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Ezekiel 8:10 So I
entered and
looked, and
behold,
every
form of
creeping
things and
beasts and
detestable
things, with
all the
idols of the
house of
Israel, were
carved on the
wall
all
around.
|
Young's
Literal: And I go in,
and look, and lo, every form of creeping thing, and detestable beast—and all
the Idols of the house of Israel—graved on the wall, all round about
GWT:
So I went in and looked. I saw that the walls were covered with drawings of
every kind of crawling creature, every kind of disgusting animal, and all
the idols in the nation of Israel.
WBC:
I went through, and there before my eyes was every kind of horrible
object of worship and all the idols of the community of Israel,
engraved all over the wall.
NLT:
So I went in and saw the walls engraved with all kinds of snakes, lizards,
and hideous creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people
of Israel.
Message:
I entered and looked. I
couldn’t believe my eyes: Painted all over the walls were pictures of
reptiles and animals and monsters—the whole pantheon of Egyptian gods and
goddesses—being worshiped by Israel. |
|
SO
I ENTERED AND LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, EVERY FORM OF CREEPING THINGS AND BEASTS
AND DETESTABLE THINGS, WITH ALL THE IDOLS OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, WERE
CARVED ON THE WALL ALL AROUND:
(Ex
20:4; Lev11:10, 11, 12,29, 30, 31,42, 43, 44; Dt 4:18; 14:3,7,8; Isa 57:6,
7, 8, 9, 10; Jer 2:26,27; 3:9; 16:18; Ro1:23)
Related Resource: Greek Word Studies on...
Idols
(1497)
eidolon
Idolatry (1495)
eidololatreia
Idolater
(1496)
eidololatres
Every
form of creeping things...detestable things with all the idols
The second commandment clearly stated "You shall not make for yourself an
idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or
in the water under the earth" (Ex 20:4)
Related Resource:
Idolatry and Immorality - the relationship and the
antidote
In Deuteronomy again they were told not to make an image which had "the
likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish
that is in the water below the earth." (Dt 4:18)
In Leviticus God had commanded Israel
Do not render yourselves
detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not
make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. For I am the
LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am
holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming
things that swarm on the earth." (Lev11:43, 44)
God has always desired a holy, set apart people, useful to Him for every
good work. Israel situated in the center of the pagan nations had become so
defiled that she was now deemed worthless for any good work. All believers
need to remember Paul's warning when tempted to point fingers at Israel and
say "How could they do such a thing?" -- Paul warned
"Therefore let him
who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (1Cor10:12)
"On
the wall around"
The nature of this abominable "spiritual graffiti" is not further
identified. What is important is that God saw it and it was disgusting to
Him. "Detestable"
(Hebrew = sheqets) is translated in the Septuagint by the
Greek word "bdelugma" which refers to something which causes
revulsion or extreme disgust (loathsome). Jesus used bdelugma to
characterize the antichrist as the "abomination (bdelugma)
of desolation" (Mt 24:15)
The etymology of this noun is graphically instructive for it is derived from
bdelusso which means to emit a foul odor or turn away
thru loathing or disgust, abhor. Bdelusso in turn is derived
from bdeo meaning to stink. The practices of these 70 elders
was essentially a "stench in the nostrils" of God! |
|
Ezekiel 8:11 Standing
in
front of them were
seventy
elders of the
house of
Israel, with
Jaazaniah the
son of
Shaphan
standing
among
(in the
midst or middle, in the center) them,
each
man with his
censer in his
hand and the
fragrance of the
cloud of
incense
rising. |
Young's
Literal: and seventy
men of the elders of the house of Israel—and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan
standing in their midst—are standing before them, and each his censer in his
hand, and the abundance of the cloud of perfume is going up.
GWT:
In front of these drawings stood 70 of Israel's leaders. Jaazaniah, son of
Shaphan, was standing with the leaders. Each of them was holding an incense
burner in his hand, and a cloud of incense went up.
WBC:
Seventy of the elders of the community of Israel were standing in front of
the engravings—among them was standing Jaazaniah son of Shaphan —each
holding a censer in his hand, and incense fumesb were wafting up.
NLT:
Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan
in the middle. Each of them held an incense burner, so there was a thick
cloud of incense above their heads.
Message:
In the middle of the
room were seventy of the leaders of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan
standing in the middle. Each held his censer with the incense rising in a
fragrant cloud. |
AND STANDING IN FRONT OF THEM WERE SEVENTY ELDERS OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
(Ex 24:1,9; Nu 11:16,25; Jer 5:5; 19:1; Daniel 9:8)
What a sad
contrast of these
seventy (ungodly)
elders
who represented Israel with the
seventy
(godly)
elders
described in (Ex 24:1, 9) who ate the covenant meal before God inaugurating the covenant
relationship.
Moses records that God spoke to him saying "Come up to the
LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and
seventy
of the elders of Israel, and
you shall worship at a distance...Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and
Abihu, and seventy
of the elders of Israel."
WITH JAAZANIAH THE SON OF SHAPHAN STANDING AMONG THEM
(2Ki22:3,8,12,14; 25:22; 2Chr34:20; Jer26:24; 29:3; 36:10)
"Jaazaniah"
was the "black sheep" of Shaphan's four sons (he may have ha7d more).
How did the others "turn out"? Should
Jaazaniah
have known better? What had his father found in
2Ki22?
EACH MAN WITH HIS CENSER IN HIS HAND, AND THE FRAGRANCE OF THE CLOUD OF
INCENSE RISING.
(Nu 16:17,35; 2Chr26:16,19; Jer7:9) (Torrey's
Topic "Incense")
The cloud of incense played a prominent role in screening the high priest on
the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:13) Moses recording that the High Priest "shall put the
incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the
mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, lest he die." Here it
has become part of a detestable pagan ritual! When one gets away from the
Truth, it is incredible how far he will go.
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary has a nice summary on "Incense"
which it defines as
a sweet-smelling substance that was burned as an
offering to God on the altar in the tabernacle and the temple. The purpose
of this incense offering was to honor God. Incense symbolized and expressed
the prayers of the Hebrew people, which were considered a pleasant aroma
offered to God. The incense used in Israelite worship was of a specific
composition, considered very sacred. The four substances from which it was
made were stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense (Ex 30:34, 35).
Some of this was to be ground into powder and placed in front of the
Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting (Ex 30:36). The use of any other
composition of incense or of this particular compound for any other purpose
was regarded as sin; this incense alone was to be considered holy (Ex
30:36-38). According to the law, only the priests descended from Aaron could
offer incense (Lev 2:2). The priest offered holy incense morning and evening
on the altar of incense in front of the veil in the Holy Place in the
tabernacle or temple.
This incense formula specified for use in public ritual was not to be
allowed for private use (Ex 30:37, 38). Apparently some wealthy individuals were tempted to
make their own private supply for personal use.Incense is also mentioned
in connection with certain pagan worship practices of the Israelites. The
worship of Baal, the queen of heaven, and other foreign gods by means of
incense was condemned in the Old Testament (1Ki11:8
records that wise King Solomon built high places "for all his foreign wives,
who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods"). The Lord warned that
he would destroy the pagan incense altars (Lev 26:30; 2Chr. 30:14). The
burning of incense at the pagan shrines on “high places” and to other gods
was strongly denounced ("Because they have forsaken Me and have burned
incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work
of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall
not be quenched." 2Ki22:17; 2Ch34:25). The use of incense appeared
widespread in connection with Israelite lapses into pagan worship (Jer11:12,
17; 48:35). Another misuse of incense is mentioned in 2Chr26:16, 17, 18, 19,
20, 21. This passage describes how King Uzziah was afflicted by the Lord,
who caused leprosy to break out
on his forehead because he had attempted to burn incense in the temple. This
duty was reserved for the priestly descendants of Aaron. The New Testament
church did not adopt the use of incense in worship. In fact, the use of it
was considered a work of paganism and was banned by the first Christian
emperors. However, later in church history incense was again widely used. In
a figurative use of the word, the psalmist requested that his prayer might
be brought before the Lord as incense (Ps 141:2)"
(Youngblood,
R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's
New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
|
|
|
This
ungodly incense burner, decorated with sacred serpents, was discovered
in the excavation of the Canaanite temple at Beth Shan |
|
|
Ezekiel 8:12 Then He
said to me,
"Son of
man, do you
see
what the
elders of the
house of
Israel are
committing in the
dark,
each
man in the
room of his
carved
images? For they
say, 'The
LORD does not
see us; the
LORD has
forsaken the
land.' " |
Young's
Literal: And He saith
unto me, ‘Hast thou seen, son of man, that which elders of the house of
Israel are doing in darkness, each in the inner chambers of his imagery, for
they are saying, Jehovah is not seeing us, Jehovah hath forsaken the land?’
GWT:
God asked me, "Son of man, do you see what the leaders of the nation of
Israel are doing in secret? Each of them is in the room where his god is,
and each one of them is thinking, 'The LORD doesn't see me. The LORD has
abandoned this land.'"
WBC:
Then he told me, “Just look, human one, at what the elders of the community
of Israel are doing in the dark, each at the recess of his image! They
justify it with the sentiments that Yahweh cannot see, Yahweh has
left the country.”
NLT:
Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of
Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, 'The LORD
doesn't see us; he has deserted our land!'"
Message:
He said, “Son of man, do you
see what the elders are doing here in the dark, each one before his favorite
god-picture? They tell themselves, ‘God doesn’t see us. God has forsaken the
country.’ ” |
|
THEN HE SAID TO ME, "SON OF MAN, DO YOU SEE WHAT THE ELDERS OF THE HOUSE OF
ISRAEL ARE COMMITTING IN THE DARK, EACH MAN IN THE ROOM OF HIS CARVED
IMAGES?
(Ezek 8:6,15,17) (Ezek 8:11; 14:1; 20:1; Ephesians 5:12) (Ezek 8:7,8; Job
24:13, 14, 15, 16, 17; John 3:19,20)
"Each man in the room of his carved images" suggest that each
elder had his own "favorite god".
FOR THEY SAY, 'THE LORD DOES NOT SEE US; THE LORD HAS FORSAKEN THE LAND:
(Ezek
9:9; Job 22:12,13; Psalms 73:11; 94:7, 8, 9, 10; Isaiah 29:15)
What they were really saying in their darkened hearts was that God couldn't see what they
were doing in the secret
places (even the secret places of their hearts). They were seeking to elders
rationalize and justify their sin. When you forget God is omniscient and holy, it becomes
"easy" to rationalize your sin. The elders felt that what they did in their
darkened chambers would escape God’s notice. They even went so far to say He
had abandoned them. Why would they do that? The most obvious reason is
because there had already been 2 successful Babylonian invasion of
Jerusalem. Their feeling that God had forsaken them reminds one of the
saying "When you don't feel close to
God, guess who moved!" |
|
Ezekiel 8:13 And
He
said to me,
"Yet you will
see
still
greater
abominations
which they are
committing
|
Young's
Literal: And He saith
unto me, ‘Again thou dost turn, thou dost see great abominations that they
are doing.’
GWT:
Then he said to me, "You will see even more disgusting things that they are
doing."
WBC:
He also told me, “You have yet to observe rites even more shocking, in
which people are engaging.”
NLT:
Then he added, "Come, and I will show you greater sins than these!"
Message:
Then he said, “You’re
going to see worse yet.” |
|
AND
HE SAID TO ME, "YET YOU WILL SEE STILL GREATER ABOMINATIONS WHICH THEY ARE
COMMITTING:
(Ezek 8:6,15; Jer 9:3, 2Ti3:13) |
|
Ezekiel 8:14 Then He
brought me to the
entrance of the
gate of the
LORD'S
house
which was
toward the
north; and
behold,
women were
sitting
there
weeping for
Tammuz.
|
Young's
Literal: And He
bringeth me in unto the opening of the gate of the house of Jehovah that is
at the north, and lo, there the women are sitting weeping for Tammuz.
GWT:
He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord's temple. Women
were sitting there and crying for the god Tammuz.
WBC:
Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gateway leading to Yahweh’s
temple, where I found women sitting, bewailing Tammuz.
NLT:
He brought me to the north gate of the Lord's Temple, and some women were
sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.
Message:
He took me to the
entrance at the north gate of the Temple of God. I saw women sitting there,
weeping for Tammuz, the Babylonian fertility god. |
|
THEN HE BROUGHT ME TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE GATE OF THE LORD'S HOUSE WHICH WAS
TOWARD THE NORTH; AND BEHOLD, WOMEN WERE SITTING THERE WEEPING FOR TAMMUZ.:
(Ezek 44:4; 46:9)
Ezekiel's reference to "Tammuz"
is not to be confused with the calendar designation of the fourth Hebrew
month. In the post-exilic Hebrew calendar, "Tammuz"
corresponds to June-July. Before the Babylonian Exile, individual months in
the Hebrew calendar were usually designated by numbers (although some of the
months did have names) and that after the Exile the months received specific
names, the first month for example being Nisan (March/April) and the fourth
month being
Tammuz.
Ezekiel's reference is not to the month
Tammuz
but to a so-called god referred to in Babylonian mythology as "Tammuz",
dying
and being reborn year after year, a picture representing the yearly cycle of
the seasons and the crops.
Entries below from Unger's Bible Dictionary and John Macarthur's Commentary
on First Corinthians provide additional details regarding Tammuz, but keep
in mind that most of the information is from extra-biblical sources, so it
must be read with appropriate discretion.
Unger's entry records that
Tammuz was known by the Babylonians as
Dumuzi, god of pasture and flocks, of subterranean water, and of
vegetation. He was the husband-brother of Ishtar (Asherah, fertility
goddess). Tammuz supposedly died every autumn when he departed to the
underworld; from there he was recovered by the disconsolate Ishtar. His
reappearance marked the bursting forth of life in the springtime. The fourth
Babylonian month, July, was named in honor of Tammuz, which name was
applied in later pos-biblical times by Jews to their fourth month,
June-July. Tammuz is equated with the Greek Adonis and the Egyptian
Osiris. Allusions to the worship of Tammuz cults seem to be referred
to in Jer. 22:18 and Amos 8:10. The worship of this god was
widespread throughout the Fertile Crescent from Babylonia-Assyria to
Palestine-Syria. The rites of Tammuz included a divine marriage of
the king annually to the fertility goddess in the person of a temple
priestess. Tammuz worship was especially notorious at Byblos
(biblical Gebal) on the Mediterranean."
(Unger,
M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F., Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. The New
Unger's Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press)
|
Origin of
the Pagan Cults
(adapted from John
MacArthur First Corinthians, page 279, Moody Press.) |
|
"In its organized form false
religion began with the tower of Babel, from which Babylon derives its
name. Cain was the first false worshiper, and many individuals after
him followed his example. But organized pagan religion began with the
descendants of Ham, one of Noah’s three sons, who decided to erect a
great monument that would “reach into heaven” and make themselves a
great name (Ge10:9, 10, 11:4). Under the leadership of the proud
and apostate Nimrod they planned to storm heaven and unify their power
and prestige in a great worldwide system of worship. That was man’s
first counterfeit religion, from which every other false religion in
one way or another has sprung.
God’s judgment frustrated their
primary purpose of making a grand demonstration of humanistic unity.
By confusing “their language, that they may not understand one
another’s speech,” and scattering “them abroad from there over the
face of the whole earth” (Gen. 11:7, 8) the Lord halted the building
of the tower and fractured their solidarity. But those people took
with them the seeds of that false, idolatrous religion, seeds that
they and their descendants have been planting throughout the world
ever since. The ideas and forms were altered, adapted, and sometimes
made more sophisticated, but the basic system remained, and remains,
unchanged. That is why Babel, or Babylon, is called “the mother of
harlots and of the abominations of the earth” (Rev 17:5). She was
the progenitor of all false religions.
From various ancient sources, it
seems that Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis (the First), apparently was high
priestess of the Babel religion and the founder of all mystery
religions. After the tower was destroyed and the multiplicity of
languages developed, she was worshiped as a goddess under many
different names. She became Ishtar of Syria, Astarte of
Phoenicia, Isis of Egypt, Aphrodite of Greece, and
Venus of Rome—in each case the deity of sexual love and fertility.
Her son Tammuz, also came to be deified under various names and
was the consort of Ishtar and god of the underworld.
According to the cult of Ishtar,
Tammuz was conceived by a sunbeam, a counterfeit version of Jesus’
virgin birth. Tammuz corresponded to Baal in Phoenicia,
Osiris in Egypt, Eros in Greece, and Cupid in
Rome. In every case, the worship of those gods and goddesses was
associated with sexual immorality. The celebration of Lent has no
basis in Scripture, but rather developed from the pagan celebration of
Semiramis' mourning for forty days over the death of Tammuz
(cf.Ezek. 8:14) before his alleged resurrection—another of Satan’s
mythical counterfeits." |
Easton's Bible Dictionary adds that "In the Chaldean calendar there was a
month set apart in honour of this god, the month of June to July, the
beginning of the summer solstice. At this festival, which lasted six days,
the worshippers, with loud lamentations, bewailed the funeral of the god..." |
|
Ezekiel 8:15 He
said to me, "Do you
see this,
son of
man?
Yet you will
see
still
greater
abominations
than
these."
|
Young's
Literal: And He saith
unto me, ‘Hast thou seen, son of man? again thou dost turn, thou dost see
greater abominations than these.’
GWT:
He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this? You will see even more disgusting
things than these."
WBC:Just
look at that!” he told me. “But you have yet to observe rites even more
shocking than seen hitherto.
NLT:
Have you seen this?" he asked. "But I will show you even greater sins than
these!"
Message:
He said, “Have you gotten an
eyeful, son of man? You’re going to see worse yet.” |
|
15
AND HE SAID TO ME, "DO YOU SEE THIS, SON OF MAN? YET YOU WILL SEE STILL
GREATER ABOMINATIONS THAN THESE:
(Ezek 8:6,12; 2Timothy 3:13) |
|
Ezekiel 8:16 Then He
brought me into the
inner
court of the
LORD'S
house. And
behold, at the
entrance to the
temple of the
LORD,
between the
porch and the
altar, were about
twenty-five
*
men with their
backs to the
temple of the
LORD and their
faces toward the
east; and they were
prostrating
themselves
eastward toward the
sun.
|
Young's
Literal: And He
bringeth me in unto the inner court of the house of Jehovah, and lo, at the
opening of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, about
twenty-five men, their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces
eastward, and they are bowing themselves eastward to the sun.
GWT:Then
he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord's temple. There at the
entrance to the Lord's temple, between the entrance and the altar, were
about 25 men who had their backs turned to the Lord's temple. They were
facing east and worshiping the rising sun.
WBC:
He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh’s temple, and by the
entrance to the nave, between the porch and the altar, I found about
twenty-five men with their backs to Yahweh’s nave and their faces turned
to the east, kowtowing in worship to the sun.
NLT:
Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord's Temple. At the
entrance, between the foyer and the bronze altar, about twenty-five men were
standing with their backs to the Lord's Temple. They were facing eastward,
worshiping the sun!
Message:
Finally, he took me to the
inside court of the Temple of God. There between the porch and the altar
were about twenty-five men. Their backs were to God’s Temple. They were
facing east, bowing in worship to the sun. |
|
THEN HE BROUGHT ME INTO THE INNER COURT OF THE LORD'S HOUSE
(Ezek 10:3; 40:28; 43:5; 45:19).
AND
BEHOLD, AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD, BETWEEN THE PORCH AND THE
ALTAR
(2Ki16:14; 2Chr7:7; Joel 2:17)
WERE ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE MEN WITH THEIR BACKS TO THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD AND
THEIR FACES TOWARD THE EAST
(Ezek
23:35; 1Ki 8:29; 2Chr29:6; Jer2:27; 32:33);
they
adored towards the rising of the sun" (DRA)
they were bowing down
to the sun in the east" (NIV)
they were worshiping the sun toward
the east" (NKJV),
they were bowing low to the sun in the east"
(Tanakh)
their faces toward the east; they were bowing down to the sun"
(NAB)
In Jeremiah God describes the
leaders which would doubtless include the "25" writing that "As the
thief is shamed when he is discovered, so the house of Israel is shamed.
They, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, who
say to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave me birth.'
For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face; but in the
time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us" (Jer2:26-27)
but in verse (below) God says He "will not listen to them."
AND THEY WERE PROSTRATING THEMSELVES EASTWARD TOWARD THE SUN:
(Dt4:19; 17:3; 2Ki23:5,11; Job 31:26, 27, 28; Jer44:17; Acts 7:42,43)
(For orientation see schematic diagram of Solomon's Temple from
The Bible knowledge commentary, Vol 1, Page
500)
"Prostrating
themselves eastward toward the sun".
Look at the diagram below, noting that the Temple faced toward the East (and
the Eastern Gate). The "porch" would be somewhere between the two "pillars"
in the diagram. Now picture these men bowing down to worship, their faces
toward the created Sun and their backs against the Most Holy Place, the Ark
of the Covenant and the Creator of all things! God said this was the
"greatest abomination" of the four abominations listed in this chapter. It
is difficult for me to imagine how they could have become so calloused, so
deceived, so depraved...and yet the lesson for all of us is that exposure to
great Biblical teaching, wonderful worship, etc, is no guarantee that we
will "be holy as He is holy." As I write these notes I'm looking at huge
waves crashing against the beach and am reminded of the story of that
illustrates how easy it is to drift away. A woman was bathing in the Gulf of
Mexico. She was enjoying the comfort of relaxing on an inflated cushion that
kept her afloat. When she realized that she had been swept about a half mile
out from the beach, she began to scream, but no one heard her. A coast guard
craft found her five miles from the place where she first entered the water.
She did not see her danger until she was beyond her own strength and
ability. Unfortunately when Israel cried out with a loud voice, God refused
to listen.
This action by the elders expressed
gross contempt for the God of Israel and implied that they had disowned Him
and directly violated God’s command in (Deut. 4:19) to "beware, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see
the sun
and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away
and worship (Hebrew - shachah, translated by Gk
proskuneo - see note below) them and serve them, those which
the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven."
Joel records what actions should have been transpiring in this exact
location, writing "Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers,weep
between the
porch and the altar
(the same 2 Hebrew words are used in both descriptions, so this is the same
location where the 25 elders were committing gross idolatrous worship)
and let them say, “Spare Thy people, O Lord, and do not make Thine
inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among
the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17) This is the location
where Zechariah was murdered (Matt 23:35).
"Prostrating"
is the Hebrew verb (shachah - bow down reflexively to royalty)
is translated in the Septuagint (LXX) with the Greek verb
proskuneo [see word study] ,
(pros = toward + kuneo = kiss, adore) literally
means to kiss toward someone, throw a kiss in token of respect or homage and
so to prostrate oneself in homage. The verb is in the present tense
indicating continuous action and thus this was their habitual practice. The the ancient Oriental (especially
Persian), the mode of salutation between persons of equal ranks was to kiss
each other on the lips when the difference of rank was slight, but when one
was much inferior, he fell upon his knees touched his forehead to the ground
or prostrated himself, throwing kisses at the same time toward the superior.
It is this latter mode of salutation that Greek writers express with the
verb proskuneo. The Septuagint translation of Gen 19:1 uses
proskuneo when
"two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate
of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with
his face to the ground."
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NORTH |
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EAST
Toward Mt of Olives
& the Rising Sun
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Ezekiel 8:17 He
said to me, "Do you
see this,
son of
man? Is it too
light a
thing for the
house of
Judah to
commit the
abominations
which they have
committed
here, that they have
filled the
land with
violence and
provoked Me
repeatedly? For
behold, they are
putting the
twig to their
nose.
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Young's
Literal: And He saith
unto me, ‘Hast thou seen, son of man? hath it been a light thing to the
house of Judah to do the abomination that they have done here, that they
have filled the land with violence, and turn back to provoke Me to anger?
and lo, they are putting forth the branch unto their nose!
GWT:
He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this? Isn't it bad enough that the
people of Judah have done these disgusting things that you have seen here?
Yet, they also fill the land with violence and continue to provoke me even
more. Look how they insult me in the worst possible way.
WBC:
“Just look at that, human one!” he told me. “It was evidently not enough
for the Judean community, after engaging in such shocking rites as they
have already engaged in here, to fill the country with violence. Now they
have gone further in provoking me to anger: here they are putting
branches to their noses.
NLT:
"Have you seen this, son of man?" he asked. "Is it nothing to the people of
Judah that they commit these terrible sins, leading the whole nation into
violence, thumbing their noses at me, and rousing my fury against them?
Message:
He said, “Have you seen
enough, son of man? Isn’t it bad enough that Judah engages in these
outrageous obscenities? They fill the country with violence and now provoke
me even further with their obscene gestures. |
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AND HE SAID TO ME, "DO YOU SEE THIS, SON OF MAN? IS IT TOO LIGHT A THING FOR
THE HOUSE OF JUDAH TO COMMIT THE ABOMINATIONS WHICH THEY HAVE COMMITTED
HERE, THAT THEY HAVE FILLED THE LAND WITH VIOLENCE AND PROVOKED ME
REPEATEDLY?
(Ezek 7:23; 9:9; 11:6; Genesis 6:13; 2Kings 21:16; 24:4; Jeremiah 6:7; 19:4;
20:8; Amos 3:10; 6:3; Micah 2:2; 6:12; Zephaniah 1:9)
FOR
BEHOLD, THEY ARE PUTTING THE TWIG TO THEIR NOSE: |
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Ezekiel 8:18 "Therefore, I
indeed will
deal in
wrath. My
eye will
have
no
pity
nor will I
spare; and though
they
cry in My
ears with a
loud
voice, yet I will not
listen to them." |
Young's
Literal: And I also
deal in fury, Mine eye doth not pity, nor do I spare, and they have cried in
Mine ears—a loud voice—and I do not hear them.’
GWT:
So I will take action because I'm angry, and I won't have compassion for
them or feel sorry for them. Even if they shout in my ears, I won't listen
to them."
WBC:
My reaction will be one of wrath. I will give no look of pity and show no
compassion. However loudly they cry out for me to hear, I will not listen to
them.”
NLT:
Therefore, I will deal with them in fury. I will neither pity nor spare
them. And though they scream for mercy, I will not listen."
Message:
That’s it. They have an angry
God on their hands! From now on, no mercy. They can shout all they want, but
I’m not listening.” |
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THEREFORE, I INDEED SHALL DEAL IN WRATH. MY EYE WILL HAVE NO PITY NOR SHALL
I SPARE
(Ezek 5:11, 12, 13; 7:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; 9:5,10; 16:42; 24:13; Nahum 1:2)
Therefore
I will act in furious anger, my eye will not pity them nor will I spare them"
(NET)
The Hebrew verb translated "deal" (NET = "I will act")
reflecting what God will do to Judah is the same Hebrew verb translated "commit"
describing the abominations Judah had committed in (Ezek 8:6,
9, 12, 13, 17)
AND THOUGH THEY CRY IN MY EARS WITH A LOUD VOICE, YET I SHALL NOT LISTEN TO
THEM:
(Judges 10:13,14; Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; 59:2; Jeremiah 11:11; 14:12;
Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13; Luke 13:25)
God says in essence that if His
people chose to ignore Him, that He would "ignore" their cries in the day of
distress. The Message is about as direct as a translation can get
paraphrasing it bluntly as "That's
it. They have an angry God on their hands! From now on, no mercy. They can
shout all they want, but I’m not listening.”
"Yet
I will not listen to them"
was explained by God earlier when He told Ezekiel that the sons of Israel
were a rebellious house, stubborn and obstinate and unwilling to
listen to God. (cf Ezek 3:7)
Solomon gives an excellent
"commentary" to help understand why God would not listen to them when
destruction began to rain down on Jerusalem, writing of the naive, fools and
scoffers that
"because I called, and you
refused; I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention and you
neglected all my counsel, and did not want my reproof I will even laugh at
your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like
a storm, and your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and
anguish come on you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they
will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me because they hated
knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD. They would not accept my
counsel, they spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of
their own way, And be satiated with their own devices. For the
waywardness of the naive shall kill them, and the complacency of fools shall
destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely, And shall be at
ease from the dread of evil." (Pr 1:24-33) |
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