Ezekiel 8 15

Ezekiel 8:15 kjv

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.

Ezekiel 8:15 nkjv

Then He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these."

Ezekiel 8:15 niv

He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this."

Ezekiel 8:15 esv

Then he said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? You will see still greater abominations than these."

Ezekiel 8:15 nlt

"Have you seen this?" he asked. "But I will show you even more detestable sins than these!"

Ezekiel 8 verses

Ezekiel 8 15 Meaning

The verse describes the final, egregious act of idolatry witnessed by Ezekiel: women weeping for Tammuz. This ritual highlights a profound spiritual adultery against God. Tammuz was a Mesopotamian god associated with vegetation, fertility, and the underworld, often linked to the cyclical nature of death and rebirth, symbolized by the summer drought that killed plants. Weeping for Tammuz signified mourning for his descent into the underworld and the hoped-for return of fertility to the land.

Ezekiel 8 15 Context

Ezekiel's vision takes place within the temple complex in Jerusalem, but the activities described are occurring "toward the north" of the LORD's house, specifically at the gate of the inner court. This position suggests a location accessible yet intruding upon sacred space. The vision vividly portrays the pervasive idolatry that has defiled Jerusalem, moving from the elders worshipping in darkness (Ezekiel 8:11-12) to women engaging in a prominent, public ritual. The spiritual state of Judah at this time was marked by a severe departure from Yahweh, engaging in syncretistic worship that blended Yahwistic practices with pagan traditions. The historical backdrop is crucial: this vision was revealed to Ezekiel during the Babylonian exile, a time when God was judging His people for their covenant unfaithfulness, exemplified by such widespread idolatry. The "weeping for Tammuz" ritual was a known practice among ancient Near Eastern cultures, associated with agricultural cycles and fertility rites.

Ezekiel 8 15 Word Analysis

• וּלְשָׁמּוֹת (u-leshāmōt) - "and for desolations" (used here poetically to describe the result or purpose of their actions, linked to judgment).
• נָשִׁים (nāshīm) - "women" (plural noun). This highlights a specific demographic involved, perhaps indicating societal involvement or particular sin associated with them.
• יוֹשְׁבוֹת (yōshvōt) - "sitting" or "dwelling" (feminine plural participle of ישב - yāshav, meaning to sit, remain, or dwell). It implies their customary or active participation in this practice.
• וַתְּבַכֶּינָה (vattevakkenāh) - "and they were weeping" (feminine plural imperfect verb from בכה - bakah, to weep). The action of weeping signifies mourning or lamentation.
• לְתַמּוּז (leTammūz) - "for Tammuz" (preposition ל - le, "for" + proper noun תַּמּוּז - Tammūz). Tammuz is identified as a Semitic deity associated with fertility and the underworld. This name, literally meaning "scorching" or "heat," likely refers to the period of drought and his mythical descent into the netherworld. This was a public display of grief and religious devotion to a false god.

Words group analysis:

• "women sitting and weeping for Tammuz" conveys a synchronized, sustained practice of pagan ritualistic mourning. The imagery is deliberate: the women, often seen as nurturers or associated with domestic cults, are deeply involved in this affront to God's holiness. The weeping isn't just casual sadness; it’s a cultic act, a performance of devotion to an idol that directly competed with their loyalty to Yahweh.

Ezekiel 8 15 Bonus Section

The mention of Tammuz is significant. This deity was central to Babylonian and Sumerian mythology, widely worshiped across the ancient Near East. The ritual lament for Tammuz, typically occurring in late spring or early summer, was believed to affect the fertility of the land, his underworld sojourn correlating with agricultural dormancy. In biblical times, the practice had become ingrained in various cultures Israel interacted with, and, as seen in Jeremiah, even infiltrated Judean religious life. The "weeping" itself could involve specific rites, sometimes including mourning for days and ritualistic preparations. Ezekiel’s vision contrasts sharply with God's covenantal expectations: instead of celebrating God’s established cycles of blessing and lamenting their sin, they participated in rituals meant to propitiate foreign deities for temporal blessings, ultimately leading to temporal desolation rather than fertility. The juxtaposition of women weeping for a pagan god inside the temple court speaks to a profound blindness to God's presence and a willful replacement of divine worship with the appeasement of earthly, temporal powers.

Ezekiel 8 15 Commentary

The sin depicted here is not merely private error but a communal embrace of foreign worship. The women weeping for Tammuz signify a profound spiritual apostasy. Tammuz, representing a fertility cycle tied to death and rebirth, was worshiped through rituals that involved lamentation, mimicking the god's mythical journey. By weeping for Tammuz, these women were endorsing a belief system that celebrated dying and rising deities, a stark contrast to the eternal, uncreated God of Israel. This practice was also a perversion of proper covenantal response; Israel was called to lament their own sins and broken relationship with God, not to grieve for pagan gods whose worship was an abomination. This act violated the core commandments of exclusive worship and faithfulness to Yahweh, revealing the depth of spiritual pollution within the very precincts of God's house. It highlights a rejection of God’s covenant love and sovereignty for the allure of pagan promises of fertility and prosperity, demonstrating a heart that had turned away from the living God to false saviors.