New Living Translation
Ezekiel 8:3
3He reached out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair. Then the Spirit lifted me up into the sky and transported me to Jerusalem in a vision from God. I was taken to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple, where there is a large idol that has made the Lord very jealous.
Ezekiel 8:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
- New International Version (NIV)He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy.
Context of Ezekiel 8:3
1Then on September 17, during the sixth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, while the leaders of Judah were in my home, the Sovereign Lord took hold of me. 2I saw a figure that appeared to be a man. From what appeared to be his waist down, he looked like a burning flame. From the waist up he looked like gleaming amber. He reached out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair. Then the Spirit lifted me up into the sky and transported me to Jerusalem in a vision from God. I was taken to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple, where there is a large idol that has made the Lord very jealous. 4Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel was there, just as I had seen it before in the valley. 5Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the Lord so jealous.
Read all of Ezekiel 8Ezekiel 8:3 word by word
וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ תַּבְנִ֣ית יָ֔ד וַיִּקָּחֵ֖נִי בְּצִיצִ֣ת רֹאשִׁ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֣א אֹתִ֣י ר֣וּחַ׀ בֵּֽין־הָאָ֣רֶץ וּבֵ֣ין הַשָּׁמַ֡יִם וַתָּבֵא֩ אֹתִ֨י יְרוּשָׁלְַ֜מָה בְּמַרְא֣וֹת אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח שַׁ֤עַר הַפְּנִימִית֙ הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה צָפ֔וֹנָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֣ם מוֹשַׁ֔ב סֵ֖מֶל הַקִּנְאָ֥ה הַמַּקְנֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he put forthשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
- the formתַּבְנִיתtabnîyth · patternH8403
- of an handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- and tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- me by a lockצִיצִתtsîytsith · tasselH6734
- of mine headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- and the spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- lifted me upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
- between the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- me in the visionsמַרְאָהmar'âh · visionH4759
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- to the doorפֶּ֫תַחpethach · entranceH6607
- of the innerפְּנִימִיpenîymîy · innerH6442
- gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- that lookethפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- toward the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- the seatמוֹשָׁבmôshâb môshâb · seatH4186
- of the imageסֶ֫מֶלsemel sêmel · idolH5566
- of jealousyקִנְאָהqin'âh · jealousyH7068
- which provoketh to jealousyקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
Cross-references for Ezekiel 8:3
- Ezekiel 2:9Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll,
- Daniel 5:5Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote,
- Daniel 10:10Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees.
- Ezekiel 3:14The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong.
- Ezekiel 11:1Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the east gateway of the Lord’s Temple, where I saw twenty-five prominent men of the city. Among them were Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders among the people.
- Ezekiel 40:2In a vision from God he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. From there I could see toward the south what appeared to be a city.
- 1 Kings 18:12But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life.
- 2 Kings 2:16“Sir,” they said, “just say the word and fifty of our strongest men will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has left him on some mountain or in some valley.” “No,” Elisha said, “don’t send them.”
- Acts 8:39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.
- 2 Corinthians 12:2I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows.
- Revelation 1:10It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.
- Revelation 4:2And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.
- Ezekiel 8:5Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the Lord so jealous.
- 2 Kings 16:14Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from its place in front of the Lord’s Temple, between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar.
- Ezekiel 5:11“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will cut you off completely. I will show you no pity at all because you have defiled my Temple with your vile images and detestable sins.
- Ezekiel 7:20They were proud of their beautiful jewelry and used it to make detestable idols and vile images. Therefore, I will make all their wealth disgusting to them.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 8:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The image of jealousy - הקנאה סמל semel hakkinah . We do not know certainly of what form this image was, nor what god it represented. Some say it was the image of Baal, which was placed in the temple by Manasses; others, that it was the image of Mars; and others, that it was the image of Tammuz or Adonis. Calmet supports this opinion by the following reasons: - The name agrees perfectly with him. He was represented as a beautiful youth, beloved by Venus…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3In the visions of God - Ezekiel was not transported “in the body,” but rapt “in spirit,” while he still sat amidst the elders of Judah. The inner gate - Or, the gate of the inner court. This gate, leading from the outer to the inner court (the court of the priests), is called Ezekiel 8:5 “the gate of the altar,” because it was from this side that the priests approached the brass altar. The prophet is on the “outside” of this gate, so that the “image of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3While the leaders gathered, Ezekiel saw a vision of what seemed to be a man. The description is similar to the one in Ezekiel 1:26–27. This time, Ezekiel was lifted into the sky and transported to Jerusalem. like that of … His appearance was like … looked like: What Ezekiel saw went beyond normal human experience (see study note on Ezekiel 1:4–28).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Instead of prompting him to address directly the elders before him, the Spirit carried him away in vision (not in person bodily) to the temple at Jerusalem; he proceeds to report to them what he witnessed: his message thus falls into two parts: (1) The abominations reported in Eze 8:1-18. (2) The dealings of judgment and mercy to be adopted towards the impenitent and penitent Israelites respectively (Eze 9:1-11:25). The exiles looked hopefully towards…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 8:3
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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