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 Lord’s house, and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15And he said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even more detestable acts than these.” So he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house, and there were about twenty-five men at the entrance of the Lord’s temple, between the portico and the altar, with their backs to the Lord’s temple and their faces turned to the east. They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun. 17And he said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the detestable acts they are doing here, that they must also fill the land with violence and repeatedly anger me, even putting the branch to their nose? 18Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not show pity or spare them. Though they call loudly in my hearing, 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• me into the innerפְּנִימִיpenîymîy · innerH6442
• courtחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
• of the Lord’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• and, behold, at the doorפֶּ֫תַחpethach · entranceH6607
• of the templeהֵיכָלhêykâl · templeH1964
• between the porchאוּלָם'ûlâm 'ûlâm · PorticoH197
• and the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• about fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• and twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• with their backsאָחוֹר'âchôr 'âchôr · backH268
• and their facesפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• toward the eastקֵ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · eastH6924
• and they worshippedשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
• the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121

Cross-references for Ezekiel 8:16

• Ezekiel 10:3Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court.
• Ezekiel 40:28Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate. When he measured the south gate, it had the same measurements as the others.
• Ezekiel 43:5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
• Ezekiel 45:19The priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and apply it to the temple doorposts, the four corners of the altar’s ledge, and the doorposts of the gate of the inner court.
• 2 Kings 16:14He took the bronze altar that was before the Lord in front of the temple between his altar and the Lord’s temple, and put it on the north side of his altar.
• 2 Chronicles 7:7Since the bronze altar that Solomon had made could not accommodate the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offerings, Solomon first consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the Lord’s temple and then offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings there.
• Joel 2:17Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Have pity on your people, Lord, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
• Ezekiel 11:1The Spirit then lifted me up and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, which faces east, and at the gate’s entrance were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.
• Ezekiel 23:35Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and promiscuity.”
• 1 Kings 8:29so that your eyes may watch over this temple night and day, toward the place where you said, “My name will be there,” and so that you may hear the prayer that your servant prays toward this place.
• 2 Chronicles 29:6For our ancestors were unfaithful and did what is evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They abandoned him, turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place, and turned their backs on him.
• Jeremiah 2:27say to a tree, “You are my father,” and to a stone, “You gave birth to me.” For they have turned their back to me and not their face, yet in their time of disaster they beg, “Rise up and save us!”
• Jeremiah 32:33They have turned their backs to me and not their faces. Though I taught them time and time again, they do not listen and receive discipline.
• Deuteronomy 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars — all the stars in the sky — do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them. The Lord your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.
• Deuteronomy 17:3and has gone to serve other gods by bowing in worship to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky — which I have forbidden —
• 2 Kings 23:5Then he did away with the idolatrous priests the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the high places in the cities of Judah and in the areas surrounding Jerusalem. They had burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, moon, constellations, and all the stars in the sky.

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