So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to overlook that these aren't just random spooky drawings; they're specific idols and types of worship (like Egyptian animal gods) that Israel had adopted. This wasn't just stray straying; it was a deliberate, comprehensive embrace of foreign abominations painted right onto the sacred walls.
So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel has just been shown a vision where God pulls back a mysterious "door" in the temple wall, revealing a hidden chamber. Inside, the prophet sees not just one idol, but a disturbing abundance of images engraved all around, depicting repulsive creatures and idols that the people of Israel had adopted. This shocking scene is happening right under the noses of the seventy elders, who are simultaneously offering incense, highlighting the deep corruption within the nation's leadership.
We often picture idols as statues, but what if they were hidden in plain sight, painted on the walls around you?
In Ezekiel 8:10, the prophet sees not just statues, but every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel painted on the walls. This wasn't just a few images; it was a pervasive infestation of idolatry disguised as art.
The Deceptive Artistry of Idolatry
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The people weren't the only ones involved in this hidden corruption. The leaders were right there, leading the charge.
Ezekiel 8:10 doesn't just describe the images but places them within a context of leadership corruption. While this specific verse focuses on the visual, the surrounding passages (like verse 11) reveal that seventy elders of Israel were present, offering incense to these depicted idols.
Leaders Leading Astray
Understand the original words
gillulim · Hebrew Noun
Used to describe objects of worship other than the one true God. Biblically, these are seen as worthless, lifeless objects that deceive people and provoke God's jealousy.
remes · Hebrew Noun
Refers to animals, typically those considered ceremonially unclean under the Mosaic Law. Their inclusion in idol imagery represents the degradation of true worship into the worship of the created order.
The vibrant, disturbing imagery of animals and idols painted on the walls points to the Judean elite's syncretism, particularly their flirtation with Egyptian animal worship and other foreign cults, driven by political expediency and a spiritual blindness that saw even the Temple becoming a place of pagan devotion.
c. 700-600 BC
Egyptian Influence on Judah
During the late Judean monarchy, there was significant cultural and religious interaction with Egypt. This period saw attempts to forge political alliances with Egypt against Assyria and later Babylon, leading to the adoption of some Egyptian religious practices.
605 BC
Battle of Carchemish
This decisive Babylonian victory over Egypt and Assyria shifted regional power, placing Judah under Babylonian suzerainty. Despite this, some Judean factions continued to look to Egypt for support.
c. 609-598 BC
Reign of Jehoiakim
King Jehoiakim, a vassal of Babylon, initially paid tribute but later rebelled. During this time, there was a notable push for an alliance with Egypt, accompanied by religious syncretism and idolatry, which the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel condemned.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Following Jehoiakim's rebellion, Babylonian forces captured Jerusalem and deported King Jehoiachin along with many of the elite and skilled workers to Babylon. This marked a significant blow to the kingdom and led to increasing despair and further syncretism among those left behind.
c. 592 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Vision of Temple Corruption
The prophet Ezekiel, in exile in Babylon, receives a series of visions revealing the depth of idolatry and corruption within Jerusalem and the Temple. Chapter 8 details a vision of abominations occurring within the Temple itself.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
After a prolonged siege and further rebellion by Zedekiah, Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple was burned, and a large portion of the remaining population was deported to Babylon. This catastrophic event was seen as the culmination of God's judgment for the nation's persistent idolatry.
This passage directly forbids making any graven image or likeness of anything, a prohibition clearly violated by the detailed idolatrous images described on the wall in Ezekiel's vision.
Leviticus 11:1-47This chapter details the dietary laws concerning clean and unclean animals, including 'creeping things' and 'beasts.' The idolatrous worship of these very creatures highlights Israel's profound departure from God's specific commands.
Deuteronomy 4:16-18This passage warns against corrupting oneself by making any idol in the form of 'any beast that is on the earth' or 'any creeping thing that crawls on the ground,' directly paralleling the abominations Ezekiel witnessed.
Ezekiel 23:14-16Here, Ezekiel describes Jerusalem's lust for foreign powers, leading her to see 'likenesses of the Chaldeans portrayed on the wall,' mirroring the way idolatrous images were used to incite passion and draw people away from God.
Jeremiah 44:17-19This passage records the people of Judah, after fleeing to Egypt, confessing they had offered sacrifices to the 'Queen of Heaven' and her 'host,' acknowledging that their idolatry, including likely creature worship, began when they were in Egypt, just as the commentary suggests.
pooleEzekiel 8:10: "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."
So I went in, according to the vision. Of creeping things; of such creatures as the Egyptians, or any others with whom the Jews had acquaintance, did worship. Abominable beasts; the beasts are here called abominable, because idolaters had abused them to unlawful uses, making idols of them. The idols of the house of…
clarkeEzekiel 8:10: "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."
And saw - every form of creeping things - It is very likely that these images pourtrayed on the wall were the objects of Egyptian adoration: the ox, the ape, the dog, the crocodile, the ibis, the scarabaeus or beetle, and various other things. It appears that these were privately worshipped by the sanhedrin or grea…
It's easy to overlook that these aren't just random spooky drawings; they're specific idols and types of worship (like Egyptian animal gods) that Israel had adopted. This wasn't just stray straying; it was a deliberate, comprehensive embrace of foreign abominations painted right onto the sacred walls.
Ezekiel has just been shown a vision where God pulls back a mysterious "door" in the temple wall, revealing a hidden chamber. Inside, the prophet sees not just one idol, but a disturbing abundance of images engraved all around, depicting repulsive creatures and idols that the people of Israel had adopted. This shocking scene is happening right under the noses of the seventy elders, who are simultaneously offering incense, highlighting the deep corruption within the nation's leadership.
Ezekiel has just been shown a vision where God pulls back a mysterious "door" in the temple wall, revealing a hidden chamber. Inside, the prophet sees not just one idol, but a disturbing abundance of images engraved all around, depicting repulsive creatures and idols that the people of Israel had adopted. This shocking scene is happening right under the noses of the seventy elders, who are simultaneously offering incense, highlighting the deep corruption within the nation's leadership.
"So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel." — It's easy to overlook that these aren't just random spooky drawings; they're specific idols and types of worship (like Egyptian animal gods) that Israel had adopted. This wasn't just stray strayi…
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Last reviewed October 2026