TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
KJV (with Strong's)
Then said H559 he unto me, Son H1121 of man H120, hast thou seen H7200 what the ancients H2205 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 do H6213 in the dark H2822, every man H376 in the chambers H2315 of his imagery H4906? for they say H559, The LORD H3068 seeth H7200 us not; the LORD H3068 hath forsaken H5800 the earth H776.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then he said to me, "Human being, did you see what the leaders of the house of Isra'el are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his own carved image, because they say, 'ADONAI can't see us; ADONAI has left the land.'?"
Berean Standard Bible
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
American Standard Version
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land.
World English Bible Messianic
Then he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? for they say, the LORD doesn’t see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then saide hee vnto mee, Sonne of man, hast thou seene what the Ancients of the house of Israel do in the darke, euery one in the chamber of his imagerie? for they say, The Lord seeth vs not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
Young's Literal Translation
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?'
In the KJVVerse 20,617 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Ezekiel 8 verses 7–12
7 ¶ And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
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.
11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
We have here a further discovery of the abominations that were committed at Jerusalem, and within the confines of the temple, too. Now observe,
I. How this discovery is made. God, in vision, brought Ezekiel to the door of the court, the outer court, along the sides of which the priests' lodgings were. God could have introduced him at first into the chambers of imagery, but he brings him to them by degrees, partly to employ his own industry in searching out these mysteries of iniquity, and partly to make him sensible with what care and caution those idolaters concealed their idolatries. Before the priests' apartments they had run up a wall, to make them the more private, that they might not lie open to the observation of those who passed by - a shrews sign that they did something which they had reason to be ashamed of. He that doth evil hates the light. They were not willing that those who saw them in God's house should see them in their own, lest they should see them contradict themselves and undo in private what they did in public. But, behold, a hole in the wall, (Eze 8:7), a spy-hole, by which you might see that which would give cause to suspect them. When hypocrites screen themselves behind the wall of an external profession, and with it think to conceal their wickedness from the eye of the world and carry on their designs the more successfully, it is hard for them to manage it with so much art by that there is some hole or other left in the wall, something that betrays them, to those who look diligently, not to be what they pretend to be. The ass's ears in the fable appeared from under the lion's skin. This hole in the wall Ezekiel made wider, and behold a door, v. 8. This door he goes in by into the treasury, or some of the apartments of the priests, and sees the wicked abominations that they do there, v. 9. Note, Those that would discover the mystery of iniquity in others, or in themselves, must accomplish a diligent search; for Satan has his wiles, and depths, and devices, which we should not be ignorant of, and the heart is deceitful above all things; in the examining of it therefore we are concerned to be very strict.
II. What the discovery is. It is a very melancholy one. 1. He sees a chamber set round with idolatrous pictures (Eze 8:10): All the idols of the house of Israel, which they had borrowed from the neighbouring nations, were portrayed upon the wall round about, even the vilest of them, the forms of creeping things, which they worshipped, and beasts, even abominable ones, which are poisonous and venomous; at least they were abominable when they were worshipped. This was a sort of panthenon, a collection of all the idols together which they paid their devotions to. Though the second commandment, in the letter of it, forbids only graven images, yet painted ones are as bad and as dangerous. 2. He sees this chamber filled with idolatrous worshippers (Eze 8:11): There were seventy men of the elders of Israel offering incense to these painted idols. here was a great number of idolaters strengthening one another's hands in this wickedness; though it was in a private chamber, and the meeting industriously concealed, yet here were seventy men engaged in it. I doubt these elders were many more than those in Babylon that sat before the prophet in his house, Eze 8:1. They were seventy men, the number of the great Sanhedrim, or chief council of the nation, and, we have reason to fear, the same men; for they were the ancients of the house of Israel, not only in age, but in office, who were bound, by the duty of their place, to restrain and punish idolatry and to destroy and abolish all superstitious images wherever they found them; yet these were those that did themselves worship them in private, so undermining that religion which in public they professed to own and promote only because by it they held their preferments. They had every man his censer in his hand; so fond were they of the idolatrous service that they would all be their own priests, and very prodigal they were of their perfumes in honour of these images, for a thick cloud of incense went up, that filled the room. O that the zeal of these idolaters might shame the worshippers of the true God out of their indifference to his service! The prophet took particular notice of one whom he knew, who stood in the midst of these idolaters, as chief among them, being perhaps president of the great council at this time or most forward in this wickedness. No wonder the people were corrupt when the elders were so. The sins of leaders are leading sins.
III. What the remark is that made upon it (Eze 8:12): "Son of man, hast thou seen this? Couldst thou have imagined that there was such wickedness committed?" It is here observed concerning it, 1. That it was done in the dark; for sinful works are works of darkness. They concealed it, lest they should lose their places, or at least their credit. There is a great deal of secret wickedness in the world, which the day will declare, the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. 2. That this one idolatrous chapel was but a specimen of many the like. Here they met together, to worship their images in concert, but, it should seem, they had every man the chamber of his imagery besides, a room in his own house for this purpose, in which every man gratified his own fancy with such pictures as he liked best. Idolaters had their household gods, and their family worship of them in private, which is a shame to those who call themselves Christians and yet have no church in their house, no worship of God in their family. Had they chambers of imagery, and shall not we have chambers of devotion? 3. That atheism was at the bottom of their idolatry. They worship images in the dark, the images of the gods of other nations, and they say, "Jehovah, the God of Israel, whom we should serve, seeth us not. Jehovah hath forsaken the earth, and we may worship what God we will; he regards us not." (1.) They think themselves out of God's sight: They say, The Lord seeth us not. They imagined, because the matter was carried on so closely that men could not discover it, nor did any of their neighbours suspect them to be idolaters, that therefore it was hidden from the eye of God; as if there were any darkness, or shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. Note, A practical disbelief of God's omniscience is at the bottom of our treacherous departures from him; but the church argues justly, as to this very sin of idolatry (Psa 44:20, Psa 44:21), If we have forgotten the name of our God, and stretched forth our hand to a strange god, will not God search this out? No doubt he will. (2.) They think themselves out of God's care: "The Lord has forsaken the earth, and looks not after the affairs of it; and then we may as well worship any other god as him." Or, "He has forsaken our land, and left it to be a prey to its enemies; and therefore it is time for us to look out for some other god, to whom to commit the protection of it. Our one God cannot, or will not, deliver us; and therefore let us have many." This was a blasphemous reflection upon God, as if he had forsaken them first, else they would not have forsaken him. Note, Those are ripe indeed for ruin who have arrived at such a pitch of impudence as to lay the blame of their sins upon God himself.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 7–12. Public domain.
Copy as
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 12) And he said to me: Surely you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel do in darkness, each one in the secrecy of his room. For they say: The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land. From this, he says, it is shown what each one does in his own room when they gather together in the temple. But according to the anagogy, it can be better understood that some leaders of the Churches do in darkness things that are even shameful to speak of. This is a hidden person of the heart, of whom it is said: Enter into your inner chamber (Mich. VI, 4). And again: He who sees in secret will repay you. Let each one examine his own conscience, and let him remember the works of darkness in the darkness, and let him know the scripture: Everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest he be accused by the light (John III, 20; I Thess. V). And in themselves they will understand it to be fulfilled: He who is drunk, is drunk at night (Prov. II, 25). For what cannot stand according to the letter. For how many are intoxicated with feasts and banquets of days? But because the drunkenness of the heart offends God, it belongs to darkness, and not to light, therefore whoever is intoxicated, is intoxicated at night. But when the elders of the house of Israel have done evil in the darkness and in the hiddenness of their chambers, and have thought that they can hide from God, then consequently they will say: The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the earth. There are many sinners who walk according to their own thoughts, who do not believe that God cares about mortal things or that our vices concern Him. Certainly, if we were to think that God sees and is present when we sin, we would never do what displeases Him. Furthermore, it follows that the Lord has abandoned the earth, as is the opinion of some philosophers who, from the movement and constancy of the stars, suspect that there is providence in the heavens and that earthly things are despised, since nothing good or in accordance with order takes place on earth.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Ezekiel 8:12 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Ezekiel 8:12 serves as a chilling exposé of the spiritual depravity within ancient Israel's leadership, revealing the clandestine idolatry practiced by the "ancients of the house of Israel" in the hidden "chambers of his imagery." This verse not only unmasks their secret abominations but also lays bare their self-deceptive rationale: a perilous belief that the LORD was neither observant of their hidden sins nor actively engaged in the affairs of the earth, thereby setting the stage for God's righteous and inevitable judgment upon Jerusalem.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is a pivotal moment within Ezekiel's profound vision of abominations in Jerusalem, meticulously detailed in Ezekiel 8. The prophet is supernaturally transported from his exile in Babylon to the temple precincts in Jerusalem, where he is shown a series of escalating idolatries that demonstrate the deep spiritual corruption permeating the nation. The vision commences with the "image of jealousy" positioned at the temple gate (Ezekiel 8:5), then progresses to the seventy elders secretly worshipping detestable things in a hidden chamber (the immediate context of Ezekiel 8:11-12), followed by women weeping for the pagan deity Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14), and culminates with twenty-five men worshipping the sun at the very entrance of the temple (Ezekiel 8:16). Ezekiel 8:12 specifically highlights the egregious sin of the elders, emphasizing the profound hypocrisy and the hidden nature of their rebellion, which serves as a divine justification for the severe judgment that inexorably follows in Ezekiel 9.
Historical & Cultural Context: Ezekiel's vision unfolds in the sixth year of King Jehoiachin's exile, approximately 592 BC. This places it roughly five years after the initial Babylonian deportation of Judah's elite and about seven years prior to Jerusalem's devastating final destruction in 586 BC. During this tumultuous period, Judah existed as a vulnerable vassal state under Babylonian dominion, yet many within Jerusalem, particularly its leaders, clung to a dangerous, false sense of security, presuming that God would never permit His sacred temple or chosen city to fall. Culturally, various pagan practices—including astral worship (veneration of the sun, moon, and stars), fertility cults (such as the worship of Tammuz), and the veneration of animal deities—had deeply infiltrated Israelite religious life. These foreign practices were often syncretistically blended with the worship of Yahweh. The "ancients" or elders mentioned in the text were the spiritual and civic leaders of the community, bearing the solemn responsibility of upholding the Mosaic Law and guiding the people in righteousness. Their secret idolatry within "chambers of imagery" reflects a widespread cultural phenomenon of private household shrines and personal devotion to foreign gods, frequently concealed from public view to maintain an outward appearance of fidelity to Yahweh, especially by those in positions of authority.
Key Themes: Ezekiel 8:12 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that resonate throughout the book of Ezekiel. It profoundly underscores the theme of God's Omniscience and Justice, unequivocally demonstrating that no sin, regardless of how meticulously hidden, escapes God's all-seeing eye, and consequently, His judgment is entirely righteous and deserved. The elders' audacious denial that "The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth" directly challenges God's omnipresence and active sovereignty, a central theological tenet that Ezekiel vehemently upholds throughout his prophetic ministry. This verse also vividly highlights the theme of Spiritual Apostasy and Idolatry, revealing the deep-seated corruption of Israel's heart, a corruption that extended far beyond mere outward ritual to the very core of their inner thoughts and desires. The "chambers of imagery" powerfully symbolize the Idolatry of the Heart, where false gods or self-serving desires took insidious precedence over genuine devotion to Yahweh, illustrating how the people had fundamentally broken the first commandment to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). Finally, it speaks directly to the Accountability of Leadership, showing that those entrusted with guiding the nation were themselves leading it astray through their profound hypocrisy and secret rebellion, thus contributing directly to the nation's spiritual decay and impending judgment, as God consistently holds leaders to a higher standard (James 3:1).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 8:12 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message of spiritual corruption and divine judgment. Symbolism is prominently featured, with "the dark" symbolizing not only physical concealment but also the moral and spiritual blindness that enveloped the elders, representing the hidden and insidious nature of their sin. The "chambers of his imagery" powerfully symbolize the inner sanctum of the human heart and mind, revealing that true idolatry begins internally, cultivated in the secret recesses of one's being, before potentially manifesting externally. The imagery of secret worship starkly underscores the profound Hypocrisy of the elders, who meticulously maintained an outward façade of piety and adherence to Yahweh while clandestinely engaging in detestable pagan practices. Furthermore, there is a profound and piercing Irony in the elders' declaration, "The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth," as the very vision Ezekiel is experiencing is a direct and undeniable manifestation of God's active presence, His perfect omniscience, and His imminent, righteous judgment. This creates a compelling Dramatic Irony, where the reader is acutely aware of God's all-seeing eye and His active involvement in the world, a reality that stands in stark and tragic contrast to the elders' self-deluded perception.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 8:12 profoundly illustrates the pervasive and corrupting nature of sin, demonstrating unequivocally that it infiltrates and corrupts not only public life but also the most private and hidden spaces of the heart and mind, especially among those entrusted with leadership. The elders' erroneous belief that God "seeth us not" and "hath forsaken the earth" constitutes a direct assault on the fundamental attributes of God: His perfect omniscience (all-knowing), His omnipresence (present everywhere), and His active sovereignty (supreme authority and control). This theological error is a common human temptation, a dangerous rationalization of sin achieved by minimizing God's awareness or involvement, yet it invariably leads to severe and inevitable consequences. The vision serves as a stark and timeless reminder that God's justice is meticulously and perfectly applied, precisely because His knowledge of all human actions, even the most deeply hidden, is absolute and complete.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 8:12 stands as a timeless and sobering warning against the insidious nature of secret sin and the perilous self-deception that invariably accompanies it. It challenges every believer to undertake a radical self-examination of the "chambers of our own imagery"—the hidden places of our hearts and minds where our true allegiances are formed and where our deepest desires reside. Do we genuinely believe, without reservation, that God sees all, or do we, like the deluded elders, harbor the illusion that certain thoughts, desires, or actions are beyond His gaze or outside the scope of His divine concern? This verse issues a profound call for radical honesty before God, compelling us to recognize that true holiness commences not with outward performance or public display, but with the sincere purification of our inner lives. It serves as a potent reminder that any attempt to rationalize sin by diminishing God's attributes—His omniscience, omnipresence, or active involvement in the world—is a dangerous and deceptive path that inevitably leads to spiritual ruin and invites divine judgment. For those in positions of leadership, in particular, this passage underscores a heightened accountability, as their secret compromises and hidden idolatries can have devastating ripple effects on those they are called to guide and shepherd.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "chambers of his imagery" in Ezekiel 8:12?
Answer: The phrase "chambers of his imagery" (Hebrew: H2315, cheder H4906, maskîyth) is profoundly significant, pointing to the deeply personal and internal nature of the elders' idolatry. "Chambers" (H2315, cheder) refers to private, inner rooms, often a bedroom or a secret apartment, emphasizing concealment and intimacy. "Imagery" (H4906, maskîyth) denotes a carved figure, image, or picture, often an object of worship, but also figuratively "imagination" or "conceit." Therefore, the phrase signifies not just physical idols hidden in private spaces, but more profoundly, the mental and spiritual cultivation of false gods or desires within the heart and mind. This reveals that their apostasy was not merely external participation in pagan rituals, but a profound internal commitment to anything that displaced God. It underscores that true idolatry begins in the heart and mind, where one's deepest affections and allegiances are placed, directly violating the first commandment to have no other gods before the Lord (Exodus 20:3).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 8:12, with its stark revelation of secret sin and the dangerous denial of God's omnipresence, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The elders' self-delusion that "The LORD seeth us not" is utterly shattered by the incarnation, where God Himself, in the person of Christ, entered into human history, demonstrating His intimate and active involvement with His creation. Jesus, as the Word made flesh, is the perfect and complete revelation of God, embodying God's omniscience and omnipresence, for in Him "all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). He is the one who infallibly knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart, penetrating and exposing the "chambers of imagery" within us that harbor idolatry and ungodly desires. Furthermore, the elders' fatalistic belief that "the LORD hath forsaken the earth" is profoundly contradicted by Christ's redemptive work. Rather than forsaking the earth, God in Christ actively pursued lost humanity, even to the point of bearing the ultimate forsakenness on the cross, crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This agonizing act of divine abandonment was not for His own sin, but for the sins of humanity, so that those who believe might never be truly forsaken. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Christ provides the divine means for true cleansing and purification of the heart's "chambers," offering complete forgiveness for secret sins and empowering believers by His indwelling Spirit to live in genuine holiness, knowing with absolute certainty that they are always seen, always known, and always loved by a God who has not forsaken them but has drawn near in His beloved Son (Hebrews 10:19-22).