressed in the Hebrew text in Ezek. 10:3. See of this court 1 Kings 6 on verse 36. Some understand this of the innermost part of the great court, called otherwise the people’s court; others of the entry of the great court. See verse 7.
18 It is conceived that this image was the image of Baal, unto whom Ahaz had set up an altar, 2 Kings 16:10, etc., which altar Hezekiah destroyed afterwards, but Manasseh set it up again, 2 Kings 21:3. Afterward it was again broken down by Josiah, and set up again by Jehoahaz and his brethren.
19 It is called as such because the idol worship performed unto it by the Jews provoked God to jealousy, that is, incensed and provoked Him to anger because the honor and the service, which duty His people were bound to give unto Him as their only Bridegroom, was tendered to this idol. See Exod. 20 on verse 5; Lev. 20 on verse 5.
20 Namely, the Lord. It is spoken after the manner of men. See Deut. 4 on verse 24.
4And, behold, 21the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the 22plain.b
21 See Ezek. 1 on verse 28.
22 See Ezek. 3 on verse 23.
b Ezek. 3:23.
5¶Then said 23he unto me, Son of man, lift up 24thine eyes now 25the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward 26at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
23 Namely, the Spirit, of Whom is spoken in verse 3.
24 Namely, the eyes of the spirit, not of the body. For, Ezekiel was not in Jerusalem according to the body, but in a trance.
25 Hebr. the way towards the north or northward.
26 Understand gate of the temple, by which gate the brazen altar (otherwise called the altar of the burnt offering) was to stand, according to God’s command, but now this image was placed there. Compare 2 Kings 16 on verse 14.
6He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even 27the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, 28that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and 29thou shalt see greater abominations.
27 Understand the abominable idolatry which they committed there to the honor of Baal.
28 The sense is: that the abominations which they committed would give Him cause to depart from His sanctuary.
29 Hebr. thou shalt return, thou shalt see, that is, thou shalt see again. See Num. 11 on verse 4. Other, turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
7¶And he brought me to the door of the 30court; and when I looked, behold a 31hole in the wall.
30 Namely, of the inner court; whereof see verse 3. Others understand the outer court.
31 Understand an opening in the wall, through which the prophet is commanded to dig and to make it bigger, in order that it became a door through which the prophet may go in, and see what was done within, which was all done in a vision of the spirit and not by any bodily act.
8Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, 32behold a door.
32 Or, there became a door, namely, which the Lord had made from that opening.
9And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
10So I went in and saw; and behold 33every form of creeping things, and 34abominable 35beasts, and all the 36idols of the house of Israel, 37pourtrayed upon the wall 38round about.
33 That is, of all sorts of shapes, forms or representations. The word every is often so taken. See Gen. 7 on verse 14. Likewise here in the sequel.
34 Hebr. beasts of abomination, that is, which are detestable, namely, not only because some of them may not be eaten, Leviticus 11, but because they were all of them an abomination in the sight of God by reason of the Divine honor which was given to them, Deut. 27:15.
35 The Hebrew word signifies four-footed creatures, not only tame, but also wild ones, and especially those which are of a large size. See Gen. 6 on verse 7.
36 See Lev. 26 on verse 30.
37 Namely, either by painting, or by engraving.
38 Or, quite round about. Hebr. round about round about.
11And there 39stood 40before them 41seventy men of the ancients of 42the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood 43Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a 44thick cloud of incense went up.
39 That is, they ministered unto those idolatrous images. See Deut. 10 on verse 8.
40 Namely, before the faces of the portrayed images.
41 Some understand by these seventy men, the seventy officers, Num. 11:16, whose president may have been Jaazaniah. But by these may be also understood other persons who were in authority among the people, either because of their age or office, or for any reason that they ought to be examples of good unto others.
42 That is, of the people of Judah. See Ezek. 7 on verse 2.
43 We read in Ezek. 11:1 of another Jaazaniah, who was the son of Azur.
44 Hebr. the plenty of a cloud, that is, a plentiful cloud or mist.
12Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do 45in the dark, every man in the 46chambers of his imageryc? for they say, 47Thed LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
45 That is, in secret and hidden places, according to the abominations of the heathen.
46 Hebr. inner chambers of his portraiture, that is, wherein every man had his idolatrous pictures which he honored in secret. This may be understood either of the chambers of the priests which were built about the temple, 1 Kings 6:5, or of the secret places which they had set apart in their houses for the service of idols.
c painted or carved images
47 This excuse they have pretended when they would give a reason why they served idols. Compare 2 Chron. 28:23; Jer. 44:18, etc. Moreover they declared thus, that they were not afraid of God’s wrath, because He minded them not, yea, saw them not, as being departed far from them. Compare Psalm 10:4, 11; 94:7.
d Ezek. 9:9.
13¶He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and 48thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
48 See on verse 6.
14Then he brought me 49to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat 50women weeping for 51Tammuz.
49 The place where this idolatry was practiced is conceived to have been by the gate of the priests’ court, in the chambers which were built about the temple for the priests. Into these chambers no women were permitted to come, but the prophet has seen them there.
50 Understand priestesses, whose idolatry was full of dishonesty and uncleanness committed to the honor of the idol Tammuz.
51 The name of a pagan idol, which by many is held to have been the idol of the Egyptians called Osiris, who had been the husband of one Isis, who, having lost this her husband in Egypt, caused him to be lamented every year by a kind of most filthy, unclean idolatry. Others understand the idol Adonis, with whom the heathen committed similar idolatry.
15¶Then 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 52inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between 53the porch and 54the altar, were about 55five and twenty men, with their backs toward 56the temple of the LORD, and their faces 57toward the east; and they 58worshipped the sun toward the east.
52 See on verse 3.
53 See hereof 1 Kings 6 on verse 3.
54 Namely, the altar of burnt offering. Others understand the altar of incense, which was in the holy place.
55 Which some conceive to have been those of whom mention is made in Ezek. 11:1, where they are called the princes of the people, that is, rulers and governors in the land.
56 That is, towards the holy place, and the Holy of Holies, wherein was the ark, a token of God’s gracious presence among that people.
57 That is, with their backs towards the west, just as the heathen were accustomed to worship their idols. But the Jews, when they worshipped God, were to turn their faces towards the west, where the ark of God was in the Holy of Holies.
58 That is, bowed themselves before the sun, and worshipped it with religious honor against the express command of God, Deut. 17:2, 3, etc.
17¶Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? 59Is 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 60violence, and have returned 61to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the 62branch to their nose.
59 This question implies a strong denial. See Gen. 18 on verse 17. The meaning is, that nothing was counted lighter by the Jews; though these abominations committed against the first table were of all others the most grievous and the most displeasing to God; but there was no commandment so great, but the Jews counted it a light thing to transgress against it.
60 That is, with oppression of the innocent and poor, which is done either in public by judgment, or in private by all manner of wrong and injury.
61 Namely, by idolatry, whereby they provoke Me to jealousy, and profane My temple.
62 Or, boughs, or, shoots. The Hebrew word is so taken in Num. 13:23; Ezek. 15:2. Namely, to the honor of the sun, which they worship because it cherishes and ripens the fruits. This place is differently expounded.
18Therefore will I also deal in fury: minee eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, 63yetf will I not hear them.
e Ezek. 5:11; 7:4.
63 Namely, because their prayers shall not proceed from a true and lively faith, nor be joined with true repentance, but only wrung from them by a sense of present misery and feeling, and fear of greater punishment, without any firm resolution of true amendment.
f Prov. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 11:11.