Ezekiel 8:6 kjv
He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
Ezekiel 8:6 nkjv
Furthermore He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations."
Ezekiel 8:6 niv
And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing?the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable."
Ezekiel 8:6 esv
And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations."
Ezekiel 8:6 nlt
"Son of man," he said, "do you see what they are doing? Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive me from my Temple? But come, and you will see even more detestable sins than these!"
Ezekiel 8 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 8:5 | ...behold, an image of jealousy... | Eze 8:3 (contextual link) |
| Exo 20:4-5 | You shall not make for yourself a carved image...You shall not bow down to them nor serve them... | Exodus (Commandment against Idolatry) |
| Lev 19:4 | Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods... | Leviticus (Warning against Idols) |
| Lev 26:30 | I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars... | Leviticus (Consequences of Idolatry) |
| Deut 4:15-19 | Take good heed to yourselves...lest you corrupt yourselves... | Deuteronomy (Warning against Idolatry) |
| Deut 4:24 | For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. | Deuteronomy (God's Jealousy) |
| Deut 12:3-4 | You must destroy all the places where the nations whom you are driving out served their gods... | Deuteronomy (Destruction of Idolatrous Sites) |
| 1 Chr 5:25 | But they acted unfaithfully against the God of their fathers... | 1 Chronicles (Unfaithfulness of Israel) |
| Psa 106:35-36 | They mixed with the nations and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. | Psalm (Consequences of Intermixing) |
| Psa 78:58 | For they provoked Him to anger with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images. | Psalm (Provocation of God) |
| Jer 7:14 | Therefore I will do to the house that is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place that I gave you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. | Jeremiah (Judgment on the Temple) |
| Jer 50:7 | All who found them devoured them, and their adversaries said, 'We are not guilty, because they sinned against the LORD, the very habitation of justice, and against the LORD, the hope of their fathers.' | Jeremiah (Babylon as Punisher) |
| Rom 1:21-23 | For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. | Romans (Idolatry and Godlessness) |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. | 1 Corinthians (Holiness) |
| 1 Cor 10:21 | You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. | 1 Corinthians (Communion with Idols) |
| 1 Cor 10:22 | Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? | 1 Corinthians (Warning Against Provocation) |
| Gal 5:19-20 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery... | Galatians (Works of the Flesh) |
| Rev 2:14 | But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. | Revelation (Balaam's Teaching) |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. | Revelation (Destiny of Idolaters) |
| Deut 13:6-10 | If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend as secretly as your own soul tempts you secretly... | Deuteronomy (Testing for Idolatry) |
| Josh 23:15-16 | therefore it shall be that as all the good things which the LORD your God has spoken concerning you have not failed on your account, so the LORD will bring upon you all the unpleasant things, until He has destroyed you from off this good ground which the LORD your God has given you. | Joshua (Consequences of Disobedience) |
Ezekiel 8 verses
Ezekiel 8 6 Meaning
This verse describes an idol or object of detestable imagery within the Jerusalem Temple, signifying Israel's departure from worshipping the LORD alone and their embrace of idolatry. The imagery presented is a provocation, drawing God's wrath.
Ezekiel 8 6 Context
Ezekiel is in exile in Babylon and is being shown visions of what is happening back in Jerusalem. Chapter 8 details Ezekiel's vision of the abominations occurring within the Temple courts. The people of Judah, despite their covenant relationship with Yahweh, had turned to worshiping other gods and engaging in pagan practices. This particular vision highlights a specific act of idolatry: the placement of an "image of jealousy" at the entrance of the inner court of the Temple, the very place where God's presence was symbolically dwelling. This act represented a profound betrayal of God and desecrated His holy place. The historical context is crucial; the prophecy is delivered shortly before the final destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, serving as a divine explanation for the impending judgment.
Ezekiel 8 6 Word Analysis
- וְהִנֵּה (vehinéh): And behold, lo, furthermore.
- Emphasizes immediate attention.
- Introduces a new, significant revelation in the vision.
- אֵ֠ל (el): an image, statue, idol.
- Specifically refers to a carved or molded object of worship.
- The Septuagint translates this as 'eidolon'.
- קִנְאָ֖ה (qin'ah): jealousy, zeal, possessiveness.
- Hebrew: qin'ah. From the root qana, meaning to be jealous, zealous, possess.
- God describes Himself as a "jealous God" (Exodus 20:5).
- This image provoked God's jealous anger because it usurped His rightful place.
- Refers to the intense divine jealousy evoked by anything that claims the worship due to God alone.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher): which, who, that.
- Relative pronoun connecting the image to the concept of jealousy.
- מִן־ (min): from.
- Indicates origin or separation.
- הַפֶּ֧תַח (hapetah): the opening, entrance.
- Hebrew: pethach. Refers to the gateway or portal.
- The northern gate is often cited in commentaries as the likely location, suggesting the north was associated with illicit worship.
- Its placement at an entrance signifies it stood in direct opposition to entering the place of God's presence.
- בֵּ֣ית (beyt): the house.
- Hebrew: bayith. Refers to the Temple.
- יְהוָ֑ה (Yahweh): The LORD.
- The covenant name of God.
- Signifies the desecration of the very place named after and dedicated to the LORD.
- – :
- (Note: No word is explicitly translated as 'of') The possessive relationship is indicated by word order and grammatical structure.
Group Analysis:
- "Image of jealousy" (אֵל קִנְאָה): This phrase vividly portrays the object as something that intensely provoked God's righteous indignation and demand for exclusive devotion. It was an affront to His singular sovereignty and honor.
- "The entrance of the gate of the inner court" (הַפֶּתַח הַפֶּתַח בֵּית יְהוָה): This emphasizes the audacity of the idolatry. It was placed not in some obscure corner, but at a significant threshold leading further into the sacred space where God's glory was meant to reside.
Ezekiel 8 6 Bonus Section
The "image of jealousy" has been variously interpreted by scholars. Some suggest it refers to an Asherah pole (a pagan fertility symbol associated with the Canaanite goddess Asherah), which was frequently a source of contention and illicit worship in ancient Israel. Others propose it might be a statue of a foreign deity, or even a representation that symbolized human sensuality or defiance of God. Regardless of its specific form, its designation as "jealousy" firmly identifies it as a rival to Yahweh for worship, directly violating the First and Second Commandments. The concept of God's jealousy is not akin to human insecurity but rather reflects His perfect and passionate desire for a pure, exclusive relationship with His covenant people. It's the righteous anger of a devoted husband seeing His spouse unfaithful.
Ezekiel 8 6 Commentary
This verse is a pivotal moment in Ezekiel's vision, revealing the depth of Israel's apostasy. The presence of the "image of jealousy" within the Temple precinct, specifically at a gateway, was an ultimate act of provocation against Yahweh. It was a public and deliberate rejection of God's exclusivity and a welcoming of other deities. This imagery is not just physical but deeply symbolic, representing the spiritual adultery of the people. The "jealousy" refers to God's rightful claim and passionate defense of His people against anything that would usurp His position. The location further underscores the sacrilege; it was a desecration of God's dwelling place, an attempt to bring foreign gods into the very heart of His sanctuary. This act directly challenged God's covenant and signaled that His protective presence was endangered. This imagery powerfully explains the rationale behind God's impending judgment upon Jerusalem, highlighting the betrayal that warranted such severe discipline.