3<\/strong>. He does not even say that it was<\/strong> the divine hand that carried him; spirit<\/strong> carried him, the form of the divine hand was merely symbolical.<\/p>\n the visions of God<\/em> ] i.e. shewn him by God, ch. Eze 1:1<\/span>.<\/p>\n door of the inner gate<\/em> ] Rather: door of the gate of the inner court<\/strong> looking toward the north, i.e. the northern gate of the inner court. The word “inner” is wanting in LXX. The general opinion has been that the prophet was set down in the inner court, at the inner<\/em> door of the northern gateway into that court. The term “door,” however, seems in usage to mean the outside entrance; and if the prophet had stood in the inner court he would have had to look northward through the gateway in order to see the image of jealousy, which was certainly not in the inner court. It is more natural to suppose him set down in the outer court, in front of the gateway leading into the inner court. In front of this gateway, in the outer court, stood the image of jealousy, near the entrance. Having seen this the prophet is next brought into<\/em> the gateway ( Eze 8:7<\/em><\/span>), where he enters the chamber of imagery, some one of the cells in the gateway building. From there he is carried outside the sacred enclosure altogether to the north door of the outer court ( Eze 8:14<\/em><\/span>), where he finds the women bewailing Tammuz. And finally he is transported into the inner court where he beholds the sun-worship practised in front of the temple-house itself. Previous to this he had not been in the inner court, for when being shewn the idolatries he is always taken to the precise place where they are practised.<\/p>\n image of jealousy<\/em> ] Not an image of “jealousy” itself, considered as a deity, but an image which because it provoked to jealousy was named image of jealousy. The “jealousy” of God is a violent emotion or resentment arising from the feeling of being injured (Deu 32:21<\/span>). It is uncertain what this image was. The word occurs again, Deu 4:16<\/span>, in the sense of similitude or “figure,” and in Phenician with the meaning of “statue,” e.g. in an inscription from Idalion ( Corp. Ins. Sem<\/em>., vol. i. 88, 3, 7, &c.). According to 2Ki 21:7<\/span> Manasseh put a graven image of Ashera in the house of the Lord, which Josiah brought out and burnt (2Ki 23:6<\/span>; 2Ch 33:7<\/span>; 2Ch 33:15<\/span>). In earlier times the Ashera (A.V. grove) was a tree or pole planted beside an altar. It is not quite certain whether the pole or stock was a substitute for the evergreen tree, when this could not be had, or whether like the sun-image it was the symbol of a goddess. In later times the term seems used as the name of a goddess. The expression “in the house of the Lord” is hardly to be pressed so far as to imply that Manasseh placed the Ashera in the temple proper, “house” is used of the whole temple buildings, including the courts. The image here may be this Ashera, whether we are to suppose it replaced after Josiah had burnt it, or whether the prophet be here taking a comprehensive view of the idolatries of Israel, including the time of Manasseh. In 2Ki 23:11<\/span> reference is made to the horses of the sun placed “at the entering in of the house of the Lord,” but these would scarcely be called an “image.”<\/p>\n In the visions of God – <\/B>Ezekiel was not transported in the body, but rapt in spirit, while he still sat amidst the elders of Judah.<\/P> The inner gate – <\/B>Or, the gate of the inner court. This gate, leading from the outer to the inner court (the court of the priests), is called Eze 8:5<\/span> 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 jealousy was set up in the outer or peoples court over against the northern entrance to the priests court. This image was the image of a false god provoking Yahweh to jealousy Deu 32:16<\/span>, Deu 32:21<\/U><\/span>; 1Ki 14:22<\/span>. It may be doubted whether the scenes described in this chapter are intended to represent what actually occurred. They may be ideal pictures to indicate the idolatrous corruption of priests and people. And this is in accordance with the symbolic character of the number four; the four idolatries representing the idolatries in all the four quarters of the world. The false gods of pagandom are brought into the temple in order that they may be detected and exposed by being brought face to face with the God of revelation. Still history proves that the ideal picture was supported by actual facts which had occurred and were occurring.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 3<\/span>. The image of jealousy<\/B><\/I>] semel hakkinah<\/I>. We do not know certainly of what form<\/I> this image was, nor what god<\/I> 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<\/I>; and others, that it was the image of Tammuz<\/I> or Adonis<\/I>. Calmet<\/I> supports this opinion by the following reasons: –<\/P> 1. The name<\/I> agrees perfectly with him. He was represented as a beautiful youth, beloved by Venus; at which Mars, her paramour, being incensed and filled with jealousy<\/I>, sent a large boar against Adonis, which killed him with his tusks. Hence it was the image of him who fell a victim to jealousy<\/I>.<\/P> 2. The prophet being returned towards the northern gate, where he had seen the image of jealousy<\/I>, Eze 8:14<\/span>, there saw the women lamenting for Tammuz<\/I>. Now Tammuz<\/I>, all agree, signifies Adonis<\/I>; it was that therefore which was called the image<\/I> of jealousy<\/I>.<\/P> 3. The Scripture often gives to the heathen idols names of degradation; as Baal-zebub, god of flies<\/I>; Baal-zebul; god<\/I> of dung<\/I>. It is likely that it was Adonis<\/I> who is called The dead<\/I>, Le 19:27-28<\/span>; De 14:9<\/span>, because he was worshipped as one dead<\/I>. And the women represented as worshipping him were probably adulteresses<\/I>, and had suffered through the jealousy<\/I> of their husbands. And this worship of the image of jealousy provoked God<\/I> to jealousy<\/I>, to destroy this bad people.<\/P> <\/p>\n He put forth a hand; <\/B>Christ. This was acted visionally, not corporally or actually, and so all that is here spoken of to the end of the 16th verse. <\/P> The spirit; <\/B>which indeed is the hand which took him by the head, gently, but with mighty strength. <\/P> Lifted me up; <\/B>very probably in the sight of the elders who were with him. <\/P> Between the earth and the heaven; <\/B>he seemed to fly as a swift bird through the air. <\/P> Brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem; <\/B>carried me to see Jerusalem, where in visions strange and glorious I beheld what was done there. This was no delusion, but a revelation from heaven; though all was done in an ecstasy, yet he was fully assured of every particular he saw done in the temple, whither he was carried in his spirit, not body, by the hand or Spirit of Christ. <\/P> To the door of the inner gate; <\/B>to the door of the gate of the inner court, or court of the priests, 2Ch 4:9<\/span>. The temple courts had four gates towards the four quarters of the world, and this was the north gate, which opened into the great court, where Ahaz had set up his Damascene altar, 2Ki 16:11<\/span>, and where the idols were set up too. <\/P> The image, <\/B>Baal, which Manasseh had set up, 2Ki 21:7<\/span>, and Josiah had destroyed, and succeeding kings had again set up. <\/P> Of jealousy; <\/B>because it was so notorious an affront to God, who had married Israel to himself, that above all other it provoked him to anger against this people. <\/P> <\/p>\n 3.<\/B> Instead of prompting him toaddress directly the elders before him, the Spirit carried him awayin vision<\/I> (not in person bodily) to the temple at Jerusalem;he proceeds to report to them what he witnessed: his message thusfalls into two parts: (1) The abominations reported in Eze8:1-18<\/span>. (2) The dealings of judgment and mercy to be adoptedtowards the impenitent and penitent Israelites respectively (Eze9:1-11:25<\/span>). The exiles looked hopefully towards Jerusalem and, sofar from believing things there to be on the verge of ruin, expecteda return in peace; while those left in Jerusalem eyed the exiles withcontempt, as if cast away from the Lord, whereas they themselves werenear God and ensured in the possessions of the land (Eze11:15<\/span>). Hence the vision here of what affected those in Jerusalemimmediately was a seasonable communication to the exiles away fromit. <\/P> door of the inner gate<\/B>facingthe north, the direction in which he came from Chebar, called the”altar-gate” (Eze 8:5<\/span>);it opened into the inner court, wherein stood the altar of burntoffering; the inner court (1Ki6:36<\/span>) was that of the priests; the outer court (Eze10:5<\/span>), that of the people, where they assembled. <\/P> seat<\/B>the pedestal<\/I>of the image. <\/P> image of jealousy<\/B>Astarte,or Asheera (as the Hebrew<\/I> for “grove” ought to betranslated, 2Ki 21:3<\/span>; 2Ki 21:7<\/span>;2Ki 23:4<\/span>; 2Ki 23:7<\/span>),set up by Manasseh as a rival to Jehovah in His temple, and arrestingthe attention of all worshippers as they entered; it was the SyrianVenus, worshipped with licentious rites; the “queen of heaven,”wife of Phoelignician Baal. HAVERNICKthinks all the scenes of idolatry in the chapter are successiveportions of the festival held in honor of Tammuz or Adonis (Eze8:14<\/span>). Probably, however, the scenes are separate proofs ofJewish idolatry, rather than restricted to one idol. <\/P> provoketh to jealousy<\/B>callethfor a visitation in wrath of the “jealous God,” who willnot give His honor to another (compare the second commandment, Ex20:5<\/span>). JEROME refersthis verse to a statue of Baal, which Josiah had overthrown and hissuccessors had replaced.<\/P><\/p>\n And he put forth the form of an hand<\/strong>,…. That is, he that appeared in the likeness of a man, and with so much glory and splendour, out of the midst of the fire and brightness which were about him, put forth the form of a hand, that looked like a man’s hand; for this appearance was not real, only visionary; and this seems to design the Spirit of God sent forth by Christ, sometimes called the finger of God, Lu 11:20<\/span>; as appears by what follows:<\/p>\n and took me by a lock of mine head<\/strong>; without hurting him, showing his power over him; and by this means raising him from his seat, as it seemed to the prophet:<\/p>\n and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and heaven<\/strong>; took him off of his seat, and out of his house, lifted him up in the air, and carried him through it, as he thought; for this was not real and local; in like manner as the spirit caught away Philip, Ac 8:39<\/span>; but in vision, as follows:<\/p>\n and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem<\/strong>; so it was represented to him in a true vision, which was of God, and not of Satan, that he was carried from Chaldea to Jerusalem; not that he really was, for he was still in Chaldea; and here in vision was he brought again, and found himself to be when that vision was over,<\/p>\n Eze 11:24<\/span>; but things so appeared to him, as if he was actually brought to Jerusalem by the power of the Spirit of God:<\/p>\n to the door of the inner gate<\/strong>: not of Jerusalem, but the temple, or rather the court, the inner court; see Eze 10:3<\/span>; and so it should be rendered “to the door of the gate of the inner court” s; and thus it is explained by Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech:<\/p>\n that looketh toward the north<\/strong>; for there were gates on every side:<\/p>\n where [was] the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy<\/strong>; some graven image, perhaps the image of Baal; so called, because it provoked the Lord to jealousy, De 32:21<\/span>. Gussetius t suggests, that , “Semel”, here may be the same with Semele; who, in the opinion of the Heathens, made Juno jealous.<\/p>\n s “ad ostium portae interioris, [sub.] atrii”, Pagninus, Vatablus, Piscator. t Ebr. Comment. p. 903.<\/p>\n The Prophet here relates that he was carried to Jerusalem that he might behold the foul superstitions by which the Jews had defiled the temple. But first he says, that the form of a hand was put forth Whence again we collect that the body was not solid or substantial which the Prophet had seen; but was only a visible figure as a symbol of God’s presence. This explains the word likeness or figure, for it was not a real hand which seized the Prophet by the locks or hair of the head, but it was the likeness of a hand, and therefore he adds, in the visions of God it was done. He says indeed that he was carried up between heaven and earth, but let no one imagine that this was really done, for he explains himself and says, in the visions of God By visions of God he understands a revelation free from all doubt: for there is a silent opposition between these divine revelations and the spectres which often deceive men’s senses. Those who interpret “visions of God” simply as prophecy weaken what the Prophet wished to express emphatically; and those who think God’s name used here as an epithet, (as the Hebrews call anything remarkable, divine,) also depart from the genuine sense of the Prophet. There is no doubt, therefore, that he opposes the visions of God to all spectres: for Satan as we know deludes men’s senses with his prodigies and his wonderful arts of fascination: for it happens that the children of God are sometimes deluded: hence the Prophet, to take away all doubt from his teaching, says that he was carried to Jerusalem in visions of God, and adds, that he was carried to the northern gate. We know that there were many gates of the large area, so that the people’s entrance should be more commodious. For if there had been only one gate open, they would have been more tumultuous, as a multitude usually is. The area of the temple then had an eastern and a northern gate: then it had other gates, which gave an easy entrance to the people as well as to the priests. The priests indeed had an inner area which was distinct, but when they offered victims on the altar, they mingled with the people. This therefore was the reason why the floor of the temple had different gates. Now the Prophet says, that he was carried to the porch of the gate, so that he did not penetrate directly into the secret part of the temple, but seemed to himself to be standing before the doors, till God informed him of what was doing within. He says, there was the seat of the idol. We know not what the idol was, except that the Prophet says it was abominable. He first calls it the idol of jealousy, and then adds the participle, provoking God to jealousy But although the noun as well as the verb is often taken in a bad sense, yet God transfers the affection of jealousy to himself, and in this sense he says in Deuteronomy, <\/p>\n “<\/p>\n They provoked me: they made me jealous with what is not God: therefore will I make them jealous,” (Deu 32:21<\/span>.) <\/p>\n He alludes to the jealousy of husband and wife, for if the woman prostitutes herself, the husband burns with indignation, and that outbreak of his anger is most flagrant, So also when the wife in her turn knows that her husband is an adulterer, she is carried away with intemperance and excess. Hence God, when he shows how he esteems his glory and worship, compares himself to a jealous man, when we turn aside to idolatrous and adulterous worship. In this sense the idol which was in the porch or entrance of the temple is called the idol of jealousy, and the idol which causes jealousy. Although we may also translate, it was the seat of the idol causing jealousy, since the noun, קנאה , kenah, is taken in the ablative case. It is said that this idol provoked to jealousy, because the Jews by erecting this idol trod under foot their God, or at least endeavored to prostrate his glory. Now it follows — <\/p>\n (3) Took me by a lock of mine head.<\/strong>Not, of course, literally, in the body, but in vision. Ezekiel did not actually leave Chalda at all, as is shown by Eze. 11:24<\/span>.<\/p>\n The door of the inner gate.<\/strong>This is one of the gates which led from the court of the people to the court of the priests which was on a higher level. In the account of the building of the temple there is no mention of gates leading from the one to the other, but they would naturally have been placed there, as we know they were in the later temple of Herod. The particular gate was the one which looketh toward the north, as the one by which the priests went directly to the great altar.<\/p>\n The image of jealousy<\/strong> is explained in the following clause, which provoketh to jealousy. It is not necessary to consider jealousy as a proper namethe name of any particular heathen divinitybut rather as a descriptive name, an image which aroused the Divine indignation. It has even been thought that it is not meant to indicate any particular idol, but is only a picture to set forth the prevailing idolatry. It is, however, altogether probable that at this time there actually were heathen idols set up in the temple, and nothing could give a more vivid picture of the corruption of priests and people alike than the mention of their presence. Idolatry had been growing more general and more bold from the time of Solomon. He built places of worship for the various idols of his wives <\/em>in the hill that is before Jerusalem (1Ki. 11:7<\/span>); but Ahaz, under the influence of the Assyrian king, had placed an idolatrous altar in the temple itself, removing the brazen altar to make room (2Ki. 16:10-16<\/span>), and Manasseh afterwards did the same (2Ki. 21:4<\/span>). All the subsequent kings of Judah, except Josiah, were wicked men, and although this particular sin is not distinctly recorded of Zedekiah, yet it seems altogether likely that he too made use of the temple for idolatrous worship, and that Ezekiel in vision now saw his idols standing in the court.<\/p>\n 3<\/strong>. <\/strong> Took me by a lock of mine head <\/strong> This also was an appearance. This was a part of the vision. Ezekiel does not only see God, but feels his touch upon his head and can never forget it. Ezekiel does not suppose himself to be carried by a lock of hair; he distinctly says that it was a “spirit” that lifted him up and brought him to Jerusalem “in the visions of God.”<\/p>\n Visions of God <\/strong> See notes Eze 1:1<\/span>; Eze 3:12<\/span>; Ezekiel 10<\/span>. All great souls have moments of supernatural ecstasy. Handel said he did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body when composing the Hallelujah Chorus of “The Messiah.” “The heavens are nearer to us than we think, and may open to pious souls in moments of transcendent spiritual exaltation more frequently than we imagine.” Geikie. <\/p>\n To the door of the inner gate <\/strong> Literally, to the door of the gate of the inner court. <\/em> This probably means that he was set down in the outer court, just in front of the gateway leading into the inner court. “In front of the gateway in the outer court stood the image of jealousy, near the entrance. Having seen this the prophet is next brought into the gateway (Eze 8:7<\/span>) where he enters the chambers of imagery, some one of the cells in the gateway building.” Davidson. <\/p>\n The image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy <\/strong> It is not certain what this statue was. It was, no doubt, some idol; perhaps the pillar of Asherah (2Ki 21:7<\/span>; 2Ki 23:6<\/span>), which certainly had previously been set up in the temple and may have been there again in this day of apostasy. “Jealousy” was not the name of the idol, but it was called “image of jealousy,” because in a peculiar manner this particular image seems to have been drawing the people from the worship of Jehovah and therefore provoking him to jealousy. (See note Eze 5:13<\/span>.) The Polychrome Bible freely renders, “the image which provoked the just indignation of Jhvh.”<\/p>\n ‘And he put forth the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my 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 gate of the inner court which looks towards the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy which provokes to jealousy.<\/p>\n It is in vain to question whether this was bodily or only in vision. We are not told and do not know exactly what happened. The main point, however, is clear, that God by His Spirit transported him in some way to Jerusalem ‘in the visions of God’.<\/p>\n ‘The form of a hand.’ As always when speaking of God Ezekiel’s description is indefinite. It appeared like a hand but was more than a hand. It was the ‘hand’ of God.<\/p>\n ‘And took me by a lock of my head.’ This indicated that his hair had grown again after being cut (Eze 5:1<\/span> – although he may have left some locks in place). Possibly there is the idea that having borne the punishment of Israel and Judah he was now restored, and again usable by God (compare Samson – Jdg 16:22<\/span>).<\/p>\n ‘And the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven.’ This was probably to indicate not just the atmosphere but a kind of earth-heaven state of experience. Compare Jacob’s ladder joining earth and heaven (Gen 28:12<\/span>).<\/p>\n ‘And brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem.’ We must stand in awe and not enquire too closely, for we do not know exactly what happened, nor what he experienced. It was unique.<\/p>\n ‘To the door of the gate of the inner court which looks towards the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy which provokes to jealousy.’ The inner court of the Temple was entered from the outer court by one of three gates, the northern, the eastern and the western. The northern was called the altar gate because sacrifices were offered at the northern side of the altar (Lev 1:11<\/span>), and it would have been the entrance mainly used by the royal house. There is significance in that Yahweh in vision had come from the north (Eze 1:4<\/span>). Thus between the inner court and the heavenly dwellingplace of Yahweh was the image of jealousy. Also the means of judgment would come from the north.<\/p>\n ‘The image of jealousy.’ This was some prominent religious artefact with idolatrous connections which stood outside the northern gate, which provoked Yahweh to ‘jealousy’, that is to a righteous concern in respect of His covenant relationship with Israel. It not only dishonoured Him but destroyed His relationship with His people, for its earthy worship was in direct contrast with the spiritual relationship He wanted with them. It may have been a wooden asherah-image representing the Canaanite goddess (see 2Ki 21:7<\/span>, compare 2Ki 23:6<\/span>, but it may have been subsequently replaced), or it may have been a figured slab engraved with mythological and cultic scenes, as witnessed at excavations at Gozan and Carchemish.<\/p>\n Eze 8:3<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Took me by a lock, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> By that time the sins of this rebellious people were ripe for the punishment of their approaching captivity: they had polluted themselves with all kinds of Egyptian abominations, as appears from this famous vision of the prophet, wherein their three capital idolatries are so graphically described. The prophet represents himself as brought in a vision to Jerusalem. And at the door of the inner gate which looketh toward the north, <\/em>he saw the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. <\/em>This is a prelude to the visions which describe the various idolatries of the house of Israel, where, in the noblest sketch of an inspired imagination, idolatry is itself personified, and made an idol; and the image sublimely called the image of jealousy; <\/em>which the prophet explains by observing, that it was that which provoked God to jealousy. He then proceeds to the various scenery of the inspired vision. See the Divine Legation, vol. 3: Houbigant is of opinion, that this image of jealousy <\/em>represented Mars, because Tammus is spoken of in the 14th verse, who was certainly the same as Adonis; for each of these idols was in the same part of the temple, and the women weep for Adonis before the image of jealousy, or Mars, who had killed Adonis by means of the boar, through jealousy: but Bishop Warburton’s opinion seems preferable. Instead of door of the inner gate, <\/em>we may read, door, <\/em>or entry of the gate of the inner court.<\/em> <\/p>\n There is somewhat particularly striking in this act of the Lord. The putting forth the hand, implies the Spirit of the Lord being upon him, or rather in him: and the lifting him up between the earth and the heaven, to bring him in visions of God to Jerusalem, was meant most probably to show, that the Prophet’s mind was now wholly under divine teaching; so that in the visions of God which followed, there could be no doubt of their reality. That it was the same glory which he had before seen, became a further confirmation of the whole, and was intended to this end. Thus prepared, the Lord opened to his astonished mind the vision. He saw the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. It is not said what image this was; but, as the Lord declared himself a jealous God, jealous of his honor, and that honor particularly insulted by the setting up of graven images, it is more than probable, that this was some one of these several figures, which Israel under different reigns had made their idol. What an awful representation doth this give of the depravity of the human heart! Though the bulk of the people had been carried away into captivity for idolatry, and only a few left as vine-dressers, and to till the ground; yet even that few will continue to insult the Lord, though their brethren were in bondage for the same. Reader! do not such views humble your very soul before God? Do you not tremble to think what a nature you belong to, which in all the sons of men, is, and would forever be alike capable of perpetrating the same sins, did not grace restrain? Precious Jesus! I feel my soul humbled to the dust in the recollection: and were it not, that from the same nature it is by thy taking it upon thee I feel conscious of being related to thee, thou holy, blessed, glorious Lord, I should blush at the very name of man. Oh! thou divine and Almighty head of thy body thy Church! what unknown and unnumbered glories are folded up in this one view of thee, that we are bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh!<\/p>\n Eze 8:3 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.<\/p>\n Ver. 3. And he put forth his hand.<\/strong> ] As to me, it seemed; for all was visional, not real. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And took me by a lock of mine head.<\/strong> ] Tanquam herus inofficiosum servum.<\/em> The prophet seemeth to have had no great mind to the matter, but there was no remedy. Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt.<\/em> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where was the seat of the image of jealousy.<\/strong> ] Of Baal, likely, for whom wicked Ahaz had been so zealous 2Ki 16:14 and against whom God was ever so jealous, as to devour whole lands by the fire of his jealousy. Zep 3:8 <\/p>\n the spirit. Probably an angel. See below. Heb, ruach. App-9. <\/p>\n me. Emph.: i.e. Ezekiel himself, as Philip. Compare 1Ki 18:12. 2Ki 2:16. Act 8:39. 2Co 12:2, 2Co 12:4. Rev 1:10; Rev 4:2; Rev 17:3; Rev 17:21, Rev 17:10. Compare Eze 11:24, Eze 11:25; Eze 40:2, Eze 40:3. <\/p>\n the visions of God: i, e. the visions given him by God. The Genitive of Origin (App-17.) <\/p>\n God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4. <\/p>\n to Jerusalem: i.e. to the actual city itself, not a vision of it. <\/p>\n door. entrance. <\/p>\n jealousy. Pat by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Effect), App-6, for the effect produced by it, as explained in the next clause. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 4:16). App-92. Elsewhere only in 2Ch 33:7, 2Ch 33:15. <\/p>\n provoketh to jealousy. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 20:5 Deu 32:16), App-92. <\/p>\n visions <\/p>\n Visions, that is, of former profanations of the temple, and of the wickedness because of which Israel was then in Babylon, show the prophet that he might justify to the new generation born in Assyria and Babylonia during the captivity, the righteousness of God in the present national chastening. The visions are retrospective; Israel had done these things, hence the captivities. This strain continues to Eze 33:20. It is the divine view of the national sinfulness and apostasy, revealed to Ezekiel in a series of visions so vivid that though the prophet was by the river Chebar,; Eze 1:1; Eze 1:3; Eze 3:23; Eze 10:15; Eze 10:20; Eze 10:22; Eze 43:3 It was as if he were transported back to Jerusalem, and to the time when these things were occurring. These visions of the sinfulness of Israel are interspersed with promises of restoration and blessing which are yet to be fulfilled. See “Israel”; Gen 12:2; Gen 12:3; Rom 11:26. Also “Kingdom, (O.T.)”; Gen 1:26-28; Zec 12:8. <\/p>\n he put: Eze 2:9, Dan 5:5, Dan 10:10, Dan 10:18 <\/p>\n the spirit: Eze 3:14, Eze 11:1, Eze 11:24, Eze 40:2, 1Ki 18:12, 2Ki 2:16, Act 8:39, 2Co 12:2-4, Rev 1:10-20, Rev 4:2-11 <\/p>\n to the door: Eze 8:5, 2Ki 16:14 <\/p>\n the image: Eze 5:11, Eze 7:20, 2Ki 21:7, Jer 7:30, Jer 32:34 <\/p>\n provoketh: Exo 20:5, Exo 34:14, Deu 4:24, Deu 5:9, Deu 6:15, Deu 32:16, Deu 32:21, Jos 24:19, Psa 78:58, 1Co 10:21, 1Co 10:22 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Deu 29:20 – his jealousy 1Ki 14:9 – to provoke 1Ki 22:53 – provoked 2Ch 29:5 – carry forth Eze 1:1 – I saw Eze 1:8 – General Eze 3:12 – spirit Eze 37:1 – carried Eze 43:5 – the spirit Eze 43:8 – setting Zep 1:18 – the fire Mat 4:1 – of the spirit Rev 17:3 – he carried Rev 21:10 – he carried<\/p>\n Eze 8:3, Spirit lifted me up and in the Visions are important keys to the meaning of this verse. By them the reader will understand that Ezekiel never actually left Babylon at all, and this most be constantly kept in mind or great confusion will result. The prophet saw the things described in a vision right while he was bodily in Babylon, in the same manner in which John saw things in Heaven while he was bodily in the Isle of Patmos. Image of jealousy means an idol, and it is called by this name in the sense of Exo 20:5, where God forbade the making of any image to worship because He was a jealous God.<\/p>\n Eze 8:3-6. And he put forth the form of a hand He appeared so to do. This, and all that follows, to the end of Eze 8:16, was done in vision only, as appears from the expression here used: and brought me in the visions of God, &c. In a similar manner, it was represented to the Prophet Elishas mind, (2Ki 5:26,) what Gehazi was doing when he took the presents from Naaman, which the prophet there calls being present with Gehazi. To Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate To the entrance that goes into the inner court, called the court of the priests, where the altar of burnt-offerings stood; where was the seat of the image of jealousy An image set up within the precincts of the temple, to provoke God to jealousy, by setting up a rival against him in the place dedicated to his own worship. This was most probably an image of Baal, for that, we find, was the idol they chiefly worshipped. As it was exceedingly provoking to God to set up another object of worship besides him; so it was still more so to do this in the place which had been built for, and was dedicated to, his worship only. To speak in the figurative sense in which God is spoken of, with regard to the Jewish nation, namely, as being a husband to it, it was just the same as if the adulterer were brought into the house of the husband whom he had injured, in his very sight; therefore it is very properly called here, the image of jealousy, or that exciteth jealousy. That I should go far off from my sanctuary Which are provocations sufficient to cause me to forsake my sanctuary, and deliver it up to be profaned by the heathen, Eze 7:21-22. This is significantly represented by the departing of the divine glory from the threshold of the temple, Eze 10:18.<\/p>\n 8:3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the {d} visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner {e} gate that looketh toward the north; where [was] the seat of the image of {f} jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.<\/p>\n (d) Meaning that he was thus carried in spirit, and not in body.<\/p>\n (e) Which was the porch or the court where the people assembled.<\/p>\n (f) So called, because it provoked God’s indignation, which was the idol of Baal.<\/p>\n In his vision Ezekiel saw God reach out and pick him up by his hair and transport him to Jerusalem by the Spirit. The Lord placed him down at the north gate of the inner court of the temple where there was an image of an idol (cf. Deu 4:16). King Jotham (750-732 B.C.) had built this gate, which apparently did not exist when Solomon first constructed the temple (2Ki 15:35). Other names for it were the upper Benjamin gate (Jer 20:2), the new gate (Jer 26:10; Jer 36:10), the altar gate (Eze 8:5), and the upper gate (2Ki 15:35; Eze 9:2). This idol provoked the Lord to jealousy.<\/p>\n And he put forth the form of a 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 … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 8:3”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20618\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"