Hesekiel 8:4 Kommentar

God, having given the prophet a clear foresight of the people's miseries that were hastening on, here gives him a clear insight into the people's wickedness, by which God was provoked to bring these miseries upon them, that he might justify God in all his judgments, might the more particularly reprove the sins of the people, and with the more satisfaction foretel their ruin. Here God, in vision, brings him to Jerusalem, to show him the sins that were committed there, though God had begun to contend with them (Eze 8:1-4), and there he sees, I. The image of jealousy set up at the gate of the altar (Eze 8:5, Eze 8:6). II. The elders of Israel worshipping all manner of images in a secret chamber (Eze 8:7-12). III. The women weeping for Tammuz (Eze 8:13, Eze 8:14). IV. The men worshipping the sun (Eze 8:15, Eze 8:16). And then appeals to him whether such a provoking people should have any pity shown them (Eze 8:17, Eze 8:18).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 8 This chapter contains a vision the prophet had of the idolatry of the Jews, which was the cause of their destruction. The time when, place, where, and persons with whom he was, when the hand of the Lord came upon him, are mentioned, Eze 8:1; then follows a description of the divine Person that appeared to him, Eze 8:2; and an account is given how he was in a visionary way brought to Jerusalem, and to the temple, where he saw the glory of the God of Israel, and the idolatry of the people, Eze 8:3; which latter was gradually represented to him; first the image of jealousy in the entry at the gate of the altar northward, Eze 8:5; then greater abominations through a hole in the wall, by which he saw their idols, in the form of reptiles and four footed beasts, portrayed on the wall, Eze 8:6; next seventy of the ancients of Israel, among whom were one mentioned by name, offering incense to these idols, Eze 8:11; after this, greater abominations still are showed him, at the north of the temple, women weeping for Tammuz, Eze 8:13; and then again far greater ones, twenty five men, between the porch and the altar, with their backs to the temple, and their face to the east, worshipping the sun, and putting the branch to the nose, Eze 8:15; wherefore it is reasoned to deal with them in fury, without any mercy, pity, and compassion, Eze 8:18.

And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there,.... In the temple, between the cherubim, where the Shechinah or the glory of the divine Majesty dwelt; for as yet he had not removed, though provoked to it, and as he afterwards did; or he was here to destroy the idols, and both city and temple, for the idolatry of the people; or this is here mentioned, to show the baseness and wickedness of the people, that they should place an idol where the Lord himself was: according to the vision that I saw in the plain; it was the same glorious Person he saw in the temple whom he had before seen in the plain, Eze 3:22; and that was the same he had seen in the vision by the river Chebar, Eze 1:3.

(Verse 4) And he brought me to Jerusalem in a vision of God, near the inner gate that faces north, where the idol of jealousy was set up to provoke jealousy. And behold, there the glory of the God of Israel was, as the vision that I had seen in the field. LXX: And he brought me to Jerusalem in a vision of God to the entrance of the gate that faces north, where the statue of the possessor was. And behold, the glory of the Lord God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the field. However, what is found in some codices. And in the statue is added the image of Zel, from Theodotion. The rest is similar. When he says 'he brought me to Jerusalem in a vision of God,' he shows that he was not transported in the body, but in the spirit. According to this vision, we can see both the heavens and the depths of the sea and the underworld, while we grasp the reasoning of each through contemplation. First, however, he comes to the vestibule that faces the North, so that he may see the statue of the idol Zel and provoke emulation; so that from that place he can penetrate the inner areas and see the rest, which are described afterwards. But the story tells of a statue of the idol Baal placed in the temple of God. It is beautifully called the idol of Zeal because it provokes emulation and zeal for the Lord, according to what is said in Deuteronomy: 'They have provoked me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will provoke them to jealousy with those which are not a people' (Deut. 32). Moreover, because zeal and possession, which are called 'Cena' in Hebrew, are also called by the same name, the Seventy interpreters translated the statue of Zeal as the statue of the Possessor. Finally, when Cain was born, his parent said that he possessed a man through God (Gen. IV, 1), referring to the possession of a human being, giving Cain his name. And there was the glory of the God of Israel, not because he delighted in such proximity, but in order to destroy the idol of Zeal and its temple with his presence. Hence, the destruction of the city and temple followed shortly after. And in Isaiah it is written that a narrow bed cannot accommodate two, and a short cloak cannot cover both (Isa. XXVIII), with Scripture indicating what the Apostle said: What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Temple of God and idol (2 Cor. 7:25)

Here begins a section of prophecy extending to the twelfth chapter. In this chapter the prophet is carried in vision to Jerusalem, Eze 8:1-4; and there shown the idolatries committed by the rulers of the Jews, even within the temple. In the beginning of this vision, by the noblest stretch of an inspired imagination, idolatry itself is personified, and made an idol; and the image sublimely called, from the provocation it gave God, the Image of Jealousy, Eze 8:5. The prophet then proceeds to describe the three principal superstitions of this unhappy people: the Egyptian, Eze 8:6-12, the Phoenician, Eze 8:13, Eze 8:14, and the Persian, Eze 8:15, Eze 8:16; giving the striking features of each, and concluding with a declaration of the heinousness of their sins in the sight of God, and the consequent greatness of their punishment, Eze 8:17, Eze 8:18.

The vision that I saw in the plain - see the note on Eze 3:23 (note); see also Eze 1:3 (note).

(Eze. 8:1-18) sixth year--namely, of the captivity of Jehoiachin, as in Eze 1:2, the "fifth year" is specified. The lying on his sides three hundred ninety and forty days (Eze 4:5-6) had by this time been completed, at least in vision. That event was naturally a memorable epoch to the exiles; and the computation of years from it was to humble the Jews, as well as to show their perversity in not having repented, though so long and severely chastised. elders--namely, those carried away with Jehoiachin, and now at the Chebar. sat before me--to hear the word of God from me, in the absence of the temple and other public places of Sabbath worship, during the exile (Eze 33:30-31). It was so ordered that they were present at the giving of the prophecy, and so left without excuse. hand of . . . Lord God fell . . . upon me--God's mighty operation fell, like a thunderbolt, upon me (in Eze 1:3, it is less forcible, "was upon him"); whatever, therefore, he is to utter is not his own, for he has put off the mere man, while the power of God reigns in him [CALVIN].

The Shekinah cloud of Jehovah's glory, notwithstanding the provocation of the idol, still remains in the temple, like that which Ezekiel saw "in the plain" (Eze 3:22-23); not till Eze 10:4, Eze 10:18 did it leave the temple at Jerusalem, showing the long-suffering of God, which ought to move the Jews to repentance.