Ezekiel 8 5

Ezekiel 8:5 kjv

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.

Ezekiel 8:5 nkjv

Then He said to me, "Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north." So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

Ezekiel 8:5 niv

Then he said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy.

Ezekiel 8:5 esv

Then he said to me, "Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north." So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy.

Ezekiel 8:5 nlt

Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the LORD so jealous.

Ezekiel 8 verses

Ezekiel 8 5 Meaning

God directed the prophet Ezekiel, during a profound visionary experience, to focus his attention towards the northern part of the Temple courtyard. There, prominently positioned at the entrance near the altar, was an idolatrous image. This idol, explicitly termed "the image of jealousy," served as a direct and grave provocation, actively inciting God's righteous and zealous indignation against the people of Israel due to their flagrant disloyalty and syncretistic worship within His sacred space. It was the first of many abominations revealed to Ezekiel within the temple grounds.

Ezekiel 8 5 Context

Ezekiel 8 opens a crucial section (chapters 8-11) describing God's reasons for abandoning His Temple and allowing Jerusalem to be destroyed. This chapter records a vision given to Ezekiel in the 6th year of Jehoiachin's exile (592 BC), four years before Jerusalem's final fall. He is spiritually transported from Babylon to Jerusalem and placed in the Temple complex. The entire chapter focuses on exposing the severe spiritual abominations actively practiced within God's sanctuary. This specific verse, Ezekiel 8:5, introduces the first and perhaps most blatant of these four revelations of idolatry, located at a prominent and visible spot, setting the tone for the profound defilement that led to God's impending judgment. Historically, the nation of Judah, despite reforms, continuously succumbed to syncretism, combining the worship of Yahweh with pagan deities.

Ezekiel 8 5 Word analysis

• Then he said to me: This phrase marks a direct divine instruction, emphasizing God as the speaker and Ezekiel as the recipient. It underscores the prophetic authority behind the subsequent revelation.
• 'Son of man' (בֶּן־אָדָם, ben-'adam): This recurring address for Ezekiel highlights his human frailty and mortality, serving as a reminder that he is merely a mortal instrument conveying divine messages. It contrasts human limitations with the vastness of divine power and revelation.
• 'lift up your eyes now toward the north': A divine command for precise observation and direction. The "north" (צָפוֹנָה, tsaphonah) in the Temple layout referred to the northern gate of the outer court. This direction often carried connotations of judgment or invasion in prophetic literature (Jer 1:14-15), or here, a specific location of egregious offense.
• 'So I lifted up my eyes toward the north': Demonstrates Ezekiel's immediate obedience and receptiveness to the vision. Prophetic validity hinged on complete submission to divine direction.
• 'and behold' (וְהִנֵּה, v'hinneh): An interjection designed to grab immediate attention, introducing something remarkable, significant, or startling that is about to be revealed. Here, it precedes the shocking discovery of idolatry.
• 'north of the altar gate': This precisely situates the abomination. The "altar gate" (שַׁעַר הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, sha'ar hamizbeach) would lead into the outer court, near the great altar of burnt offering—the central place of Israel's sacrificial worship. Placing an idol so near such a holy site signifies extreme sacrilege.
• 'in the entrance': Further specifying the location, indicating the idol was not hidden but publicly displayed at a threshold or doorway. This made it a visible affront to all who entered the sacred precincts, demonstrating the overt nature of the apostasy.
• 'was this image of jealousy' (סֵמֶל הַקִּנְאָה, semel haqqin'ah):
  • Image (סֵמֶל, semel): Refers to a carved image, statue, or idol. The specific nature is debated, but likely a Canaanite fertility deity such as Asherah (cf. 2 Kgs 21:7 where Manasseh put an Asherah pole in the Temple).
  • Jealousy (קִנְאָה, qin'ah): Here it refers to God's attribute of holy jealousy. It is not human envy but His righteous zeal and exclusive claim over His covenant people. Idolatry is viewed as spiritual adultery against this exclusive covenant (Ex 20:5; 34:14). The term itself functions polemically, showing that the idol directly attacked God's character.
• 'which provokes to jealousy' (הַמַּקְנֶה, hammaqneh): This emphasizes the active and causative nature of the idol. It's not just an image of jealousy but one that actively makes God jealous, intensifying the offense. It shows the deliberate and ongoing provocation of Israel's actions, ensuring God's righteous wrath. The Hebrew verb implies the deliberate act of arousing jealousy.

Ezekiel 8 5 Bonus section

• This initial abomination shown to Ezekiel in chapter 8 is critical as it highlights the widespread public apostasy, implying even the religious leadership likely tolerated or participated in such practices. The accessibility of the idol "in the entrance" meant that this defilement was unavoidable for anyone entering the main courtyard for worship.
• The "north" gate may have been associated with entry for the king, foreign dignitaries, or even the processional routes, further amplifying the sacrilege of having an idol there.
• The progression of abominations revealed in Ezekiel 8 moves from the publicly displayed idolatry (verse 5), to the secretive worship by elders (verse 10-12), the women weeping for Tammuz (verse 14), and finally to the priests worshipping the sun (verse 16). This structure demonstrates a descent into deeper spiritual depravity and a widening scope of corruption, touching every level of society from public access to the most sacred priestly space.
• The visual aspect of Ezekiel's prophetic call—his ability to "see" these abominations—was crucial. It allowed him to serve as a firsthand witness to the egregious violations of God's covenant, validating the severity of the coming judgment.

Ezekiel 8 5 Commentary

Ezekiel 8:5 serves as the stark prelude to the systematic unveiling of Israel's profound spiritual rebellion that directly led to Jerusalem's impending destruction and God's glory departing from the Temple. God's directive to "lift up your eyes toward the north" immediately draws attention to a strategically important location within the Temple. The discovery of an "image of jealousy" placed brazenly at the entrance of the altar gate—a place integral to pure Yahwistic worship—represents the overt and public defilement of God's sanctuary. This idol, likely an Asherah pole or similar pagan cultic object, directly affronted Yahweh's unique identity as a "jealous God," who demands exclusive devotion and rejects any form of syncretism. The phrase "provokes to jealousy" emphasizes the active nature of their sin, suggesting not merely a passive state of idolatry, but an aggressive, continuous challenge to God's holy character and covenant. This initial abomination sets a dark tone, establishing the gravity of the people's rebellion and justifying the severe divine judgment that follows in the book of Ezekiel.