Ezekiel 43:8 kjv
In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.
Ezekiel 43:8 nkjv
When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger.
Ezekiel 43:8 niv
When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger.
Ezekiel 43:8 esv
by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger.
Ezekiel 43:8 nlt
They put their idol altars right next to mine with only a wall between them and me. They defiled my holy name by such detestable sin, so I consumed them in my anger.
Ezekiel 43 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 43:8 | and by placing their threshold by my threshold, and their doorpost beside my doorpost, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they committed. | Holiness of God's Name |
| Exodus 20:3 | You shall have no other gods before me. | Prohibition of Idolatry |
| Leviticus 10:3 | And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has commanded when He said, ‘By those who come near Me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” | Sanctification of God's Name |
| Isaiah 6:1-3 | ...holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! | God's absolute holiness |
| Jeremiah 7:9-11 | Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I have seen it, declares the Lord. | Defiling the Temple |
| Psalm 114:2 | Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. | Israel as God's possession |
| Acts 7:48-50 | “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’” | God's presence is not confined to man-made structures |
| 1 Corinthians 3:16 | Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? | Believers as God's Temple |
| 1 Corinthians 6:19 | Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, | Individual Believers as God's Temple |
| 2 Corinthians 6:16 | What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” | Separation from Idolatry |
| Revelation 21:22 | And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. | New Jerusalem's Temple |
| Ezekiel 43:7 | He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their prostitutions and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places," | Continuation of theme: no defilement of God's dwelling |
| Ezekiel 8:3-18 | (The vision of abominations in the Temple, showing the cause of God's judgment.) | Previous context of defilement |
| Psalm 132:14 | The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation: | God's desire for His dwelling |
| Amos 7:9 | The high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. | Consequences of Idolatry |
| Hosea 8:1-3 | Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle rushes against the house of the Lord because they have transgressed my covenant and rebelled against my law. To me they cry, “Our God, we—Israel—know you.” Israel has cast off what is good; let an enemy pursue him. | Israel's rebellion and its consequence |
| Leviticus 26:31 | I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate... | Punishment for disobedience |
| Nahum 3:4 | Because of the many harlotries of the harlot, agreeable and graceful, the mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations into her harlotry and families into her witchcraft. | Spiritual prostitution |
| Romans 12:1 | I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | Presenting oneself as holy |
| Revelation 18:5 | For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. | Judgment on sinfulness |
Ezekiel 43 verses
Ezekiel 43 8 Meaning
This verse speaks to the profanation of God's holy mountain, Zion, through the idolatry and evil practices of Israel. The presence of the dead bodies and carcasses signifies spiritual defilement, where human sin has rendered sacred space impure. God declares that Israel has "defiled" and "polluted" His sanctuary by their abominations, bringing impurity to His house.
Ezekiel 43 8 Context
Ezekiel chapter 43 returns to the vision of the restored Temple. In the preceding verses, the prophet is shown the glory of God returning to the house. However, this verse highlights the past reasons for God's departure and judgment: the profound defilement of the sanctuary by Israel's idolatrous practices and symbolic adjacency to pagan worship. The mention of thresholds and doorposts signifies a deliberate encroaching of pagan practices into the sacred space, a spatial metaphor for the spiritual trespass. This verse explains the divine decree presented in verse 7 and reinforces the severity of Israel's transgressions, which led to the desolation described in earlier parts of the book. The historical context is the Babylonian exile, a direct consequence of Israel's sustained rebellion and idolatry, which rendered their physical Temple unusable and eventually destroyed.
Ezekiel 43 8 Word Analysis
wə·ʿă·ḇō·ṯāw (וְעַבֹתָו): And their abominations.
- 'aboth (אָבוֹת) refers to things that are disgusting or detestable, particularly in the context of religious practice. It is frequently used to describe idolatrous practices and violations of God's law (Deuteronomy 12:31).
mā·šə·ḥū (מָשְׁחוּ): they defiled.
- The root concept is to anoint or to smear. In this context, it carries the connotation of making something impure, rendering it profane, and unfit for holy use (Leviticus 21:10-15).
ṯô·ḵə·pəṯ- (תּוֹכֶפֶת): threshold.
- This refers to the stone or structure forming the base of a doorway. Placing their threshold by God's indicates a joining or mingling of their profane practices with divine presence (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
qě·rō·ḇ- (קְרֹב): beside.
- Denotes nearness or proximity. This highlights the intentional cohabitation or syncretism of Israelite worship with idolatrous customs.
mā·zi·ḥîm (מַזִּיחִים): they polluted.
- This word carries the sense of causing a spiritual stain or tarnish, to desecrate, and to render something common or unclean (Leviticus 15:31).
šə·mî ṯî- (שְׁמִי): my name.
- Refers to God's reputation and honor. Defiling His name means to act in a way that brings disgrace or dishonor to Him (Leviticus 18:21).
miq·ḏā·šî (מִקְדָּשִׁי): my sanctuary.
- The holy place designated for God's dwelling, a place set apart from the profane (Exodus 25:8).
Group analysis: "placing their threshold by my threshold, and their doorpost beside my doorpost"
- This imagery suggests a spatial mingling and syncretism of pagan worship with true worship in the very vicinity of God's sanctuary. It implies an active and deliberate integration of foreign gods and practices into their worship life, blurring the boundaries between the holy and the profane.
Group analysis: "They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they committed."
- This phrase links their corrupt worship practices ("abominations") directly to the desecration of God's reputation ("my holy name"). Their actions made God's name appear weak, untrustworthy, or aligned with their wicked deeds in the eyes of other nations.
Ezekiel 43 8 Bonus Section
The profanation described here echoes the general theme of Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness throughout their history, often marked by a tendency to adopt the practices of surrounding nations. The "dead bodies" mentioned in the parallel verse (43:7) can refer to actual remains, potentially from sacrifices to idols, or metaphorically to the lifeless state of worship divorced from God’s Spirit. The severity of this defilement justifies God’s abandonment of His Temple, setting the stage for its future destruction and restoration, with a clear prohibition against any further desecration in the new vision of the Temple. The principles here extend to the New Testament understanding of believers as the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19), where spiritual defilement through sin and adherence to worldly practices likewise dishonors God.
Ezekiel 43 8 Commentary
Ezekiel 43:8 serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of idolatry and the deliberate pollution of God's designated worship spaces. Israel's proximity to pagan worship and their adoption of its customs meant they were no longer truly worshipping the LORD alone. This syncretism was not a minor infraction but a fundamental rejection of God's covenant and holiness. The "abominations" are the acts that disgust God, leading Him to withdraw His presence. The verse emphasizes that their worship, far from honoring God, dishonored His name by associating it with their sinful practices. This underscores the non-negotiable nature of true worship: it requires exclusive devotion and a separation from worldly or pagan influences.