God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 8:12
12God asked me, “Son of man, do you see what the leaders of the nation of Israel are doing in secret? Each of them is in the room where his god is, and each one of them is thinking, ‘The Lord doesn’t see me. The Lord has abandoned this land.’ ”
Ezekiel 8:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
- New International Version (NIV)He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, 'The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”
Context of Ezekiel 8:12
10So I went in and looked. I saw that the walls were covered with drawings of every kind of crawling creature, every kind of disgusting animal, and all the idols in the nation of Israel. 11In front of these drawings stood 70 of Israel’s leaders. Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, was standing with the leaders. Each of them was holding an incense burner in his hand, and a cloud of incense went up. God asked me, “Son of man, do you see what the leaders of the nation of Israel are doing in secret? Each of them is in the room where his god is, and each one of them is thinking, ‘The Lord doesn’t see me. The Lord has abandoned this land.’ ” 13Then he said to me, “You will see even more disgusting things that they are doing.” 14He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s temple. Women were sitting there and crying for the god Tammuz.
Read all of Ezekiel 8Ezekiel 8:12 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר זִקְנֵ֤י בֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ אִ֖ישׁ בְּחַדְרֵ֣י מַשְׂכִּית֑וֹ כִּ֣י אֹמְרִ֗ים אֵ֤ין יְהוָה֙ רֹאֶ֣ה אֹתָ֔נוּ עָזַ֥ב יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- he unto me, Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- hast thou seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- what the ancientsזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- in the darkחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- in the chambersחֶ֫דֶרcheder · chamberH2315
- of his imageryמַשְׂכִּיתmaώkîyth · figureH4906
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
- the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Ezekiel 8:12
- Ezekiel 8:6He asked me, “Son of man, do you see what the people of Israel are doing? The people of Israel are doing very disgusting things here, things that will force me to go far away from my holy place. But you will see even more disgusting things.”
- Ezekiel 8:11In front of these drawings stood 70 of Israel’s leaders. Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, was standing with the leaders. Each of them was holding an incense burner in his hand, and a cloud of incense went up.
- Ezekiel 14:1Some of Israel’s leaders came to me and sat down in front of me.
- Ezekiel 20:1On the tenth day of the fifth month in the seventh year, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask for the Lord’s help. They sat in front of me.
- Ephesians 5:12It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret.
- Ezekiel 8:7Then he took me to the entrance of the courtyard. As I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.
- Job 24:13“Such people are among those who rebel against the light. They are not acquainted with its ways. They do not stay on its paths.
- John 3:19This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil.
- Ezekiel 9:9He answered me, “The wickedness of the nations of Israel and Judah is terrible. The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with wrongdoing. They think that the Lord has abandoned the land and that he doesn’t see.
- Job 22:12“Isn’t God high above in the heavens? Look how high the highest stars are!
- Psalms 73:11Then wicked people ask, “What does God know?” “Does the Most High know anything?”
- Psalms 94:7They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it. The God of Jacob doesn’t even pay attention to it.”
- Isaiah 29:15How horrible it will be for those who try to hide their plans from the Lord. Their deeds are done in the dark, and they say, “No one can see us” and “No one can recognize us.”
Commentaries on Ezekiel 8:12
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12In the dark - Hidden in the secret places which the seer dug through the wall to discover. Chambers of his imagery - i. e., chambers painted with images.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 A secret place was, as it were, opened, where the prophet saw creatures painted on the walls, and a number of the elders of Israel worshipped before them. No superiority in worldly matters will preserve men from lust, or idolatries, when they are left to their own deceitful hearts; and those who are soon wearied in the service of God, often grudge no toil nor expense when following their superstitions. When hypocrites screen themselves behind…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13The Lord saw the actions of Israel's leaders and shared this with his prophet (compare Luke 12:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. every man in ... chambers of ... imagery--The elders ("ancients") are here the representatives of the people, rather than to be regarded literally. Mostly, the leaders of heathen superstitions laughed at them secretly, while publicly professing them in order to keep the people in subjection. Here what is meant is that the people generally addicted themselves to secret idolatry, led on by their elders; there is no doubt, also, allusion to the…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 8:12
In the dictionaries
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
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