Ezekiel 8

When were and how the vision shall be revealed unto the prophet vers 1,2,3,4 .God bringeth him into the temple at Jerusalem and sheweth him the abominable idolatry that the Jews there committed with the image of jealousie or provocation of God 5 with divers creeping thing abominable beast and dung-gods 8 he sheweth him also the women that wept for the idol Thammuz ,13 the men that worshipped the sun ,15 all which abominations they esteemed light 17 .Therefore God will punish them without mercy .

1. Now it came to pass in the sixth year [to wit after carrying away of Jojachin see above chap 1 on vers 2] in the sixth moneth [called the Hebrews Elal see Nehum 6.15 and the annotate]on the fifth day of the moneth when I sat in mine house [to wit in Babylon among the Jews that were carried away captive] and the eldest of Juda [that is the rulers of the Jews see Exodus 3:16 and Levit 4.15 and the annotate some understand those that dwelt in Jerusalem others those that dwelt there among the captive compare below chap 14.1 and 20.1]sat before my face [to wit to receive some advice counsel instruction or comfort concerning the state of the land of Juda and of the church of God from the prophet compare Exodus 3:16 and 2 Kings 6:32 and the annotate] that the hand of the Lord LORD fell upon me [se above chap 1 on vers 3 .]

2. Then I beheld [to wit in the spirit and in a trance see of the prophetical vision on Genes 15 on ver 1 and 46 on ver2]and to a likeness [to wit of the shape of a man] as the shape of fire from the shape of his loins and downward was fire [which signifieth Gods vengeance and just wrath that was kindled against the wickedness of the Jews compare Deut 4 on vers 24]and from his loins and upward as the shape of brightness [signifying Gods majesty and gracious kindness towards them that receive his word with faith and reverence see above chap 1 on vers 28] as the color of Hasmal [see above chap 1 on vers 4.]

3. And he put forth the likeness of an hand [to wit which likeness and shape is described in the former verse compare Daniel 5:5] and took me by the hair [or hair locks]of mine head and the spirit[that is the holy ghost that shewed him this vision see above chap 1 on vers12] carried me up between the earth and between the heaven [ this was done in the spirit not in the body by a trance not by a change of places for the prophet interpreteth himself immediately saying in the vision of God [to wit which God by his spirit wrought in my mind so above chap 1.1 and below chap 40.2]to Jerusalem to the door of the gate of the inner court [this word is expressed in the Hebrew text below chap13.3 see of this court 1 Kings 6 on vers 36 some understand this of the innermost part of the great court called otherwise the peoples court others of the entry of the great court] which looketh toward the north where was the seat of an image of jealousie [it is conceived that all image was the image of Baal unto whom Achaz had set up an altar 2Kings 16.10 &c which altar Hizekia afterward destroyed but Manasseh set it up again 2 Kings 12:3 it was after ward broken down by Josia and set up again by Joahaz and his breathen is called the image of jealousie because the idol worship performed unto it by the Jews provoked God to jealousie as followeth that is incensed and provoked him to anger because honor and service which his people only owed unto him as their only bride groom was tendered to his idol see Exod 20 .5 and Levit 20.5] which provoketh to jealousie [namely the Lord its spoken after the manner of man see Deut 4 on vers 24 .]

4. And behold the glory of God of Israel was there [see above chap 1 on vers28] according to the form that I saw in the valley [see above c 1 on vers 28]

5. And he [to wit the spirit of whom is spoken above vers 3 said unto me child of man lift thine eyes now [to wit the eyes of the spirit of the body for Ezekiel was not in Jerusalem according to the body but in a trance]towards the way of the north [Heb way towards the north or north ward]and I lift up mine eyes towards the way of the north and behold towards the north at the gate of the altar was the image of jealousy the entry [understand by the gate here mentioned the gate of the temple by which gate the copper altar otherwise called the altar of the burnt offering was to stand according to Gods commands but now this image was placed there compare 2 Kings 16 .14.]

6. And he said unto me child of man seest thou indeed what they do the great abominations which the house of Israel here commit ?[meaning the abominable idolatry which they committed here to honor of Baal] that I should go far away of my sanctuary ?[the meaning is that the abominations which they committed would give him cause to depart from his sanctuary]but thou shalt yet again see great abominations [Heb thou shalt return thou shalt see c that is thou shalt see again see Numb 11 on vers4 others turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater abominations.]

7. So he bought me to the door of the court [to wit the inner court whereof see above on vers 3 others understand the outer court]then I looked and behold there was a hole in the wall [meaning an opening in the wall which the prophet is commanded to dig through and to see what was done within which was all done in a vision of the spirit and not by any bodily act.]

8. And he said unto me child of man dig now in that wall and I digged into that wall and behold there was a door [or there became a door [to wit which the Lord had made by that opening.]

9. Then he said unto me go in and behold the wicked abomination that they do here.

10. So I went in and saw and behold there was every similitude [that is of all sorts and shapes forms or representations the word all or every is often so taken see Genesis 7:14 so here in the sequel]of creeping things and abominable beasts [Heb beasts of abominations that is that are detestable to wit not only because some of them might not be eaten Levit 11 but because they were all of them by reason of the divine honor that was given to them an abomination in the sight of God Deuteronomy 27:15] the Hebrew word rendered here beast signifieth a creature with four feet not only tame but also wild especially those that are of some bigness see Genes 6 on vers7 ] all the dung-gods [see Levit 26on vers 30 of teahouse of Israel portrayed [to wit either by picturing or by engraving]quiet round about [Heb roundabout round about] upon the wall .

11. And seventy men of the eldest of the house of Israel [that is of the people of Juda see above chap 7 on vers2 some understand by these seventy men the seventy senatours Numb 11.17 whose president it may be Jaazania was .But these may be also understood other persons that were in authority among the people either because of their age or office or if that they ought to be examples of good unto others]with Jaazania the son of Saphan [we read below chap11 vers 1 of another Jaazania that was the son of Azzur]standing in the midst of them stood before their faces [to wit the faces of the portrait images that is they ministered unto those idolatrous images see Deut 10 on vers8] and every man had his censer in his hand and a plentiful cloud or mist went up.

12. Then said he unto me child of man hast thou seen what the eldest of the house of Israel do in the darkness [that is in secret and hidden places according to the abominations of the heathen] every man in his pictured inner chambers ? [Heb inner chambers in his portraiture that is wherein every man had his idolatrous pictures which he honoured in secret this may be understood either of the chambers of the pries that were built about the temple 1 Kings 6:5 or of the secret places which they had set apart in their houses for the service of idols]for they say the Lord seeth us not the LORD hath forsaken the land [this excuse they pretend when they would give a reason why they served idols .compare 2 Chrons 28.23 Jerem 44. 18. Moreover they declared that they were not afraid of Gods wrath because he minded tem not as being departed from them compare Psal 10.4,11 and 94.7]

13. And he said unto me thou shalt yet greater see abominations [see above on vers 6] which they commit.

14. And he brought to the door of the gate the lords house which is towards the north and behold their fat women weeping for Thammuz [by these women understand the priest whose idolatry was full of dishonesty and uncleanness committed to the honor of the idol Thammuz .Thammuz was the name of an heathenish idol which by many is held to have been the idol of Egyptian called the Osiris who had been the one Isis who have lost this her husband in Egypt caused him every year to be lamented by a kind of most filthy unclean idolatry others understand the idol Adonis which whom the heathen committed like idolatry] the place where this idolatry was practised is conceived to have been by the gate off the priests court in the chambers that were built about the temple for the priest into these chambers they might no women come but the prophet saw some there. ]

15. And he said unto me ,son of man hast thou seen that ?thou shalt yet again see greater abominations then these .

16. And he brought me to the inner court of the Lords house [see above on verse 3] and behold at the door of the temple of the Lord between the porch [see hereof 1 Kings 6 on vers 3] and between the altar[to wit altar of a burnt offering others under stand the altar of incense which was in the holy place] where about five and twenty men [which some conceive to have been those whereof mention is made below chap 11 .1 where they are called princes of the people that is rulers and governors in the land]their hinder most part were towards the people of the Lord [that is towards the holy place and the holy of holies wherein the ark was a token of Gods gracious presence among that people]and their faces towards the east ;[that is with their backs towards the west just as the heathen were wont to worship their idols but the Jews when they worshipped God where to turn their face s towards the west where the ark of God was in the holy of holies]and these bowed themselves down towards the east before the sun .[that is and worshipped it with religious honor and worship against the express command of God Deuteronomy 17:2 ,3 c.

17. Then he said unto me son of man hast thou seen that? is there anything counted lighter in the house of Israel then to commit these abominations which they commit here ? [this question implieth a strong denial see Genesis 18:17 the meaning is that nothing was counted lighter by the Jews though these abominations committed against the first table were of all others the most grievous and most displeasing to God but there was no commandment so great but the Jews counted it a light thing a transgress against it]when they have filled the land with violence [that is with oppression of the innocent and poor which is done either in public by judgment or in private by all manner of wrong and injury]then they return themselves to provoke me to anger [to wit by idolatry whereby they provoke me to jealousy and prophane my temple]for lo they put the vine branches [or boughs or graffs the Hebrew word is so taken Numb 13.4 and below chap 15.2]to their nose [to wit to honor of the fun whom they worship because they cherisheth and ripeneth the fruits this place is diversly expounded.]

18. therefore I will also deal in fury mine eye shall not pity neither will I spare [so above chap 5.11 & 7.4]though they cry before mine ears with a loud voice yet I will not hear them [to wit because their prayers shalt not proceed from a true and lively faith nor be joined with true repentance but only wrung from them by a sense of present misery and feeling and fear of great punishment without any firm resolution of true amendment compare Proverbs 1:28 Isaiah 1:15 Jerem 11.11.]