Chapter 8

8:1  And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.

sixth month

i.e. September.

8:3  And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

visions

Visions, that is, of former profanations of the temple, and of the wickedness because of which Israel was then in Babylon, show the prophet that he might justify to the new generation born in Assyria and Babylonia during the captivity, the righteousness of God in the present national chastening. The visions are retrospective; Israel had done these things, hence the captivities. This strain continues to Ezekiel 33:20 . It is the divine view of the national sinfulness and apostasy, revealed to Ezekiel in a series of visions so vivid that though the prophet was by the river Chebar, ; Ezekiel 1:1 Ezekiel 1:3 ; 3:23 ; Ezekiel 10:15 Ezekiel 10:20 Ezekiel 10:22 ; 43:3 It was as if he were transported back to Jerusalem, and to the time when these things were occurring. These visions of the sinfulness of Israel are interspersed with promises of restoration and blessing which are yet to be fulfilled. See "Israel" ; Genesis 12:2 Genesis 12:3 ; Romans 11:26 . Also "Kingdom, (O.T.)" ; Genesis 1:26-28 ; Zechariah 12:8 .

8:5  Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

Son of man

The combined purport of the four visions of profanation in chapter 8., is idolatry set up in the entire temple, even in the holy of holies Ezekiel 8:10 Ezekiel 8:11 women given over to phallic cults Ezekiel 8:14 and nature-worship Exodus 8:16 .

8:14  Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

Tammuz

i.e. the Greek Adonis.