And he said unto me, go in ,.... Into the room or chamber the door opened into: and behold the wicked abominations they do here ; the idolatries there committed, wicked in themselves, and abominable to God. read more
Gradual disclosure of human sin. The prophet notes the exact date of the vision, so that, if any doubt arose, the circumstance could be verified, so long as any one of these elders survived. These details of day and month may seem to many readers needless and tedious; yet, in an earlier day, they probably served an important purpose, and may be again useful in a future age. Even now they demonstrate with what diligent care the prophet preserved the records of Divine manifestations. The... read more
The chambers of imagery; or, secret sins. "And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall," etc. In the case of "the image of jealousy" the idolatry of the Israelites was open; in this case it is secret. In that the abominations were committed by the house of Israel; in this by the elders of the house of israel. The paragraph suggests several observations on secret sins. I. THE MOST HEINOUS SINS ARE GENERALLY COMMITTED IN ... read more
Ezekiel 8:7-11. And he brought me to the door of the court This, Dr. Lightfoot understands of the east gate of the inner court, called the gate of Nicanor, over which was the council chamber, where the sanhedrim used to meet, and in some of the rooms near it they secretly practised idolatry, as God discovered to the prophet, Ezekiel 8:11. Behold a hole in the wall Through which I could look in, and see what abominations were committing there. Then he said, Dig now in the wall This,... read more
8:1-24:27 THE SINS OF JERUSALEMIdolatry in the temple (8:1-18)A year and two months had now passed since God called Ezekiel to be a prophet. By this time people recognized him as a prophet, and leaders among the exiles came to discuss their affairs with him (8:1; cf. 1:1-2). While the leaders were sitting talking with him, Ezekiel was suddenly caught up by the Spirit of God and taken, as it were, to Jerusalem (2-3).Ezekiel knew immediately that these visions were from God, because the first... read more
Ezekiel 8:7-12.— He brought me to the door] The first inference which may be drawn from these words is, that the superstition here described was Egyptian. This appears from its objects being the gods peculiar to Egypt: every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, Eze 8:10 which in another verse the same prophet calls, with great propriety and elegance, the abominations of the eyes of the Israelites, chap. Ezekiel 20:7-8. The second inference is, that they contain a very lively and... read more
The idolatry of the elders 8:7-13 read more
Also following the Lord’s instructions, Ezekiel went through the entrance and found himself in a chamber full of images carved on the wall that the Judahites were worshipping. There were pictures of many types of insects, animals, and other detestable things (cf. Leviticus 11:40-42; Deuteronomy 4:16-19). read more
The Idolatry of JerusalemVarious forms of idolatry, increasing in heinousness and rising to a climax, were seen practised in the precincts of the Temple. First there was the ’image of jealousy’ (Ezekiel 8:3-6), next a species of secret animal-worship (Ezekiel 8:7-12), then the lamentation of the women for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:13-15), and lastly the worship of the sun (Ezekiel 8:16-18).1. The sixth year.. the sixth month] August-September, 591 b.c. Mine house] to which Ezekiel’s prophetic activity... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 8:7-12
We have here a further discovery of the abominations that were committed at Jerusalem, and within the confines of the temple, too. Now observe, I. How this discovery is made. God, in vision, brought Ezekiel to the door of the court, the outer court, along the sides of which the priests? lodgings were. God could have introduced him at first into the chambers of imagery, but he brings him to them by degrees, partly to employ his own industry in searching out these mysteries of iniquity, and... read more