Ezekiel 8:7 Study Bible: He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, look, a hole in the wall.

◄ Ezekiel 8:7 ►

Then He brought me to the entrance to the court, and I looked and saw a hole in the wall.

Then He brought me
This phrase indicates divine guidance, as Ezekiel is led by God Himself. The Hebrew root for "brought" is "בּוֹא" (bo), which often signifies coming or bringing someone into a new understanding or revelation. This divine leading underscores the prophetic nature of Ezekiel's vision, emphasizing that it is God who initiates and directs the revelation of hidden truths.

to the entrance to the court
The "entrance to the court" refers to a specific location within the temple complex. Historically, the temple was the center of Jewish worship and the dwelling place of God's presence. The court likely refers to the outer court, accessible to the people, symbolizing a place where the divine and human realms intersect. This setting is significant as it represents a threshold between the known and the hidden, preparing Ezekiel for the revelation of idolatry within the temple.

and I looked
The act of looking signifies attentiveness and readiness to perceive what God is revealing. The Hebrew word "רָאָה" (ra'ah) means to see or perceive, often used in prophetic contexts to denote spiritual insight. Ezekiel's looking is not merely physical but involves a deeper spiritual perception, necessary for understanding the gravity of the idolatry he is about to witness.

and saw a hole in the wall
The "hole in the wall" is a powerful symbol of hidden sin and corruption within the temple. The Hebrew word for "hole" is "חֹר" (chor), which can imply a breach or opening. This imagery suggests that what is hidden will be exposed, aligning with the biblical theme that God reveals and judges hidden sins. Archaeologically, this could reflect actual breaches in the temple structure, symbolizing spiritual decay. The wall, meant to protect and separate the holy from the profane, is compromised, indicating the severity of Israel's unfaithfulness.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel is the central figure in this vision, receiving revelations from God about the spiritual state of Israel.

2. The Entrance to the Court
This refers to the temple in Jerusalem, specifically the entrance to the inner court, which was a sacred area meant for worship and sacrifices.

3. The Hole in the Wall
Symbolic of hidden sins and idolatry within the temple, this hole represents the breach in Israel's faithfulness to God.

4. God
The divine guide in Ezekiel's vision, revealing the abominations being committed by the Israelites.

5. The Vision
A supernatural experience where Ezekiel is shown the spiritual corruption of Israel, serving as a warning and call to repentance.

Teaching Points

Hidden Sins
Just as the hole in the wall revealed hidden idolatry, we must examine our lives for hidden sins that separate us from God.

The Importance of True Worship
The temple was defiled by idolatry, reminding us that our worship must be pure and focused solely on God.

God's Omniscience
God sees beyond outward appearances and knows the true state of our hearts, urging us to live transparently before Him.

Repentance and Restoration
The vision serves as a call to repentance, emphasizing that God desires to restore us when we turn back to Him.

Spiritual Vigilance
We must remain vigilant against spiritual complacency and idolatry, ensuring our faith remains strong and true.

Bible Study Questions

1. What does the "hole in the wall" symbolize in your own life, and how can you address hidden sins that may be present?

2. How does the vision of the temple's defilement challenge your understanding of true worship?

3. In what ways can you ensure that your worship and devotion to God remain pure and undistracted by modern-day idols?

4. How does the omniscience of God, as demonstrated in this passage, impact your daily walk with Him?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced spiritual complacency. How did you overcome it, and what steps can you take to prevent it in the future?

Connections to Other Scriptures

2 Kings 21
This chapter describes the idolatrous practices of King Manasseh, which parallels the abominations Ezekiel witnesses in the temple.

Jeremiah 7
Jeremiah's temple sermon condemns the false security the Israelites felt in the temple, similar to the hidden sins revealed to Ezekiel.

Matthew 23
Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, akin to the hidden sins in the temple that Ezekiel is shown.

Sermons

Gradual Disclosure of Human Sin	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 8:1-16
The Chambers of Imagery; Or, Secret Sins	W. Jones	Ezekiel 8:7-13

People

Ezekiel, Jaazaniah, Shaphan

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Behold, Bringeth, Court, Door, Entrance, Entry, Hole, Open, Opening, Wall

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 8:5-18

6103 abomination

Library

Chambers of Imagery
'Then said He unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery!'--EZEKIEL viii. 12. This is part of a vision which came to the prophet in his captivity. He is carried away in imagination from his home amongst the exiles in the East to the Temple of Jerusalem. There he sees in one dreadful series representations of all the forms of idolatry to which the handful that were left in the land were cleaving. There meets …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Message from the Crowned Christ
(Revelation, Chapters ii and iii) "The glory of love is brightest when the glory of self is dim, And they have the most compelled me who most have pointed to Him. They have held me, stirred me, swayed me,--I have hung on their every word, Till I fain would arise and follow, not them, not them,--but their Lord!"[64] Patmos Spells Patience. Patience is strength at its strongest, using all its strength in holding back from doing something. Patience is love at flood pleading with strength to hold steady …
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

The Synagogue at Nazareth - Synagogue-Worship and Arrangements.
The stay in Cana, though we have no means of determining its length, was probably of only short duration. Perhaps the Sabbath of the same week already found Jesus in the Synagogue of Nazareth. We will not seek irreverently to lift the veil of sacred silence, which here, as elsewhere, the Gospel-narratives have laid over the Sanctuary of His inner Life. That silence is itself theopneustic, of Divine breathing and inspiration; it is more eloquent than any eloquence, a guarantee of the truthfulness …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

What the Ruler's Discrimination Should be Between Correction and Connivance, Between Fervour and Gentleness.
It should be known too that the vices of subjects ought sometimes to be prudently connived at, but indicated in that they are connived at; that things, even though openly known, ought sometimes to be seasonably tolerated, but sometimes, though hidden, be closely investigated; that they ought sometimes to be gently reproved, but sometimes vehemently censured. For, indeed, some things, as we have said, ought to be prudently connived at, but indicated in that they are connived at, so that, when the …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Of the Necessity of Divine Influences to Produce Regeneration in the Soul.
Titus iii. 5, 6. Titus iii. 5, 6. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. IF my business were to explain and illustrate this scripture at large, it would yield an ample field for accurate criticism and useful discourse, and more especially would lead us into a variety of practical remarks, on which it would be pleasant …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
WHEREIN ITS GOODLY LIGHT, WALLS, GATES, ANGELS, AND THE MANNER OF THEIR STANDING, ARE EXPOUNDED: ALSO HER LENGTH AND BREADTH, TOGETHER WITH THE GOLDEN MEASURING-REED EXPLAINED: AND THE GLORY OF ALL UNFOLDED. AS ALSO THE NUMEROUSNESS OF ITS INHABITANTS; AND WHAT THE TREE AND WATER OF LIFE ARE, BY WHICH THEY ARE SUSTAINED. 'Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.'-Psalm 87:3 'And the name of the city from that day shall be, THE LORD IS THERE.'-Ezekiel 48:35 London: Printed in the year 1665 …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Exod 20: 14. God is a pure, holy spirit, and has an infinite antipathy against all uncleanness. In this commandment he has entered his caution against it; non moechaberis, Thou shalt not commit adultery.' The sum of this commandment is, The preservations of corporal purity. We must take heed of running on the rock of uncleanness, and so making shipwreck of our chastity. In this commandment there is something tacitly implied, and something expressly forbidden. 1. The …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links

Ezekiel 8:7 NIV
Ezekiel 8:7 NLT
Ezekiel 8:7 ESV
Ezekiel 8:7 NASB
Ezekiel 8:7 KJV

Ezekiel 8:7 Commentaries

Bible Hub