Ezekiel 8:5

Eze 8:5 Then 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.

Ver. 5. The way toward the north.] Where was the greatest concourse of idolaters.

At the gate of the altar.] Why so called, see 2Ki 16:14.

This image of jealousy in the entry.] Idolatry committed in God’s own temple was most abominable, as when an adulteress hath her gallants under her husband’s nose, Messalina-like.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

EZEKIEL SEES IN VISION THE WICKEDNESS OF THE CITY, AND HEARS THE SENTENCE OF JEHOVAH UPON IT, Eze_8:5-18.

5. Lift up thine eyes… toward the north — “The northern entrance was the most frequented, partly because the royal palace and buildings lay to the south and east, and the west was inclosed by the buildings of the temple itself.” — Davidson. It was the north gate which Ezekiel had entered (Eze_8:3) and he is now commanded to pause and look back to the gate through which he had just come and once more consider the heinousness of the abomination of placing within the sacred precincts that which Jehovah had expressly forbidden (Exo_20:2).

The gate of the altar — This probably was a technical name for the northern gate. The altar was within the next court, but from this gate the view would perhaps be unimpeded. The law provided that the sacrifices should be slain on the north side of the altar (Lev_1:5; Lev_1:11), and probably it was through this gate that the victims were brought into the temple. (See Temple Plan, p. 209.)

In the entry — It was in the most prominent place and in full view. There was an “entry” connected with each court (Jer_38:14).

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

First Abomination-Picture

Eze 8:5. And He said to me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now towards the north. And I lifted up my eyes towards the north, and, behold, to the north of the gate of the altar was this image of jealousy at the entrance. Eze 8:6. And He said to me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? great abominations, which the house of Israel doeth here, that I may go far away from my sanctuary; and thou shalt yet again see greater abominations still. - As Ezekiel had taken his stand in the inner court at the entrance of the north gate, and when looking thence towards the north saw the image of jealousy to the north of the altar gate, the image must have stood on the outer side of the entrance, so that the prophet saw it as he looked through the open doorway. The altar gate is the same as the northern gate of the inner court mentioned in Ezekiel 3. But it is impossible to state with certainty how it came to be called the altar gate. Possibly from the circumstance that the sacrificial animals were taken through this gate to the altar, to be slaughtered on the northern side of the altar, according to Lev 1:4; Lev 5:11, etc. מהם, contracted from מה־הם, like מזּה from מה זה in Exo 4:2. The words "what they are doing here" do not force us to assume that at that very time they were worshipping the idol. They simply describe what was generally practised there. The setting up of the image involved the worship of it. The subject to לרחקה is not the house of Israel, but Jehovah. They perform great abominations, so that Jehovah is compelled to go to a distance from His sanctuary, i.e., to forsake it (cf. Eze 11:23), because they make it an idol-temple.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

That is, in the court where the people had made an altar to Baal.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

gate of . . . altar--the principal avenue to the altar of burnt offering; as to the northern position, see Kg2 16:14. Ahaz had removed the brazen altar from the front of the Lord's house to the north of the altar which he had himself erected. The locality of the idol before God's own altar enhances the heinousness of the sin.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Here one profanation of the temple, is shown to the Prophet, namely, the idol erected at the entrance of the area near the altar. It may happen that the worship of God is but slightly vitiated, so that the corruption is scarcely apparent. But while the Prophet repeats that the idol was that of jealousy, lie points out the gross and shameful disgrace of that spectacle, so that they could not gloss over their impiety by any pretense, after they had so openly and confessedly revolted from the law of God. But when he is ordered to raise his eyes to the way of the north, this also avails for the confirmation of his teaching. For if the Prophet had turned his eyes that way of his own accord, his looking that way would have been of less moment, but when God directs his eyes by express command, the reproach which afterwards follows has more weight. This, therefore, is the reason why the Prophet did not cast his eyes of his own accord towards the idol, as he might have done, but was admonished by God to do so. Meanwhile it appears with what docility he obeyed God’s commands. He puts these two things together, that he was ordered to raise his eyes, and that he immediately did so We see here that he was so obedient to God’s command, that he did not delay but instantly obeyed it. He says, the idol was near the gate of the altar, which circumstance exaggerates the crime. If the idol had been erected in any remote corner it would have been an intolerable sacrilege, though the modesty of the Jews had been greater: but when they erected the idol before the altar they flew as it were in the very face of God. If an immodest woman runs after an adulterer, her husband is justly enraged; but if she brings him before her husband, and wantons with him before his eyes, and prostitutes herself to all crimes, then certainly such wanton lust cannot be endured. But such was the audacity of the people, that when the idol was erected before the gate of the altar it seemed like wishing to dethrone the Almighty, and to contaminate his altar by the sight of the idol. It follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(5) The way toward the north.—This shows that Ezekiel in his vision was within the court of the priests, as otherwise he could not have looked toward the north to see the idol in the north gate. He had already seen this; but now his attention is directed to it particularly. It was not enough that he should see it; it was to be especially pointed out as a part of the reason for the Divine judgments. The expression, “Gate of the altar,” may find an additional explanation in the fact mentioned in 2Ki_16:14, that Ahaz removed the altar towards the north, and thus would have placed it very near this gate.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. gate of the altar] Is probably the northern inner gate. The northern entrance was the most frequented, partly because the royal palace and buildings lay to the south and east, and the west was closed by the buildings of the temple itself. In Lev_1:4 the sacrificial victims are commanded to be slaughtered on the north side of the altar.

in the entry] The image was situated on the north of the altar gate, and the words in or at the entry are to be taken somewhat generally. The words are wanting in LXX.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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, Kg2 16:10; 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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Then; when he had in vision brought me hither.

Lift up thine eyes; observe diligently and exactly every thing which thou mayst see northward first.

The gate of the altar; so called, because Ahaz had removed it from the middle of the court, where by God’s command it was placed by Solomon; but now Ahaz setting it near this north gate, it gave name to the gate or possibly because of an altar erected there to some idol by Manasseh.

Image of jealousy: see Eze 8:3, &c.

In the entry; in the very midst of the court, in the very passage to the temple, to affront the worship of God.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Northward - Ahaz had removed it from the middle of the court and set it near this north gate, to which it gave name. Entry - In the very passage to the temple, to affront the worship of God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Son of man

The combined purport of the four visions of profanation in Ezekiel 8, is idolatry set up in the entire temple, even in the holy of holies Eze 8:10; Eze 8:11 women given over to phallic cults Eze 8:14 and nature-worship Exo 8:16.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Various Abominations

v. 5. Then said He unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north, to the left of the direction in which the Temple faced. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north and behold northward, at the Gate of the Altar, probably just outside the entrance, this image of jealousy in the entry, the idol which filled the Lord with such deep resentment and anger.

v. 6. He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? namely, the members of the house of Israel in erecting and worshiping a picture devoted to idolatry. Even the great abominations that the house of Israel, the members of the covenant nation, committeth here, that I should go far off from My Sanctuary? being obliged to forsake His own seat of worship on account of the fact that it was now entirely devoted to idolatrous practices. The north gate of the Temple was called the Gate of the Altar probably because the sacrificial animals were brought in there, to be slaughtered near this entrance. But turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.

v. 7. And He brought me to the door of the court, very likely the northern entrance to the outer court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall, in that portion of the wall which divided the courts.

v. 8. Then said He unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall, enlarging the hole which he saw before him; and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. Some commentators think that the text speaks of an opening which had been made contrary to the Law to admit such people to the inner court as had no right to enter, and that this opening had been blocked up during Josiah’s reformation.

v. 9. And He said unto me, Go in and behold the wicked abominations that they do here, the idolatrous customs which they practiced.

v. 10. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, of reptiles, worms, and similar animals, Lev 11:29-32. and abominable beasts, such as were regarded as Leviticallv unclean, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about, after the manner of decorative painting indulged in by heathen, especially by Egyptians.

v. 11. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, a number which is found also elsewhere for representative bodies among time people of the covenant, 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, as all these men were deeply engrossed with their idolatrous worship. The picture was a representation of what was done throughout the nation, in the form of secret idolatry, in various abominable cults which had gained a foothold in the country.

v. 12. Then said He unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, in the secrecy of these hidden cells, every man in the chambers of his imagery? where idolatrous pictures were painted on the walls and other evidences of idolatrous abominations were freely exposed. For they say, The Lord seeth us not, not being aware of their transgression; the Lord hath forsaken the earth, having withdrawn His merciful presence from His people. Thus they denied both the omniscience and the omnipresence of God.

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

v. 14. Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north, where the outer court of the Temple opened toward the outside, and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz, an idol identified with the Adonis of the Greeks, whose festival, celebrated in June, was celebrated with immoral excesses. This public weeping for a heathen idol of this kind characterizes the state of affairs among the women of Israel at that time.

v. 15. Then said He unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? being duly impressed with the heinousness of the abominations practiced by people who would be regarded the nation of the Lord. Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these, some which challenged the Lord’s punishment in a still greater degree.

v. 16. And He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, to the Court of the Priests, immediately before the sanctuary of the Temple, and, behold, at the door of the Temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, the most sacred part of the inner court, forbidden to all but the priests, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, as though ignoring or despising the Sanctuary altogether, and their faces toward the east, away from the Holy Place and from the altar of burnt offerings; and they worship the sun toward the east, in the idolatrous worship practiced by many heathen, as they gave divine honor to the lights of the heavens.

v. 17. Then He said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? this open denial of the one true God. 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, in thus heaping guilt upon guilt by utterly disregarding the rights of their neighbors, and have returned to provoke Me to anger; and, lo, they put the branch to their nose, apparently in a gesture or act expressing their utter contempt for the true worship of Jehovah, and that in the very Temple dedicated to Him.

v. 18. Therefore will I also deal in fury; Mine eye shall not spare, in showing them any measure of mercy, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in Mine ears with a loud voice, in an attempt to influence the Lord to show them a favor, yet will I not hear them. Open and vicious sinners will finally place themselves in a position where they are outside the pale of God’s mercy, when even repentance conies too late.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

The "figure like a man" (Ezekiel 8:2) speaks to Ezekiel.

Son of man

"Son of a human being" or "Son of humanity." God calls Ezekiel this to emphasize that Ezekiel is only a human being. God is eternal and powerful, but humans are not. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 2:1. AT: "Mortal person" or "Human" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

lift up your eyes ... lifted up my eyes

This idiom means that he should look towards something. AT: "look up ... looked up" or "turn your head and look ... turned my head and looked" (See: Idiom)

gate leading to the altar

"gate through which people would walk so they could go to the altar"

do you see what they are doing?

God uses this question to bring Ezekiel's attention to what the people were doing. AT: "I want you to understand why I hate what the people here are doing." (See: Rhetorical Question)

the house of Israel

The word "house" is a metonym for the family that lives in the house, in this case the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob over many years. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 3:1. AT: "the Israelites" or "the Israelite people group" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

Son of Man

gate

altar

false god

jealous

abomination

house

sanctuary

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

“Now lift your eyes northward” Toward the Temple Mount, outside the court. For he [already] was standing outside the northern entrance of the court, and north of the gate is [farther] outside the court.

from the north of the gate of the altar On the Temple Mount, from the north of that northern gate of the court, and I say that that gate was exactly in line with the gate of the altar.

at the entrance Heb. בַּבִאָה. When a person comes to enter the court, he finds it there; a l’entree in French, at the entrance.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.