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Ezekiel 8:12

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 8:12 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

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.
Ezekiel 8:12 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 8

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
9And he said unto me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.
10So 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.
11And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, every man with his censer in his hand; and the odor of the cloud of incense went up.
12Then 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.
13He said also unto me, Thou shalt again see yet other great abominations which they do.
14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Jehovah`s house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz.
15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen [this], O son of man? thou shalt again see yet greater abominations than these.
← Ezekiel 8:11Ezekiel 8:13 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Then said he unto me, son of man, hast thou seen, &c.] Here should be a stop, as the accent “segolta” shows; hast thou taken notice of, hast thou considered, what thou hast seen, the amazing shocking abominations committed by these men? it follows, and the question is to be repeated, “hast thou seen” what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark? their deeds being evil, such as will not bear the light, of which they had reason to be ashamed before men; and which they imagined would not be seen by the Lord, though the darkness and the light are both alike to him: every man in the chambers of his imagery? the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, “in his hidden” or…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“every man in . . . chambers of . . . imagery--The elders ("ancients") are here the representatives of the people, rather than to be regarded literally. Mostly, the leaders of heathen superstitions laughed at them secretly, while publicly professing them in order to keep the people in subjection. Here what is meant is that the people generally addicted themselves to secret idolatry, led on by their elders; there is no doubt, also, allusion to the mysteries, as in the worship of Isis in Egypt, the Eleusinian in Greece, &c., to which the initiated alone were admitted. "The chambers of imagery" are their own perverse imaginations, answering to the priests' chambers in the vision, whereon the…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“In the dark - Hidden in the secret places which the seer dug through the wall to discover. Chambers of his imagery - i. e., chambers painted with images. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Seeth not - They deny God's care of them and their affairs, and therefore they must chuse some other god. Ezekiel 8:13”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“8:12-13 The Lord could see what the leaders of Israel were doing, and he revealed these things to his prophet (cp. Luke 12:3).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“hast: Eze 8:6, Eze 8:15, Eze 8:17 ancients: Eze 8:11, Eze 14:1, Eze 20:1; Eph 5:12 in the: Eze 8:7, Eze 8:8; Job 24:13-17; Joh 3:19, Joh 3:20 The Lord seeth: Eze 9:9; Job 22:12, Job 22:13; Psa 73:11, Psa 94:7-10; Isa 29:15 Ezekiel 8:13”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification