TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore I will act in fury, my eye will not spare, I will have no pity. Even if they cry loudly right in my ears, I will not listen to them."
Berean Standard Bible
Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”
American Standard Version
Therefore will I also deal in wrath; 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.
World English Bible Messianic
Therefore will I also deal in wrath; my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Therefore will I also execute my wrath: mine eye shall not spare them, neither will I haue pitie, and though they crie in mine eares with a loude voyce, yet will I not heare them.
Young's Literal Translation
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.'
In the KJVVerse 20,623 of 31,102
Study This Verse
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.
Copy as
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 18.) Therefore, I will also act in fury: My eye will not spare, nor will I have compassion. And when they cry out to my ears with a loud voice, I will not listen to them. Moreover, the following phrase, 'And when they cry out to my ears with a loud voice, I will not listen to them,' is not found in the Septuagint. For all the things they have done, I will act in fury and my eye will not spare, nor will I have compassion,' says the Lord. When the ancient heretics heard this, they falsely accused the Creator of being cruel and bloodthirsty; and they did not consider the Apostle Paul, who is certainly an apostle of the good God (as they claim), writing to the Corinthians, 'If I come again, I will not spare' (2 Corinthians 12:2), in order to discipline the wrongdoers with a rod and bring the wanderers back to salvation. For those who do not understand what is beneficial for themselves, and frequently pray for the opposite, it is expedient that they are not heard by the Lord. Hence, in the Lord's Prayer, we say: Thy will be done (Matt. VI, 10). Not our own will, which is accustomed to err: but Thy will, which knows the future. And sometimes it is of great happiness to not deserve mercy in the present. Therefore, the Lord will not spare those who are from the house of Judah and have departed from the confession of the Church. And when they cry out with a loud voice, about which the Lord has said: Their cry has come to me (Genesis XVIII): yet the Lord will not hear them, so that, being compelled by their evils, they may understand what they have done.
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 8:18 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 8:18 delivers a severe pronouncement of divine judgment, serving as the climactic declaration of God's unyielding wrath against the persistent idolatry and spiritual rebellion witnessed in Jerusalem. This verse underscores the irreversible consequences of prolonged sin, emphasizing that God's compassion has reached its limit, and even the desperate cries of His people will go unheard as justice is meted out.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 8:18 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its stark message. Anthropomorphism is evident in the phrases "mine eye shall not spare" and "cry in mine ears," attributing human physical characteristics and senses to God to make His actions and reactions more relatable and impactful. This device vividly portrays God's direct and personal engagement with the situation. The repetition of negative statements, "shall not spare, neither will I have pity," serves as a form of Emphasis or Anaphora, powerfully reinforcing the absolute and unwavering nature of the impending judgment. There is also a strong sense of Irony at play: the people had consistently refused to "hear" God's voice and obey His commands, and now, in their desperation, God declares He will not "hear" their cries. This reversal highlights the principle of divine reciprocity in judgment. The "loud voice" can be seen as a form of Hyperbole, emphasizing the intensity and desperation of their future pleas, which will nevertheless be met with divine silence.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 8:18 profoundly illustrates the biblical principle that God's patience, while immense, is not infinite. It reveals a critical point where persistent sin and unrepentant rebellion exhaust divine forbearance, leading to an inevitable outpouring of righteous judgment. This verse underscores the holiness of God, who cannot indefinitely tolerate sin, especially within His covenant people who have been given His law and prophets. It serves as a solemn reminder that a relationship with God is predicated on obedience and faithfulness, and that turning a deaf ear to His warnings ultimately leads to His turning a deaf ear to our pleas. This concept is not unique to Ezekiel but is a consistent theme throughout Scripture, highlighting the severity of sin and the certainty of divine justice.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 8:18 serves as a timeless and sobering warning for all generations, particularly for those who claim to be God's people. It powerfully reminds us that spiritual complacency, persistent sin, and the embrace of idolatry—whether overt or subtle—have dire consequences. God's character is marked by both infinite love and perfect justice. While His mercy is vast, it is not an excuse for unrepentant rebellion. This verse challenges us to honestly examine our own lives: are there areas where we have grown deaf to God's warnings, perhaps prioritizing worldly desires, comforts, or even self-righteousness over His clear commands? Are we actively listening to His voice through His Word and Spirit, or have we allowed spiritual apathy to set in? The call to genuine repentance is urgent, urging us to turn from anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts and lives. It underscores the profound importance of living in continuous alignment with God's will, recognizing that a season of grace can give way to a season of judgment if His patient calls to repentance are continually ignored.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Ezekiel 8:18 mean God will never hear the prayers of His people?
Answer: No, this verse does not mean God will never hear the prayers of His people in general. Instead, it describes a specific, dire consequence for a people who had persistently and grievously rebelled against God, engaging in widespread idolatry and rejecting repeated prophetic warnings. For them, a point of no return had been reached where their cries for mercy in the midst of judgment would go unanswered because they had consistently refused to "hear" and obey God's voice during the time of grace. This is a specific judgment for a specific, prolonged, and severe pattern of unrepentant sin, not a general rule for all prayer. The Bible consistently teaches that God hears the prayers of the righteous (Psalm 34:17) and those who genuinely repent (1 John 1:9).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 8:18, with its stark declaration of God's unsparing fury and unheeded cries, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in two profound ways. First, it highlights the immense gravity of the sin that necessitated the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. The judgment described here demonstrates God's unwavering holiness and justice, revealing that sin cannot go unpunished. It is precisely this righteous wrath, foreshadowed in Ezekiel, that Jesus absorbed on the cross. He became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bearing the "fury" and judgment that humanity deserved, so that those who believe might be spared. Second, the chilling reality of God not hearing the cries of His people finds its counterpoint in Christ's perfect intercession. While Israel's cries were unheeded due to their rebellion, Jesus, as our great High Priest, continually intercedes for us before the Father (Romans 8:34). He is the one through whom we now have access to God's throne of grace, where we can "find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). The judgment declared in Ezekiel 8:18 thus magnifies the boundless mercy and grace offered through Christ, who turned God's righteous wrath away from us and opened a new and living way for our cries to be heard, ensuring that those who are in Christ will never face the divine silence of judgment.