TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Human being," he asked me, "have you seen this? You will see practices even more disgusting than these."
Berean Standard Bible
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Yet you will see even greater abominations than these.”
American Standard Version
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? thou shalt again see yet greater abominations than these.
World English Bible Messianic
Then he said to me, Have you seen this, son of man? You shall again see yet greater abominations than these.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then saide hee vnto me, Hast thou seene this, O sonne of man? Turne thee againe, and thou shalt see greater abominations then these.
Young's Literal Translation
And He saith unto me, `Hast thou seen, son of man? again thou dost turn, thou dost see greater abominations than these.'
In the KJVVerse 20,620 of 31,102
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Commentary on Ezekiel 8 verses 13–18
13 ¶ He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Here we have,
I. More and greater abominations discovered to the prophet. He thought that what he had seen was bad enough and yet (Eze 8:13): Turn thyself again, and thou shalt see yet greater abominations, and greater still, Eze 8:15, as before, Eze 8:6. There are those who live in retirement who do no think what wickedness there is in this world; and the more we converse with it, and the further we go abroad into it, the more corrupt we see it. When we have seen that which is bad we may have our wonder at it made to cease by the discovery of that which, upon some account or other, is a great deal worse. We shall find it so in examining our own hearts and searching into them; there is a world of iniquity in them, a great abundance and variety of abominations, and, when we have found out much amiss, still we shall find more; for the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it perfectly? Now the abominations here discovered were, 1. Women weeping for Tammuz, Eze 8:14. An abominable thing indeed, that any should choose rather to serve an idol in tears than to serve the true God with joyfulness and gladness of heart! Yet such absurdities as these are those guilty of who follow after lying vanities and forsake their own mercies. Some think it was for Adonis, an idol among the Greeks, other for Osiris, an idol of the Egyptians, that they shed these tears. The image, they say, was made to weep, and then the worshippers wept with it. They bewailed the death of this Tammuz, and anon rejoiced in its returning to life again. These mourning women sat at the door of the gate of the Lord's house, and there shed their idolatrous tears, as it were in defiance of God and the sacred rites of his worship, and some think, with their idolatry, prostrating themselves also to corporeal whoredom; for these two commonly went together, and those that dishonoured the divine nature by the one were justly given up to vile affections and a reprobate sense to dishonour the human nature, which nowhere ever sunk so far below itself as in these idolatrous rites. 2. Men worshipping the sun, Eze 8:16. And this was so much the greater an abomination that it was practised in the inner court of the Lord's house at the door of the temple of the lord, between the porch and the altar. There, where the most sacred rites of their holy religion used to be performed, was this abominable wickedness committed. Justly might God in jealousy say to those who thus affronted him at his own door, as the king to Haman, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? Here were about twenty-five men giving that honour to the sun which is due to God only. Some think they were the king and his princes; it should rather seem that they were priests, for this was the court of the priests, and the proper place to find them in. Those that were entrusted with the true religion, had it committed to their care and were charged with the custody of it, they were the men that betrayed it. (1.) They turned their backs towards the temple of the Lord, resolvedly forgetting it and designedly slighting it and putting contempt upon it. Note, When men turn their backs upon God's institutions, and despise them, it is no marvel if they wander endlessly after their own inventions. Impiety is the beginning of idolatry and all iniquity. (2.) They turned their faces towards the east, and worshipped the sun, the rising sun. This was an ancient instance of idolatry; it is mentioned in Job's time (Job 31:26), and had been generally practised among the nations, some worshipping the sun under one name, others under another. These priests, finding it had antiquity and general consent and usage on its side (the two pleas which the papists use at this day in defence of their superstitious rites, and particularly this of worshipping towards the east), practised it in the court of the temple, thinking it an omission that it was not inserted in their ritual. See the folly of idolaters in worshipping that as a god, and calling it Baal - a lord, which God made to be a servant to the universe (for such the sun is, and so his name Shemesh signified, Deu 4:19), and in adoring the borrowed light and despising the Father of lights.
II. The inference drawn from these discoveries (Eze 8:17): "Hast thou seen this, O son of man! and couldst thou have thought ever to see such things done in the temple of the Lord?" Now, 1. he appeals to the prophet himself concerning the heinousness of the crime. Can he think it is a light thing to the house of Judah, who know and profess better things, and are dignified with so many privileges above other nations? Is it an excusable thing in those that have God's oracles and ordinances that they commit the abominations which they commit here? Do not those deserve to suffer that thus sin? Should not such abominations as these make desolate? Dan 9:27. 2. He aggravates it from the fraud and oppression that were to be found in all parts of the nations: They have filled the land with violence. It is not strange if those that wrong God thus make no conscience of wronging one another, and with all that is sacred trample likewise upon all that is just. And their wickedness in their conversations made even the worship they paid to their own God an abomination (Isa 1:11, etc.): "They fill the land with violence, and then they return to the temple to provoke me to anger there; for even their sacrifices, instead of making an atonement, do but add to their guilt. They return to provoke me (they repeat the provocation, do it, and do it again), and, lo, they put the branch to their nose" - a proverbial expression denoting perhaps their scoffing at God and having him in derision; they snuffed at his service, as men do when they put a branch to their nose. Or it was some custom used by idolaters in honour of the idols they served. We read of garlands used in their idolatrous worships (Act 14:13), out of which every zealot took a branch which they smelled to as a nosegay. Dr. Lightfoot (Hor. Heb. in John 15.6) gives another sense of this place: They put the branch to their wrath, or to his wrath, as the Masorites read it; that is, they are still bringing more fuel (such as the withered branches of the vine) to the fire of divine wrath, which they have already kindled, as if that wrath did not burn hot enough already. Or putting the branch to the nose may signify the giving of a very great affront and provocation either to God or man; they are an abusive generation of men. 3. he passes sentence upon them that they shall be utterly cut off: Therefore, because they are thus furiously bent upon sin, I will also deal in fury with them, Eze 8:18. They filled the land with their violence, and God will fill it with the violence of their enemies; and he will not lend a favourable ear to the suggestions either, (1.) Of his own pity: My eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; repentance shall be hidden from his eyes; or, (2.) Of their prayers: Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them; for still their sins cry more loudly for vengeance than their prayers cry for mercy. God will now be as deaf to their prayers as their own idols were, on whom they cried aloud, but in vain, Kg1 18:26. Time was when God was ready to hear even before they cried and to answer while they were yet speaking; but now they shall seek me early and not find me, Pro 1:28. It is not the loud voice, but the upright heart, that God will regard.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 13–18. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 15, 16.) And he said to me: Surely you have seen, son of man: yet you will see even greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the vestibule 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 worshiping the sun in the east. We interpreted this vestibule to be near Symmachus, who placed the πρόπυλον, because the LXX and Theodotion translated the Hebrew word for it as Aelam (): Aquila's first edition, προστάδα: second edition, was interpreted as the Aelam of the temple, which we can express as the portico of the temple: or the covered courtyard that was between the temple and the altar. And as we read above, after the idol of Zeal, which appeared at the Northern Gate: You will still see even greater abominations; and the pictures of all the beasts that the seventy priests and Jezonias, son of Saphan, were worshiping were shown on the wall, with the censers in their hands. It is said a second time: You will still see even greater abominations, which these people do, because the women were sitting and mourning for Adonis; and after the third sin, it is said: You will still see even greater abominations than these. But what is the greatest abomination of the three previous sins? Namely, the fourth that follows: Behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the vestibule and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the rising sun. They did this because they despised the Lord, that is, the Creator, and worshipped the sun, that is, the creature of the Lord, as the Lord Himself commanded through Moses (Deut. XII), that they should not worship God against the east in the manner of the Gentiles: but wherever they were in the world, whether to the east, or to the west, or to the south, or to the north, they should worship toward the temple, where it was believed the Lord dwelled in the Holy of Holies. Indeed, we read in Daniel (Dan. VI) that he did this in Babylon, who, with the windows of his upper room open, worshipped the Lord opposite the temple, which was in Jerusalem. That this was sacrilege according to the letter, no one doubts. According to allegory, he will be able to know that all heretics are worse than their predecessors, that is, the idol of Zeal and the painted figures of animals on the wall, and the lamentation for Adonis, through which idolatry and pleasures are demonstrated, he who understands the prophet saying: But you hate discipline, and you have cast my words behind you (Ps. XLIX, 17). And in another place: They turned against me the back and not the face (Jer. II, 27). Do we not know Marcion and the other heretics, who tear apart the old Testament, despising the Creator, that is, the just God, and worship and adore another false good God, whom they have invented from their own imagination? And all the heretics of our time, who preach that the Son of God is a creature, and yet adore him, confess with their own words that they adore a creature, having deserted the temple of divinity and turned their backs to it. But we worship the sun of righteousness in such a way that we worship God in the temple of the old Testament, where the Law and the Prophets, where the Cherubim and the mercy seat are. These twenty-five men we have translated, the seventy placed twenty, and in some copies, five from Theodotion were added.
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.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 8:15 stands as a pivotal moment within Ezekiel's profound vision of Jerusalem's spiritual decay. Following earlier revelations of various idolatrous practices within the Temple precincts, the divine guide challenges Ezekiel to witness an even more profound and egregious series of acts, signaling an escalating depth of sin that fully justifies the severe divine judgment soon to befall Judah and Jerusalem. This verse powerfully underscores God's absolute awareness of human rebellion and the dire consequences of persistent, unrepentant apostasy.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is intricately woven into a dramatic visionary experience granted to Ezekiel, commencing in Ezekiel 8:1. Spiritually transported from his exile in Babylon to Jerusalem, Ezekiel is led on a guided tour through the very heart of the Temple, where God systematically exposes the hidden idolatry defiling His sacred dwelling. Prior to Ezekiel 8:15, Ezekiel has already been shown the "image of jealousy" at the north gate (Ezekiel 8:5), the seventy elders secretly worshipping detestable images of "creeping things and detestable beasts" in a dark chamber (Ezekiel 8:10-12), and women weeping for the pagan deity Tammuz at the Temple's north gate (Ezekiel 8:14). Verse 15 functions as a chilling and suspenseful transition, explicitly preparing Ezekiel—and the reader—for an even more shocking and offensive display of sacrilege, which culminates in the most egregious act: the priests themselves worshipping the sun at the Temple entrance in Ezekiel 8:16.
Historical & Cultural Context: Ezekiel's vision is set around 593 BC, during the initial phase of the Babylonian exile. Many Judeans, including Ezekiel, had been forcibly deported after Nebuchadnezzar's first siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC. Despite this clear act of divine judgment, the remaining inhabitants of Jerusalem, including its religious and political leaders, stubbornly persisted in their idolatrous practices, often clinging to a false sense of security due to the physical presence of the Temple. The pagan practices described—the worship of "creeping things" (likely Egyptian animal cults), the mourning for Tammuz (a Mesopotamian fertility cult), and sun worship (a widespread form of astral idolatry, often associated with Baal)—were common throughout the ancient Near East. These practices were explicitly forbidden by Mosaic Law, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 4:19 and Deuteronomy 18:9-12. The profound scandal lies in the fact that these "abominations" were not merely occurring within the nation, but specifically within the sacred Temple precincts, the very symbol of God's covenant presence and dwelling place with Israel. This highlights the deep-seated spiritual corruption that had permeated the nation's core.
Key Themes: Ezekiel 8:15 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prominent in the book of Ezekiel and the broader prophetic tradition. Foremost among these is the theme of the escalation of sin and its direct, inevitable link to divine judgment. The phrase "greater abominations" underscores that Judah's spiritual decline was not static but a progressive worsening, pushing God's patience to its absolute limit. This vision also profoundly emphasizes God's holiness and jealousy for His name and His dwelling place; He cannot and will not tolerate the defilement of His sacred space or the worship of other gods. Furthermore, the passage vividly illustrates God's omniscience, revealing that no sin, however hidden or secretly practiced, escapes His discerning gaze (Psalm 139:7-12). The entire chapter, culminating in this verse and the subsequent revelations, serves as a comprehensive justification for the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, demonstrating that God's actions are not arbitrary acts of wrath but a righteous and just response to profound and unrepentant apostasy. The vision ultimately sets the stage for the departure of God's glory from the Temple in Ezekiel 10.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 8:15 is rich with potent literary devices that amplify its message of escalating sin and impending judgment. The primary device is the Rhetorical Question ("Hast thou seen [this], O son of man?"). This question is not posed to elicit an answer from Ezekiel but to underscore the gravity of what he has already witnessed and to prepare him—and by extension, the reader—for the even more shocking revelations to come. It serves to engage the prophet directly, drawing him deeper into the unfolding horror. Central to the verse's impact is the device of Escalation, explicitly stated in the phrase "thou shalt see greater abominations than these." This builds dramatic tension and highlights the progressive nature of sin, where one act of rebellion, left unaddressed, leads to another, increasingly severe one. This escalation powerfully foreshadows the inevitable and severe judgment that will follow. Furthermore, there is a powerful use of Repetition of the verb "see" (Hebrew: râʼâh), emphasizing the visual and experiential nature of the prophetic revelation. God is not merely telling Ezekiel about the sin; He is showing him its full, detestable reality, forcing a direct confrontation with the depth of Judah's apostasy.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 8:15 serves as a stark theological declaration of God's unwavering holiness and His absolute intolerance for spiritual defilement, particularly within the very precincts dedicated to His worship. It powerfully reveals that God is not a distant, passive observer but is intimately and fully aware of the hidden sins and secret idolatries of His people. The escalating nature of the abominations underscores a profound theological truth: unrepentant sin does not remain static but deepens, leading to greater rebellion, hardening of the heart, and ultimately, inevitable divine judgment. This verse provides crucial justification for God's impending judgment on Jerusalem, demonstrating that His actions are not arbitrary acts of wrath but a righteous and just response to a people who have persistently and increasingly scorned His covenant, profaned His name, and desecrated His holy dwelling. It stands as a somber reminder that God's patience, while vast and merciful, is not infinite, and His justice demands a decisive response to such profound and widespread apostasy.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 8:15 offers a profound and challenging mirror for both individual believers and the corporate body of Christ today. The progression from "these" abominations to "greater abominations" serves as a sobering warning: sin rarely remains confined or static. What might begin as a small compromise, a hidden transgression, or a subtle idolatry, if left unaddressed and unrepented of, can metastasize into deeper forms of rebellion, progressively hardening the heart and dulling spiritual sensitivity. This verse calls us to a rigorous and honest self-examination, prompting us to ask what "abominations," however subtle or disguised, might be defiling the "temple" of our own hearts or the corporate life of the church. It challenges us to confront any form of idolatry—whether it be the worship of material possessions, personal ambition, comfort, pleasure, or even self-righteousness—that displaces God from His rightful, supreme position of authority and affection. The divine revelation of hidden sin reminds us that God sees all, even the most private thoughts and actions, prompting us to live lives of genuine integrity, seeking true holiness rather than mere outward conformity or superficial piety. Ultimately, this passage urges prompt and sincere repentance, a turning away from all forms of spiritual defilement, and a wholehearted return to devoted worship, recognizing that God's holiness demands purity and His justice will ultimately prevail against all unrighteousness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does God reveal these abominations to Ezekiel in such detail?
Answer: God reveals these abominations to Ezekiel in such graphic and escalating detail for several crucial, interconnected reasons. Firstly, it serves as a powerful justification for the impending judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. The exiles, and indeed all future generations, needed to understand unequivocally that God's severe actions—the destruction of Jerusalem, the desecration of the Temple, and the continuation of the exile—were not arbitrary acts of wrath but a righteous, necessary, and proportionate response to profound, persistent, and unrepentant spiritual rebellion. Secondly, it was an act of divine revelation and exposure. The sins were often hidden, practiced secretly in "dark chambers" (Ezekiel 8:12) or behind closed doors, yet God, in His omniscience, saw them all (Psalm 139:7-12). By revealing them to Ezekiel, God publicly unmasked the hypocrisy, the deep-seated apostasy, and the spiritual blindness of His people, particularly their religious and political leaders. Thirdly, it functioned as a prophetic warning and a call to repentance. While judgment was inevitable for Jerusalem, the detailed vision served as a stark, unforgettable lesson for the exiles, urging them to learn from the catastrophic failures of the past and to turn back to God with sincere hearts, thereby laying the groundwork for future restoration. Finally, it profoundly underscored God's holiness and His zealous jealousy for His name and His dwelling place. The defilement of His Temple was not a minor transgression but a direct affront to His very character and covenant, which He would not tolerate indefinitely (Ezekiel 5:11).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 8:15, with its chilling revelation of escalating abominations within God's Temple, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Ezekiel witnessed the physical defilement of a stone temple by idolatry and moral corruption, Jesus directly confronted the spiritual defilement of both the physical Temple of His day and, more profoundly, the sinful hearts of humanity. The "greater abominations" of human rebellion, culminating in outright defiance of God's perfect will, were ultimately borne by Christ on the cross. He became the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, thereby providing atonement and cleansing humanity from the deepest abominations of sin, making a way for reconciliation with a holy God. Furthermore, Jesus' dramatic cleansing of the Temple in John 2:13-17 echoes God's righteous indignation at the desecration of His house. However, Jesus' act was not merely against commercialism but a profound prophetic sign of His divine authority to purify and establish a new spiritual temple. This new temple is not made with human hands but is the corporate body of believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and Ephesians 2:19-22). Thus, the "greater abominations" that defiled the old covenant temple are ultimately overcome by the "greater righteousness" and perfect holiness found in Christ, who purifies His people and establishes them as His holy dwelling, a fulfillment that far surpasses the physical cleansing Ezekiel longed for, ushering in an era where true worship is in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).