Ezekiel 8:16
And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
Ezekiel 8:16 · King James Version
Meaning
This verse from the book of Ezekiel describes a scene where the prophet is taken to the inner court of the Lord's house and witnesses a group of men engaging in a form of idolatry. The men have turned their backs on the temple of the Lord and are facing east, worshipping the sun. This act of sun-worship was a common form of idolatry in ancient times, where people believed that the sun was a god worthy of worship. By including this scene in the text, the writer of Ezekiel is highlighting the dangers of turning away from the true God and engaging in practices that go against His commandments. The verse serves as a reminder to readers to remain steadfast in their faith and not be swayed by false idols or beliefs.
Theological Overview
One theological interpretation of the verse from the book of Ezekiel describes the scene where the prophet is taken into the inner court of the LORD's house and witnesses about twenty-five men with their backs turned to the temple, worshiping the sun towards the east. This act of turning away from the true God and worshiping the sun symbolizes the sin of idolatry and shows a clear departure from the worship of the one true God. These men's actions serve as a warning against the danger of forsaking the LORD's commands and turning to false gods and practices. Through this passage, the importance of remaining faithful and obedient to God's word is emphasized, as well as the consequences of straying from His path.
Ezekiel 8:16 in other translations
American Standard Version
And he brought me into the inner court of Jehovah's house; and behold, at the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.
World English Bible
He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh’s house; and see, at the door of Yahweh’s temple, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs toward Yahweh’s temple, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.
Douay-Rheims
And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord: and behold at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men having their backs towards the temple of the Lord, in their faces to the east: and they adored towards the rising of the sun.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And he caused me to enter into the inner court of the Lordes house, and beholde, at the doore of the Temple of the Lord, betweene the porche and the altar were about fiue and twentie men with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towarde the East, and they worshipped the sunne, towarde the East.