Ezekiel 8:10

So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.

So I went in {H935} and saw {H7200}; and behold every form {H8403} of creeping things {H7431}, and abominable {H8263} beasts {H929}, and all the idols {H1544} of the house {H1004} of Israel {H3478}, pourtrayed {H2707} upon the wall {H7023} round about {H5439}.

So I went in and looked, and there, carved on the walls all around, were every kind of reptile and repulsive animal, along with all the idols of the house of Isra'el.

So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.

So I went in and saw; and behold, every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.

Commentary

Ezekiel 8:10 stands as a vivid and disturbing snapshot of the deep spiritual corruption within ancient Israel, specifically within the sacred precincts of the Jerusalem Temple. This verse is part of a series of visions granted to the prophet Ezekiel, revealing the abominations that provoked God's wrath and led to the Babylonian exile and the destruction of the Temple.

Context

This verse is situated within a powerful prophetic vision given to the prophet Ezekiel in Babylonian exile (around 592 BC). While Ezekiel was physically in Babylon, the Spirit of God transported him in a vision to Jerusalem, allowing him to witness the secret idolatrous practices occurring within the Temple complex. The previous verses describe how Ezekiel was brought to the entrance of the inner court, where he saw a "door of the image of jealousy." Verse 10 details what he saw upon entering, painting a shocking picture of apostasy right at the heart of Israelite worship.

Key Themes

  • Rampant Idolatry: The core message is the widespread and entrenched idolatry among the people of Israel, even within the holy Temple itself. The presence of "every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts" directly points to pagan worship practices, likely influenced by Egyptian animal cults or Canaanite fertility religions. These images were not merely casual decorations but active objects of veneration, a direct and flagrant violation of God's commands against idolatry.
  • Spiritual Abomination: The KJV word "abominable" translates the Hebrew sheqets (שֶׁקֶץ), which denotes something ritually unclean, detestable, or an idol. Its use here emphasizes the utter revulsion God felt towards these practices, which defiled His sanctuary and broke His covenant with Israel.
  • Hidden Sins Revealed: God reveals these secret sins to Ezekiel, showing that nothing is hidden from His sight. This divine revelation serves as justification for the impending judgment upon Jerusalem and its inhabitants. The phrase "pourtrayed upon the wall round about" suggests murals or carvings, indicating these were not temporary installations but deeply ingrained and publicly displayed affronts to God's holiness within the Temple structure.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew term for "pourtrayed" is chaqaq (חָקַק), meaning "to engrave, inscribe, portray." This implies that the images were deliberately and permanently etched or painted onto the Temple walls, signifying a conscious and pervasive adoption of pagan worship within the sacred space. The mention of "creeping things" and "abominable beasts" highlights the depth of their spiritual degradation, as they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images resembling earthly creatures, paralleling the spiritual decline described in Romans 1:23.

Practical Application

Ezekiel's vision serves as a timeless warning. While modern idolatry rarely involves physical statues of "creeping things," the principle remains. Anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts—whether it be money, power, relationships, self, or worldly desires—becomes an idol. This verse reminds us that God sees all, even the hidden depths of our hearts and the secret practices of our lives. It calls believers to a deep spiritual purity, to guard against all forms of idolatry, and to worship God alone in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The consequences of allowing spiritual corruption to fester, as seen in ancient Israel, are severe, underscoring the importance of constant repentance and devotion to the one true God.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Exodus 20:4

    Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

  • Romans 1:23

    And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

  • Jeremiah 16:18

    And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

  • Deuteronomy 14:3

    Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

  • Jeremiah 2:26

    As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

  • Jeremiah 2:27

    Saying to a stock, Thou [art] my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned [their] back unto me, and not [their] face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

  • Leviticus 11:42

    Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon [all] four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they [are] an abomination.
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