Ezekiel 8:16
in Ezekiel 8So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he brought me into the inner court of Jehovah’s house; and behold, at the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.
KJV
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
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This verse in Ezekiel 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseFive and twenty men - These most probably represented the twenty-four courses of the priests, with the high priest for the twenty-fifth. This was the Persian worship, as their turning their faces to the east plainly shows they were worshipping the rising sun.
This site's exposition
So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD
on Ezekiel 8:16-18
About twenty-five men stand “with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east,” bowing to the sun. God answers with the sentence of chapter 7: “I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them.”
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 15, 16.) And he said to me: Surely you have seen, son of man: yet you will see even greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the vestibule and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun in the east.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The porch - That stately porch, beautified with the curious and mighty brass pillars, Jachin and Boaz. Altar - The brazen altar for burnt-offerings, which was placed in the court before the front of the temple, and is here represented in its proper place. Their backs - In contempt of God, and his worship.
(2.) They turned their faces towards the east, and worshipped the sun, the rising sun. This was an ancient instance of idolatry; it is mentioned in Job's time ( Job xxxi. 26 ), and had been generally practised among the nations, some worshipping the sun under one name, others under another.
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
worshipped--In the Hebrew a corrupt form is used to express Ezekiel's sense of the foul corruption of such worship.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The inner court - The court of the priests. About five and twenty men - Rather, as it were five etc. This was the number of the heads of the 24 courses (shifts) with the high priest presiding over them. These then were the representatives of the priests, as the seventy were of the people. In the temple the seat of the Divine Majesty was at the west, perhaps appointed for this very purpose, to guard against the idolatrous adoration of the rising sun. Therefore the idolatrous priests must in worshipping the false sun-god turn their backs upon the True. The worship of the heavenly bodies was one of the earliest forms of idolatry Job 31:26-27 and was expressly forbidden in the Law Deu 17:3. In its earliest form, it was conducted without the intervention of images, the adoration being addressed to the heavenly bodies themselves: this form, continued among the Persians, seems to have been introduced afresh into Jerusalem at the time of Ezekiel. Compare, also, 2Ki 23:11-12. The images (compare Eze 6:4, Eze 6:6) were probably columns set up in honor of the sun, not images in human form. This simpler mode of sunworship was soon changed. The sun, or the god supposed to preside over it, was represented as a person, whose image was set up and adored.
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֵ֣א | vaiyave' | and he brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֹתִ֗י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חֲצַ֣ר | chatzar | [the] court of | H2691 → | 191 times |
| בֵּית־ | beit- | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָה֮ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הַפְּנִימִית֒ | hapenimit | <the> inner | H6442 → | 32 times |
| וְהִנֵּה־ | vehineh- | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| פֶ֜תַח | fetach | [were at] [the] entrance of | H6607 → | 164 times |
| הֵיכַ֣ל | heikhal | [the] temple of | H1964 → | 80 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בֵּ֤ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הָֽאוּלָם֙ | haulam | the porch | H197 → | 34 times |
| וּבֵ֣ין | uvein | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| כְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים | keesrim | about twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה | vachamishah | and five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| אִ֑ישׁ | ʾish | person[s] | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲחֹ֨רֵיהֶ֜ם | ʾachoreihem | backs their | H268 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [were] to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הֵיכַ֤ל | heikhal | [the] temple of | H1964 → | 80 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וּפְנֵיהֶ֣ם | ufeneihem | and faces their | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| קֵ֔דְמָה | kedemah | [were] east -ward | H6924 → | 87 times |
| וְהֵ֛מָּה | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| מִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֥ם | mishtachavitem | [were] bowing down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| קֵ֖דְמָה | kedemah | east -ward | H6924 → | 87 times |
| לַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | lashamesh | to the sun | H8121 → |
וַיָּבֵ֣אand he brought
vaiyave'H935 →2568 times
אֹתִ֗י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חֲצַ֣ר[the] court of
chatzarH2691 →191 times
בֵּית־[the] house of
beit-H1004 →2046 times
יְהוָה֮Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הַפְּנִימִית֒<the> inner
hapenimitH6442 →32 times
וְהִנֵּה־and there!
vehineh-H2009 →843 times
פֶ֜תַח[were at] [the] entrance of
fetachH6607 →164 times
הֵיכַ֣ל[the] temple of
heikhalH1964 →80 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בֵּ֤יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
הָֽאוּלָם֙the porch
haulamH197 →34 times
וּבֵ֣יןand between
uveinH996 →407 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
כְּעֶשְׂרִ֥יםabout twenty
keesrimH6242 →315 times
וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖הand five
vachamishahH2568 →343 times
אִ֑ישׁperson[s]
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֲחֹ֨רֵיהֶ֜םbacks their
ʾachoreihemH268 →
אֶל־[were] to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הֵיכַ֤ל[the] temple of
heikhalH1964 →80 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וּפְנֵיהֶ֣םand faces their
ufeneihemH6440 →2123 times
קֵ֔דְמָה[were] east -ward
kedemahH6924 →87 times
וְהֵ֛מָּהand they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
מִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֥ם[were] bowing down
mishtachavitemH7812 →172 times
קֵ֖דְמָהeast -ward
kedemahH6924 →87 times
לַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃to the sun
lashameshH8121 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to…
it leads to
- Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
- Deuteronomy 17:3
and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
- 2 Kings 21:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped…
- Genesis 1:16–18
God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
- Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
- Romans 1:25
Through
Jeremiah 2:27say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces, yet in the time of trouble…
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:16
O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
- Isaiah 26:16
Through
Jeremiah 32:33They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 7:13
And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and because I have spoken to you again and again but you would not listen, and I have called to you but…
- Jeremiah 7:13
Through
Deuteronomy 17:3and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
it leads to
- Jeremiah 7:31
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.
- Jeremiah 7:31
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this chapter
About Ezekiel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.