Tree of Life Version
Ezekiel 8:17
17He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it too light a thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations they practice here, that they must also fill the land with violence and provoke Me still more? Look, they are putting the twig to My nose!
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 said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see even greater abominations than these.” 16So He brought me into the inner court of Adonai’s House. Behold, at the door of the Temple of Adonai, between the porch and the altar, were about 25 men, with their backs toward the Temple of Adonai and their faces toward the east—and they were bowing in worship eastward toward the sun. He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it too light a thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations they practice here, that they must also fill the land with violence and provoke Me still more? Look, they are putting the twig to My nose! 18Therefore I will indeed act in fury. My eye will not spare you nor will I have pity. Though they cry into My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”
Read all of Ezekiel 8Ezekiel 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“Forge the chain! For the land is full of bloodshed. The city is full of violence.
- Ezekiel 9:9He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great; the land is full of blood and the city is full of corruption. For they say, ‘Adonai has forsaken the land, Adonai does not see!’
- Ezekiel 11:6You have multiplied your slain in this city and you filled the streets with corpses.”
- Genesis 6:13Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh is coming before Me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Behold, I am about to bring ruin upon them along with the land.
- 2 Kings 21:16Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood until he filled Jerusalem with blood from one end to another—in addition to his sin which he made Judah sin, in doing what was evil in Adonai’s eyes.
- 2 Kings 24:4and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed—for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood that Adonai was not willing to pardon.
- Jeremiah 6:7As a well gushes out its waters, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and havoc are heard in her, sickness and wounds ever before Me.
- Jeremiah 19:4For they have forsaken Me and have alienated this place, by burning sacrifices in it to other gods, which neither they nor their forefathers, nor the kings of Judah have known. They have also filled this place with the blood of innocents.
- Jeremiah 20:8For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, “Violence and ruin!” For the word of Adonai is scorn and ridicule to me all day long.
- Amos 3:10They do not know how to be honest, —declares Adonai— those who are saving up violence and destruction in their citadels.
- Amos 6:3Dismissing the day of calamity, you bring near the throne of violence.
- Micah 2:2They covet fields, so they seize them, or houses, and take them away. So they oppress a man and his house— a man and his inheritance.
- Micah 6:12For the rich of the city are full of violence and its inhabitants speak lies. Their tongue in their mouth is deceit.
- Zephaniah 1:9In that day I will punish all who skip over the threshold while filling their master’s House with violence and deceit.
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
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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