Ezekiel 8:13
He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just about seeing more bad stuff; the Hebrew phrasing allows for seeing "the great abominations" – indicating these might be the most significant or most heinous of the sins, not just a longer list. God is about to reveal the ultimate betrayal of His covenant, which the people are actively committing, even on the sacred Sabbath.
Ezekiel has just witnessed the elders of Israel secretly practicing idolatry within the Temple itself. God then instructs him to turn again, revealing that what he is about to see will be even more disturbing. This sets the stage for witnessing the women weeping for the god Tammuz and the men worshipping the sun, further escalating the horrifying spiritual decay within Jerusalem.
God shows Ezekiel the worst of the worst. What does it mean when sins seem to get worse and worse?
In this vision, God is leading Ezekiel on a tour of Jerusalem's spiritual decay. He's already seen disturbing acts of idolatry, but now he's told he will see greater abominations. This highlights a crucial truth: sin doesn't stay static. It often escalates, becoming more entrenched and brazen. What might start as a small compromise can grow into deeply ingrained corruption. God doesn't just show the surface-level sin; He reveals its deepening pervasiveness. This isn't to overwhelm us, but to show the gravity of the rebellion and the urgent need for repentance.
Imagine the holiest day being used for the vilest acts. How does this specific timing amplify the sin?
The commentaries point out that these 'greater abominations' were particularly egregious because they were happening on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was God's holy day, set apart for worship and rest in Him. For the people to be engaged in idolatrous practices, specifically offering incense to detestable idols on this sacred day, was a profound insult. It wasn't just any sin; it was a defilement of God's appointed time of fellowship. This emphasizes how sin often targets the very things God esteems most highly. It’s a deliberate turning away from what is holy.
Understand the original words
to'ebah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to moral or ritual detestation; in the prophets, it specifically denotes idolatry or practices that are deeply offensive to God and incompatible with His holiness.
Ezekiel's vision occurs during a period of intense spiritual and political crisis for Judah. The "greater abominations" he sees are not merely abstract sins, but concrete acts of idolatry happening within the very Temple meant for God's worship, fueling the judgment about to fall upon Jerusalem.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports King Jehoiachin and thousands of Judean elites to Babylon, including the prophet Ezekiel. This marks a significant weakening of the Judean kingdom.
c. 593 BC
Ezekiel's Vision of God's Glory
While in exile, Ezekiel receives his initial prophetic commission from God, marked by a complex vision of God's departure from the Jerusalem Temple.
c. 592 BC
Vision of Temple Abominations Begins
Ezekiel is transported in a vision back to Jerusalem and shown the current state of the Temple, beginning with idolatrous images and practices within its walls.
c. 592 BC
Vision of Women Lamenting Tammuz
Ezekiel witnesses women weeping for Tammuz, a pagan fertility god, revealing syncretistic worship that has infiltrated the Temple precincts.
This passage describes the same kind of detestable practices happening in God's temple, highlighting a recurring theme of religious corruption and idolatry within His chosen people.
Isaiah 1:11-15Here, the Lord expresses disgust for worship that is filled with meaningless rituals and wicked deeds, much like the 'greater abominations' Ezekiel witnesses, showing God's intolerance for hypocrisy.
Romans 1:22-23This New Testament passage speaks of people exchanging the truth of God for a lie and worshipping created things instead of the Creator, mirroring the essence of the abominations Ezekiel sees.
2 Kings 21:4-5This historical account shows King Manasseh setting up idols in the temple itself and even sacrificing his own son, demonstrating the depth of 'greater abominations' that had previously defiled Jerusalem's worship.
cambridgeEzekiel 8:13: "He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do."
13 . Turn thee yet again ] See Ezekiel 8:6 .
henryEzekiel 8:13-18: "He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do."
8:13-18 The yearly lamenting for Tammuz was attended with infamous practices; and the worshippers of the sun here described, are supposed to have been priests. The Lord appeals to the prophet concerning the heinousness of the crime; and lo, they put the branch to their nose, denoting some custom used by idolaters in honour of the idols they served. The more we examine human nature…
This isn't just about seeing more bad stuff; the Hebrew phrasing allows for seeing "the great abominations" – indicating these might be the most significant or most heinous of the sins, not just a longer list. God is about to reveal the ultimate betrayal of His covenant, which the people are actively committing, even on the sacred Sabbath.
Ezekiel has just witnessed the elders of Israel secretly practicing idolatry within the Temple itself. God then instructs him to turn again, revealing that what he is about to see will be even more disturbing. This sets the stage for witnessing the women weeping for the god Tammuz and the men worshipping the sun, further escalating the horrifying spiritual decay within Jerusalem.
Ezekiel has just witnessed the elders of Israel secretly practicing idolatry within the Temple itself. God then instructs him to turn again, revealing that what he is about to see will be even more disturbing. This sets the stage for witnessing the women weeping for the god Tammuz and the men worshipping the sun, further escalating the horrifying spiritual decay within Jerusalem.
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c. 592 BC— this verse
Vision of Sun Worship
Ezekiel is directed to look again and sees men in the Temple courtyard worshipping the sun towards the east, another blatant act of idolatry.
c. 587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces finally conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and deport the remaining population, fulfilling the prophecies of judgment against Judah.
"He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.”" — This isn't just about seeing more bad stuff; the Hebrew phrasing allows for seeing "the great abominations" – indicating these might be the most significant or most heinous of the sins, not jus…
