Ezekiel 8:16

Ezekiel 8:16 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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 porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

Context of Ezekiel 8:16

14Then He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz. 15“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Yet you will see even greater abominations than these.” So 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. 17“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the abominations they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence and continually provoke Me to anger? Look, they are even putting the branch to their nose! 18Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”

Ezekiel 8:16 word by word

וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתִ֗י אֶל־חֲצַ֣ר בֵּית־יְהוָה֮ הַפְּנִימִית֒ וְהִנֵּה־פֶ֜תַח הֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֗ה בֵּ֤ין הָֽאוּלָם֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ כְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אִ֑ישׁ אֲחֹ֨רֵיהֶ֜ם אֶל־הֵיכַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ וּפְנֵיהֶ֣ם קֵ֔דְמָה וְהֵ֛מָּה מִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֥ם קֵ֖דְמָה לַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃Read the interlinear

• So He broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• meאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• the innerפְּנִימִיpenîymîy · innerH6442
• courtחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and thereהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• at the entranceפֶּ֫תַחpethach · entranceH6607
• to the templeהֵיכָלhêykâl · templeH1964
• betweenבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• the porticoאוּלָם'ûlâm 'ûlâm · PorticoH197
• the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• were about twenty-fiveעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• were about twenty-fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• with their backsאָחוֹר'âchôr 'âchôr · backH268
• and their facesפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• toward the eastקֵ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · eastH6924
• and theyהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• in worshipשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
• of the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121

Cross-references for Ezekiel 8:16

• Ezekiel 10:3Now when the man went in, the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple, and a cloud filled the inner court.
• Ezekiel 40:28Next he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others.
• Ezekiel 43:5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
• Ezekiel 45:19And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court.
• 2 Kings 16:14He also took the bronze altar that stood before the LORD from the front of the temple (between the new altar and the house of the LORD) and he put it on the north side of the new altar.
• 2 Chronicles 7:7Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar he had made could not hold all these offerings.
• Joel 2:17Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
• Ezekiel 11:1Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.
• Ezekiel 23:35Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’”
• 1 Kings 8:29May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.
• 2 Chronicles 29:6For our fathers were unfaithful and did evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.
• Jeremiah 2:27say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet in the time of trouble, they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’
• 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.
• 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 all the nations under heaven.
• 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—
• 2 Kings 23:5Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 8:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Five 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.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 The yearly lamenting for Tammuz was attended with infamous practices; and the worshippers of the sun here described, are supposed to have been priests. The Lord appeals to the prophet concerning the heinousness of the crime; "and lo, they put the branch to their nose," denoting some custom used by idolaters in honour of the idols they served. The more we examine human nature and our own hearts, the more abominations we shall discover; and the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The fourth and final act of idolatry took place in the very center of the temple complex. It happened in the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord. This was as close as a person could come to the temple building without entering it. The 25 men worshiping the sun were likely priests, since only priests should have accessed this area. It is also possible that they were not priests and were openly breaking the rules. These men stood physically closer to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. The next are "greater abominations," not in respect to the idolatry, but in respect to the place and persons committing it. In "the inner court," immediately before the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, where the priests advanced only on extraordinary occasions (Joe 2:17), twenty-five men (the leaders of the twenty-four courses or orders of the priests, 1Ch 24:18, 19, with the high priest, "the princes of the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 8:16

• Altar
• Idolatry
• Sun
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Albeit
• Cloud
• Dig
• Hole
• Incense
• Living creatures
• Look
• Chariots of the Sun
• Court of the Sanctuary; Tabernacle; Temple
• Horses of the Sun

Commentaries on Ezekiel 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings