Bible Strands
Ezekiel 8:16
So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico 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 bowing to the east in worship of the sun.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The speaker (Yahweh) brings Ezekiel to the inner court of the house of the LORD during a visionary inspection. He shows him twenty-five men standing between the portico and the altar.
The words — The Hebrew וַ/יָּבֵא (va/i.ya.Ve') translates literally as "and he brought," marking the divine initiation of the vision. אֶל\־ חֲצַ֣ר (el- cha.Tzar) means "to the court of," specifying the inner sanctuary location.
The thread — The text describes men turning their backs to the temple and bowing east to the sun, which aligns with Deuteronomy 4:19 and Deuteronomy 17:3, both prohibiting bowing to the host of heaven. Jeremiah 32:33 parallels the posture of turning their backs to God, though it does not mention facing east.
Why it lands — The text states that idolatry occurs inside the sacred precincts, requiring a reader to acknowledge how religious spaces can host deliberate rebellion. It demands immediate rejection of any practice that substitutes created objects for the worship due to God alone.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 4:19 When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
- Deuteronomy 17:3 and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
- Jeremiah 32:33 They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.
- Jeremiah 2:27 say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet in the time of trouble, they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’
- Ezekiel 11:1 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.
- Job 31:26 if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
- Ezekiel 43:5 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
- Joel 2:17 Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
- Jeremiah 44:17 Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.
- Acts 7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?