“He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 8:6 Mean?
God shows Ezekiel the abominations in the temple — and then says something chilling: "but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations." What you've already seen is bad. What's coming is worse. The tour of corruption has levels. And each level is more devastating than the last.
The phrase "that I should go far off from my sanctuary" explains why God is showing this: the abominations are driving God out of His own house. The sin isn't just offensive. It's evicting. The corruption pushes God away from the place He chose to dwell. The abominations create distance between God and His temple.
"Greater abominations" — the comparative is the horror. What Ezekiel has already seen (idol worship at the gate — verse 5) is shocking enough. But God says: there's worse. The corruption has layers. And each layer you peel back reveals something more terrible underneath. The surface sin conceals a deeper sin. The visible abomination hides a greater one.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Does the layered revelation (each turn revealing worse) describe how hidden sin works — surface masking depth?
- 2.How does the abomination 'pushing God away' from His sanctuary describe the effect of unaddressed sin in your life?
- 3.Have you experienced the 'turn again' moment — discovering that what you thought was the worst was actually concealing something worse?
- 4.Does the physical posture in the worst abomination (backs toward the temple, facing the sun) describe any way you've turned from God?
Devotional
You think that's bad? Turn again. There's worse. Greater abominations. And each one pushes Me further from My own house.
God gives Ezekiel a tour of the temple's corruption — and the tour has levels. Floor by floor. Room by room. Each revelation worse than the last. And at each stage, God says: turn again. There's more. Greater. Deeper. Worse.
The first abomination: an idol at the north gate (verse 5). Shocking enough — an idol at the entrance to God's house. But God says: turn again.
The second: seventy elders burning incense to images on the wall in a dark room (verse 10-12). The leadership worshipping secretly. Hidden corruption behind the public worship. But God says: turn again.
The third: women weeping for Tammuz at the temple gate (verse 14). Pagan mourning rituals at the entrance to God's house. Imported worship from Babylon. But God says: turn again.
The fourth: twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple, worshipping the sun (verse 16). Not just idolatry. The deliberate turning of backs toward God's house to face the sun. The physical posture of rejection.
"That I should go far off from my sanctuary" — each abomination drives God further away. The idol at the gate pushes. The secret worship pushes. The weeping for Tammuz pushes. The sun-worship pushes. Push by push, the abominations evict God from His own temple.
The layering is the lesson: sin has depth. The surface corruption conceals deeper corruption. The first thing you see isn't the worst thing happening. And every time you think you've seen the worst, God says: turn again.
What layers of corruption are hiding beneath the surface of what you can see?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
He said furthermore unto me, son of man,.... He continued his speech to the prophet, saying
seest thou what they do?…
Ezekiel was now in Babylon; but the messages of wrath he had delivered in the foregoing chapters related to Jerusalem,…
I should go far off i.e. withdraw. These abominations defiled Jehovah's sanctuary, the place of his abode, causing him…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture