Ezekiel 8:17

Ezekiel 8:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
• New International Version (NIV)He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose!
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to their nose.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose.

Context of Ezekiel 8:17

15He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this? You will see even more disgusting things than these.” 16Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple. There at the entrance to the Lord’s temple, between the entrance and the altar, were about 25 men who had their backs turned to the Lord’s temple. They were facing east and worshiping the rising sun. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this? Isn’t it bad enough that the people of Judah have done these disgusting things that you have seen here? Yet, they also fill the land with violence and continue to provoke me even more. Look how they insult me in the worst possible way. 18So I will take action because I’m angry, and I won’t have compassion for them or feel sorry for them. Even if they shout in my ears, I won’t listen to them.”

Ezekiel 8:17 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ הֲנָקֵל֙ לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה מֵעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־הַתּוֹעֵב֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשׂוּ־פֹ֑ה כִּֽי־מָלְא֨וּ אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ חָמָ֗ס וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי וְהִנָּ֛ם שֹׁלְחִ֥ים אֶת־הַזְּמוֹרָ֖ה אֶל־אַפָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto me, Hast thou seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• O sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• Is it a light thingקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• that they commitעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• the abominationsתּוֹעֵבַהtô‛êbah tô‛êbah · abominationH8441
• here? for they have filledמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• with violenceחָמָסchâmâs · violenceH2555
• and have returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: againH7725
• to provoke me to angerכָּעַסka‛as · to provokeH3707
• and, lo, they putשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
• the branchזְמוֹרָהzemôrâh zemôrâh zemôr · branchH2156
• to their noseאַף'aph · face: noseH639

Cross-references for Ezekiel 8:17

• Ezekiel 7:23“Get the chains ready! The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with violence.
• 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.
• Ezekiel 11:6You have killed many people in this city and have filled its streets with corpses.
• Genesis 6:13God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all people because the earth is full of their violence. Now I’m going to destroy them along with the earth.
• 2 Kings 21:16In addition to his sin that he led Judah to commit in front of the Lord, Manasseh also killed a lot of innocent people from one end of Jerusalem to the other.
• 2 Kings 24:4including the innocent blood he had shed. He had a lot of innocent people in Jerusalem killed, and the Lord refused to forgive him.
• Jeremiah 6:7As a well keeps its water fresh, so Jerusalem keeps its evil fresh. Violence and destruction can be heard in it. I see that it is sick and wounded.
• Jeremiah 19:4“The people, their ancestors, and the kings of Judah have abandoned me. They have made this place unrecognizable by burning incense as an offering to other gods that they hadn’t heard of. They have filled this place with the blood of innocent people.
• Jeremiah 20:8Each time I speak, I have to cry out and shout, “Violence and destruction!” The Lord’s word has made me the object of insults and contempt all day long.
• Amos 3:10Those who collect profits in their palaces through violent and destructive acts don’t know how to do what is right, declares the Lord.
• Amos 6:3How horrible it will be for those who think that a day of disaster is far away. They bring the reign of violence closer.
• Micah 2:2They desire ⌞other people’s⌟ fields, so they seize them. They desire ⌞people’s⌟ houses, so they take them. They cheat a man and his family, a man and his inheritance.
• Micah 6:12The rich people in the city are violent. Those who live in the city speak lies, and their tongues speak deceitfully.
• Zephaniah 1:9On that day I will punish all who jump over the doorway and all who fill their master’s house with violence and deception.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 8:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17They put the branch to their nose - This is supposed to mean some branch or branches, which they carried in succession in honor of the idol, and with which they covered their faces, or from which they inhaled a pleasant smell, the branches being odoriferous. That the heathens carried branches of trees in their sacred ceremonies is well known to all persons acquainted with classic antiquity; and it is probable that the heathen borrowed those from the use…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17“Violence” represents sin against man, “abominations” sins against God. These went hand in hand in Jerusalem. And have returned - After the reformation effected for a time by Josiah‘s zeal, they have gone back to their old state. They put the branch to their nose - An allusion to a then familiar practice, of which we find no clear traces elsewhere. Ezekiel is describing the attitude usual in such devotions, the branch held before the mouth, but wishing to…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. 17-18The abominations that the Israelites were committing in the temple complex were like openly insulting the Lord. The Hebrew expression literally says they were “putting the twig [or branch] to their nose.” This was likely a rude gesture. It showed defiance and disrespect. In other words, their actions were not only sinful. They were boldly rebellious against the Lord.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. put ... branch to ... nose--proverbial, for "they turn up the nose in scorn," expressing their insolent security [Septuagint]. Not content with outraging "with their violence" the second table of the law, namely, that of duty towards one's neighbor, "they have returned" (that is, they turn back afresh) to provoke Me by violations of the first table [Calvin]. Rather, they held up a branch or bundle of tamarisk (called barsom) to their nose at daybreak…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 8:17

• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Son of man
• Albeit
• Cloud
• Dig
• Hole
• Incense
• Living creatures
• Look
• Branch ;bough

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