Ezekiel 8:17

"He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the LORD’s temple and their faces toward the east. They were worshiping the sun toward the east."

Key Reflection

In Ezekiel 8:17, the prophet witnesses a disturbing scene in the inner court of the Lord's house. Twenty-five men are positioned between the temple porch and the altar, facing the rising sun to worship it rather than the God of Israel. This act was considered an abomination, as worshipping the sun (or any other deity) was forbidden under Mosaic law. The cultural context highlights the severity of this sin, as the actions of these men were not isolated but part of a broader pattern of idolatry and moral decline within the temple itself, which was supposed to be a symbol of divine holiness.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

“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 represent it in contemptuous and derogatory terms, he substitutes the word “nose” for “mouth.”

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