Ezekiel 8:5Then he said to me, Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and see, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
The setting
Babylon, 593 BC. Ezekiel sits in his house with Jewish elders when God's hand falls on him. He's transported in vision to Jerusalem's temple, modern-day Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel...
The emotion here: horror at what he's being shown to see
The original word
qin'ah (קִנְאָה) — burning jealousy, the divine passion that cannot tolerate rivals
Why it matters
This vision occurred 6 years before Jerusalem's final destruction, while the temple still stood
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ezekiel 8:5
The 'image of jealousy' was likely an Asherah pole or statue placed right at the temple entrance
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about ancient idol worship, but it's about religious leaders corrupting the very place meant for God's presence.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ezekiel 8:5
Bible Genome reading
Ezekiel 8:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ezekiel 8:5 comes from the book of Ezekiel, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the vision genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine instruction, investigation. Notable phrases: Son of man; lift up your eyes; toward the north. This verse contains a command. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Ezekiel 8:5 mean to you, today?
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