Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

EZEKIEL 8:14KJV
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Ezekiel 8:14 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 8:14 mean?

Ezekiel 8:14 describes the prophet Ezekiel being shown a group of women sitting at the north gate of the temple, weeping for Tammuz, which was a pagan ritual mourning a god associated with dying and rising vegetation. This scene highlights the presence of idolatrous practices right at the entrance of the LORD’s house in Jerusalem.

In this vision, God is showing Ezekiel the deep spiritual corruption among the people of Judah. The women’s mourning for Tammuz at the temple gate represents how foreign religious customs had entered and influenced the worship at the very heart of Israel’s faith. This is part of a series of visions where Ezekiel is shown increasing levels of idolatry within the temple.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 8:14

  • "Tammuz" (תַּמּוּז, Tammuz): This name refers to a Mesopotamian deity connected with fertility and the seasonal cycle of plants dying and returning. The mourning ritual for Tammuz involved lamenting his death, symbolizing the loss of fertility or life.
  • "weeping" (בָּכָה, bakah): This word means to cry or lament, and it emphasizes the emotional, ritualistic nature of the women’s actions. The public display of grief for a pagan god at the temple gate would have been especially shocking in the context of Israelite worship.
  • "gate" (שַׁעַר, sha'ar): The gate mentioned here is a significant location, as it is the entryway to the LORD’s house. The presence of idolatry at such a central and public spot underlines the seriousness of the people’s unfaithfulness.

Why Ezekiel 8:14 matters

  • This verse reveals how deeply idolatry had penetrated the religious life of Judah, even reaching the temple itself, which was supposed to be dedicated solely to the worship of the LORD.
  • The mention of women weeping for Tammuz shows that idolatrous practices were not limited to men or leaders but involved the wider community, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem.
  • Ezekiel 8:14 is part of a larger sequence where God exposes different forms of unfaithfulness in the temple, preparing the reader for the coming judgment and exile as consequences of this persistent idolatry.

Where else these words appear

“weeping” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 8:9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

“north” Hebrew H6828 · used in 141 verses

  • Genesis 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
  • 1 Chronicles 26:14 And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.
  • Ezekiel 21:4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north: