(1.) The very setting up of this image in the house of the Lord was enough to provoke him to jealousy; for it is in the matters of his worship that we are particularly told, I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. Those that placed this image at the door of the inner gate, where the people assembled, called the gate of the altar (v. 5), thereby plainly intended, [1.] To affront God, to provoke him to his face, by advancing an idol to be a rival with him for the adoration of his people, in contempt of his law and in defiance of his justice. [2.] To debauch the people, and pick them up as they were entering into the courts of the Lord's house to bring their offerings to him, and to tempt them to offer them to this image; like the adulteress Solomon describes, that sits at the door of her house, to call passengers who go right on their ways, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither, Prov. ix. 14-16. With good reason therefore is this called the image of jealousy.
{"chapter_id":"Ez.ix","chapter_title":"Chapter VIII","kind":"whole-body-P","position":12,"unit_key":"Ez.ix-p12","work_key":"Ez","work_title":"Commentary on Ezekiel","xpath":"/ThML/ThML.body/div1[6]/div2[9]/div[1]/p[11]"}