Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 8:6
He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? [even] the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations.
6. I should go far off ] i.e. withdraw. These abominations defiled Jehovah’s sanctuary, the place of his abode, causing him to abandon it. His withdrawal is symbolized ch. Eze 11:1; Eze 11:22-23.
turn thee again see ] Rather: thou shalt again see greater abominations; so Eze 8:13 ; Eze 8:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Seest thou? dost thou observe?
What they do; the inhabitants, the generality of the Jews.
The great abominations; the notorious idolatries.
Here; in this court, in view of my temple, and where all that come, as most did, this way to worship me see it, so shameless is it!
That I should go; not that they designed this, but eventually it was so, and in all reason could be no otherwise expected.
From my sanctuary; that I chose, but am not confined to. That I shall leave not by local distance, but by rejecting and casting it off, and laying it desolate.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. that I should go far off from mysanctuary“that I should (be compelled by their sin to) gofar off from my sanctuary” (Eze10:18); the sure precursor of its destruction.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He said furthermore unto me, son of man,…. He continued his speech to the prophet, saying
seest thou what they do? the idolatrous Jews, who had set up a graven image at the northern gate of the court, where the altar was, and were sacrificing to it:
[even] the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here; for to set up an idol where he was, and an altar by his altar, and to sacrifice to Baal, and not to him, or to Baal along with him, or besides him, or to any other idol, were very abominable to the Lord: even to such a degree,
that I should go far from my sanctuary? be obliged to leave it, not being able to bear such abominable idolatries: or, “that they should go far from my sanctuary” u; depart from the true worship and service of it, and fall into idolatry:
but turn thee yet again; from the north to the south it may be; however, to some other part of the temple:
[and] thou shalt see greater abominations; or, “great abominations” w; for there is no necessity of rendering it “greater”: but the meaning is, that he should see other great abominations besides what he had seen, than which there could not be anything well greater.
u “ut longius recedant, [vel] abeant, [sub.] Israelitae a sauctuario meo”, Vatablus; and to this sense are the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; “ad longe recedendum”, Cocceius. w “abominationes magnas”, Pagninus, Montanus, Calvin, Piscator, Cocceius. Starckius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Now God complains with his Prophet; and we must always mark the object and consider God’s design, because at the end of the chapter we shall see how severe a vengeance God was about to take on the people. Hence the Prophet prevents those obstreperous reproaches with which the people loaded him through envy, when he chastised them according to their deserts. Hence he doubtless wished the exiles to be persuaded of what they could scarcely conceive, namely, that the destruction of Jerusalem was near. For we have said that those who had been drawn into captivity had displeased him, and wished to return to their country. Since therefore their condition was too grievous and severe, for this reason God wished to testify to them that the last overthrow of Jerusalem was at hand. He does this while he shows the great abominations which reigned in the very temple, whence the Almighty must of necessity appear as the avenger of his glory and worship. The rest to-morrow.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) That I should go far off from my sanctuary.In the original this is simply an infinitive, without any subject expressed, for the removing far off, and may therefore be understood either of the removing of the people or of the Divine abandonment of the sanctuary. The latter sense, however, which is that given in the Authorised Version, is more probable and more in accordance with the whole teaching of the vision. There was a strong feeling among the people that they were safe at Jerusalem; God, Whom they still regarded, notwithstanding their idolatries, as a powerful national God, would certainly protect His temple. It is the office of the prophet to show that, the transgressions of the people led, as their natural consequence, to his giving over the city to desolation. The great abominations spoken of are the constant refrain of this chapter (Eze. 8:9; Eze. 8:13; Eze. 8:15; Eze. 8:17). The peoples own acts make necessary the judgments impending over them. Still worse is in store.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Turn thee yet again, and thou shall see greater abominations Or, thou shalt see again greater abominations. The gradation of crime indicated here is a help in determining the location and nature of the worship now to be described. The increased desecration is seen, if our exegesis is correct, first, in the place where the worship is offered; second, in the character of the worshipers; and, third, in the nature of the worship. The image was set up “at the gate” (of the outer court, Eze 8:5); the “chambers of imagery” were in the gate, or in an adjoining chamber at the very entrance to the inner court; the women “weeping for Tammuz” were at “the door of the gate of the Lord’s house,” which we suppose to be a special title designating the door of the holy place, just as the priests’ court seems to be called “the court of the Lord’s house” (Jer 19:14; Jer 26:2). The sun worshipers were “at the door of the temple of the Lord,” which evidently locates them on the steps of the court leading to the holy of holies; for it is distinctly stated, as if to increase the enormity of the offense, that they were “between the porch and the altar” (Eze 8:16), and the Mishna also declares that this particular space was especially holy (Chelim, 1-9). The priests would naturally speak of the priests’ court as the court, and of the gate of the inner court as the gate (2Ch 20:5; Jer 19:14; Jer 26:2, and Ezekiel passim). The character of the worshipers and the kind of worship, if our explanation is correct, show a growth in shamelessness: elders (Eze 8:11), women prostitutes (Eze 8:14, compare Deu 23:17); men prostitutes (Eze 8:16); the Egyptian Mysteries (Eze 8:10); the Tammuz Festival (Eze 8:14); the worship of the sun with special reference to its fructifying influence (Eze 8:16-17).
That I should go far off from my sanctuary These abominations drive Jehovah from his temple. Jerusalem and the temple have always been called sacred to Jehovah, and the comrades of Ezekiel in exile thought it blasphemy for anyone to suggest that the temple could be captured and profaned by the heathen; but in the vision it is made plain that the temple is already profaned. The elders, the common people, and even the priests the chief ministers of the temple have already brought into it the worst forms of heathen worship. It is already polluted. The Chaldean army can do no worse. Let the siege begin! It is Jehovah’s temple no longer, and he will no longer protect it. This is a syncretism which even the heathen have not been guilty of (Jer 2:10).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 8:6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? [even] the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations.
Ver. 6. That I should go far from my sanctuary. ] Which is now become omnium turpitudinum arx (as was once said of Pompey’s great theatre at Rome), a receptacle of all roguery, et impiae gentis arcanum, as afterward Florus unworthily called it.
And thou shalt see greater abominations.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
seeest thou . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
abominations. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6, for the idols and the sin of idolatry which Jehovah abominated.
the house of Israel. See note on Exo 16:31.
I should go far off. Literally to a removal far away: i.e. that they (or I) should remove, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
seest: Eze 8:12, Eze 8:17, Jer 3:6, Jer 7:17
even: Eze 8:9, Eze 8:17, Eze 5:11, Eze 7:20-22, Eze 23:38, Eze 23:39, 2Ki 23:4-6, Pro 5:14, Jer 7:30, Jer 23:11, Jer 32:34
that I: Eze 10:19, Eze 11:22, Deu 31:16-18, 2Ch 36:14-17, Psa 78:60, Jer 26:6, Lam 2:6, Lam 2:7
greater: Eze 8:11, Eze 8:14, Eze 8:16
Reciprocal: Isa 26:21 – Lord Isa 55:6 – while he is near Jer 11:18 – the Lord Eze 8:13 – greater Eze 8:15 – Hast Eze 10:15 – lifted Eze 14:23 – that I have not Eze 18:12 – hath committed Eze 33:29 – because Hos 5:15 – return Amo 8:2 – Amos Mat 24:1 – departed Mar 13:1 – out
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 8:6. Ezekiel had never manifested any tendency toward idolatry, and the vision which the Lord was showing to him was not for his personal benefit. But he was expected to report the scenes to his fellow countrymen and write them for the information of mankind in following generations. (The same was true of John and the book of Revelation.) That I should go far off means that God was deserting the bouse which bis people had polluted with their idols.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
8:6 He said furthermore to me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? [even] the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should withdraw from {i} my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations.
(i) For God will not be where the idols are.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord asked Ezekiel if he saw the great abominations that the people were practicing in Jerusalem by worshipping this image. It was so bad that the Lord had removed Himself from His temple. Yet He told the prophet that he would see worse abominations than this one.