Keraia
Ezekiel 8

Ezekiel 8:10

The Vision of Idolatry in the Temple · Ezekiel 8:1–18
Read Ezekiel 8

Translations

Modern
So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.
Traditional
So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
Literal
And I went in and saw. And behold, every manner of creeping thing and detestable beast, and all the idols of the house of Israel were engraved on the walls all around,
Latin
Et ingressus vidi, et ecce omnis similitudo reptilium et animalium, abominatio, et universa idola domus Israël, depicta erant in pariete in circuitu per totum:

Original

Hebrew
English
So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.

Notes

Ezekiel 8:10

The practice of worshiping gods shaped like crawling animals and other detestable creatures likely came from Egypt.

In Egypt, people often worshiped gods that were shown in the form of animals. By copying these practices, the people of Israel brought foreign worship into the Lord’s temple.

Ezekiel 8:3–16

God showed Ezekiel four scenes of increasing abomination (a deeply offensive act). In each scene, the people of Israel were worshiping false gods inside the Lord’s temple.

Jerusalem’s defilement (moral and spiritual uncleanness) was complete. Idolatry (the worship of false gods) took place in many parts of the temple. Different groups of people were involved. They worshiped different gods. These gods came from many foreign cultures.

This was not one small sin. It was a mixture of many false religions brought together in one place. One abomination was added to another.

Ezekiel 8:1–18

In a vision, the prophet Ezekiel saw four ways the people defiled their land. This vision explains why the Lord's presence left his sanctuary.

Ezekiel 8:1–11:25

This section describes how the people defiled (made unclean by sin) the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8). Because of this sin, the Lord left the temple. After he left, the city and the temple were destroyed (9:1–11:13).

At first, this sounds like only bad news. But for those already living in exile, it was also good news. The Lord was not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. He would come to be with his people in exile.

By coming to dwell with them, the Lord showed that the exiles were not forgotten. They were the ones who carried hope for the future of God’s people.

Events

People

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Glossary

Ezekiel, Book of

Topics

Creeping Things: Uses of, in Idolatrous Worship House: Architecture of Painted Idolatry: Great Prevalence of, in Israel Idolatry: Objects of Pictures on Walls Idolatry: Warnings Against, and Punishments of Jerusalem: Idolatry of Reptiles: Jews Condemned for Worshipping Visions: To Ezekiel (See Chapters 10, 40-48 of Ezekiel)