The Meaning of Ezekiel 8:17 Explained

Ezekiel 8:17

KJV: Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

YLT: And He saith unto me, 'Hast thou seen, son of man? hath it been a light thing to the house of Judah to do the abomination that they have done here, that they have filled the land with violence, and turn back to provoke Me to anger? and lo, they are putting forth the branch unto their nose!

Darby: And he said unto me, Seest thou, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here, that they yet fill the land with violence, and keep provoking me afresh to anger? And behold, they put the branch to their nose.

ASV: Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this , O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then he said  unto me, Hast thou seen  [this], O son  of man?  Is it a light thing  to the house  of Judah  that they commit  the abominations  which they commit  here? for they have filled  the land  with violence,  and have returned  to provoke me to anger:  and, lo, they put  the branch  to their nose. 

What does Ezekiel 8:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord explained that not only had the Judahites committed all these abominations but they had also filled the land with violence and provoked Him repeatedly. Putting a twig to the nose was evidently part of the ritual practice of sun worship. [1] Another interpretation views this expression as describing some gross insult against God, something like creating a stench in God"s nose. [2] Perhaps both meanings are correct.
"The Akkadian expression appa labana denotes a gesture of worship involving both hand and nose. Sometimes the hand holds an object to the nose, as in the Bavian sculpture of Sennacherib worshiping the Assyrian gods, in which the object held by the king is perhaps a branch ..." [3]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 8

1  Ezekiel, in a vision of God at Jerusalem
5  is shown the image of jealousy
7  the chambers of imagery
13  the mourners for Tammuz
16  the worshippers toward the sun
17  God's wrath for their idolatry

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 8:17 mean?

And He said to me have you seen [this] son of man is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit - the abominations which they commit here for they have filled the land with violence then they have returned to provoke Me to anger and indeed they put the branch to their nose
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־ ؟ אָדָם֒ הֲנָקֵל֙ לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה מֵעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־ הַתּוֹעֵב֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשׂוּ־ ؟ פֹ֑ה כִּֽי־ מָלְא֨וּ הָאָ֜רֶץ חָמָ֗ס וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי וְהִנָּ֛ם שֹׁלְחִ֥ים הַזְּמוֹרָ֖ה אֶל־ אַפָּֽם

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  He  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַי֮  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הֲרָאִ֣יתָ  have  you  seen  [this] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
؟ אָדָם֒  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הֲנָקֵל֙  is  it  a  trivial  thing 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
לְבֵ֣ית  to  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
מֵעֲשׂ֕וֹת  to  commit 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַתּוֹעֵב֖וֹת  the  abominations 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
עָֽשׂוּ־  they  commit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
؟ פֹ֑ה  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פֹּה  
Sense: here, from here, hither.
מָלְא֨וּ  they  have  filled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
הָאָ֜רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
חָמָ֗ס  with  violence 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָמָס  
Sense: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice.
וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙  then  they  have  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי  to  provoke  Me  to  anger 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: כָּעַס  
Sense: to be angry, be vexed, be indignant, be wroth, be grieved, provoke to anger and wrath.
וְהִנָּ֛ם  and  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
שֹׁלְחִ֥ים  they  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַזְּמוֹרָ֖ה  the  branch 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זְמֹורָה  
Sense: branch, twig, shoot.
אַפָּֽם  their  nose 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.