Ezekiel 8:11

Ezekiel 8:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
• New International Version (NIV)In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.

Context of Ezekiel 8:11

9He said to me, “Go in and see the evil abominations they are practicing here.” 10So I went in and looked. I noticed every figure of creeping thing and beast – detestable images – and every idol of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around. Seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel (with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them) were standing in front of them, each with a censer in his hand, and fragrant vapors from a cloud of incense were swirling upward. 12He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us! The Lord has abandoned the land!’” 13He said to me, “You will see them practicing even greater abominations!”

Ezekiel 8:11 word by word

וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֣ישׁ מִזִּקְנֵ֣י בֵֽית־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל וְיַאֲזַנְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־שָׁפָ֜ן עֹמֵ֤ד בְּתוֹכָם֙ עֹמְדִ֣ים לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ מִקְטַרְתּ֖וֹ בְּיָד֑וֹ וַעֲתַ֥ר עֲנַֽן־הַקְּטֹ֖רֶת עֹלֶֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And there stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• them seventyשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of the ancientsזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• Jaazaniahיַאֲזַנְיָ֫הוּya'ăzanyâh ya'ăzanyâhû · JaazaniahH2970
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Shaphanשָׁפָןshâphân · ShaphanH8227
• with every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• his censerמִקְטֶ֫רֶתmiqţereth · censerH4730
• in his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• and a thickעָתָר‛âthâr · odourH6282
• cloudעָנָן‛ânân · cloudH6051
• of incenseקְטֹ֫רֶתqeţôreth · incenseH7004
• went upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927

Cross-references for Ezekiel 8:11

• Exodus 24:1But to Moses the Lord said, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance.
• Numbers 11:16The Lord said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know are elders of the people and officials over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you.
• Jeremiah 5:5I will go to the leaders and speak with them. Surely they know what the Lord demands. Surely they know what their God requires of them.” Yet all of them, too, have rejected his authority and refuse to submit to him.
• Jeremiah 19:1The Lord told Jeremiah, “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take with you some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders of the priests.
• Daniel 9:8O lord, we have been humiliated – our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors – because we have sinned against you.
• 2 Kings 22:3In the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, the king sent the scribe Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the Lord’s temple with these orders:
• 2 Kings 8:12Hazael asked, “Why are you crying, my master?” He replied, “Because I know the trouble you will cause the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, smash their children to bits, and rip open their pregnant women.”
• 2 Kings 25:22Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over the people whom he allowed to remain in the land of Judah.
• 2 Chronicles 34:20The king ordered Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant,
• Jeremiah 26:24However, Ahikam son of Shaphan used his influence to keep Jeremiah from being handed over and executed by the people.
• Jeremiah 29:3He sent it with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah. King Zedekiah of Judah had sent these men to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The letter said:
• Jeremiah 36:10At that time Baruch went into the temple of the Lord. He stood in the entrance of the room of Gemariah the son of Shaphan who had been the royal secretary. That room was in the upper court near the entrance of the New Gate. There, where all the people could hear him, he read from the scroll what Jeremiah had said.
• Numbers 16:17And each of you take his censer, put incense in it, and then each of you present his censer before the Lord: 250 censers, along with you, and Aaron – each of you with his censer.”
• 2 Chronicles 26:16But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He disobeyed the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense on the incense altar.
• Jeremiah 7:9You steal. You murder. You commit adultery. You lie when you swear on oath. You sacrifice to the god Baal. You pay allegiance to other gods whom you have not previously known.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 8:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan - Shaphan was a scribe, or what some call comptroller of the temple, in the days of Josiah; and Jaazaniah his son probably succeeded him in this office. He was at the head of this band of idolaters.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Seventy men - Compare Exodus 24:9-10. The vision may have pointed to the contrast between the times. The number “seven” is symbolic of the covenant between Yahweh and His people, and so the “seventy” men exhibit forcibly the breach of the covenant. It is a figure of the covert idolatry of the whole people.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. 11These 70 leaders are very different from the 70 leaders from the time of Moses. Those leaders had the special privilege of seeing God (Exodus 24:1–11). They also received the same Spirit that was on Moses (Numbers 11:16–30). Jaazaniah led this group. Ironically, he was the son of Shaphan. Shaphan had been a faithful leader who helped carry out King Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 22:3–14). The incense they burned was meant to protect them from demonic spirits…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. seventy men--the seventy members composing the Sanhedrim, or great council of the nation, the origination of which we find in the seventy elders, representatives of the congregation, who went up with Moses to the mount to behold the glory of Jehovah, and to witness the secret transactions relating to the establishment of the covenant; also, in the seventy elders appointed to share the burden of the people with Moses. How awfully it aggravates the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 8:11

• Censer
• Government
• Idolatry
• Incense
• Jaazaniah
• Shaphan

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Albeit
• Censer
• Cloud
• Dig
• Hole
• Incense
• Jaazaniah

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