Ezekiel 8:14
"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."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house, which was towards the north,.... By "the Lord's house" no doubt is meant the temple, which the Targum here calls the house of the sanctuary of the Lord; that gate of the temple (for the temple had several gates) which was to the north was the gate called Teri or Tedi, and was very little used (y). In this part of the temple were the sacrifices offered; and therefore it was the greater abomination to commit idolatry where the Lord was more solemnly worshipped: and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz: they were not in the court of the women, where they should have been; but at the northern gate, near the place of sacrifice; and they were sitting there, which none but the kings of the house of Judah, and of the family of David, were allowed in the temple (z); but, what was the greatest abomination, they were weeping for Tammuz. Jarchi says this was an image, which they heated inwardly, and its eyes were of lead; and these being melted with the heat, it seemed to weep; wherefore (the women) said, it asks for an offering: but not the idol, but the women, wept. Kimchi relates various interpretations of

it; "some (he says) expound it by an antiphrasis, "making Tammuz glad"; in the month of Tammuz they made a feast to the idol, and the women came to make him glad: others say, that with great diligence they brought water to the eyes of the idol called Tammuz, and it wept; signifying that it desired they would worship it: others interpret the word Tammuz as signifying "burnt"; (from the words in Dan 3:19 ; , "to heat the furnace";) as if should say, they wept for him, because he was for they burnt their sons and daughters in the fire, and the women wept for them. He further observes, that Maimonides (a) writes, that he found written in one of the books of the ancient idolaters, that there was a man of the idolatrous prophets, whose name was Tammuz; who called to a certain king, and commanded him to worship the seven stars, and the twelve signs of the zodiac, for which the king put him to a violent death; and, the same night he died, all the images from the ends of the earth gathered together to the temple of Babylon, to a golden image which was the image of the sun; and this image was hanging between the heavens and the earth, and it fell into the midst of the temple, and so all the images round about it; and it declared unto them what had happened to Tammuz the prophet; and all the images wept and lamented all that night; and when it was morning, they all fled to their temples at the ends of the earth; and this became an everlasting statute to them, that at the beginning of the first day of the month Tammuz, every year, they lament and weeps for Tammuz; and there are others that expound Tammuz the name of a beast which they worship;'' but, leaving these interpretations, Tammuz was either the Adonis of the Grecians; and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it Adonis; who was a young man beloved by Venus, and, being killed by a boar, his death was lamented by her; and, in respect to the goddess, an anniversary solemnity was kept by men and women lamenting his death, especially by women. So Pausanias, speaking of a certain place, there (says he) the women of the Argives (a people in Greece) mourn for Adonis (b). Lucian (c) gives a particular account of this ceremony, as performed at Byblus, a city in Phoenicia, not far from Judea; from whence the Jews might have borrowed this custom. "I have seen (says he), in Byblus, a large temple of Venus Byblia, where they performed the rites unto Adonis, and I was a spectator of them. The Byblians say the affair relating to Adonis (or his death) by a boar happened in their country; and, in memory of it, every year they beat themselves, lament and offer sacrifice, and great mourning goes through the whole country; and when they beat themselves and mourn, they sacrifice to Adonis as dead; but the day following they pretend he is alive; and they shave their heads, as the Egyptians do at the death of Apis;'' and indeed it is thought by some that this Tammuz is the Osiris of the Egyptians; the same with Mizraim, the first king of Egypt, who, being slain in battle, his wife his ordered that he should be worshipped as a god, and a yearly lamentation made for him; and indeed Osiris and Adonis seem to be one and the same, only in different nations called by different names. Mention is made in Plato (d) of Thamus, a king that reigned at Thebes over all Egypt, and was the god called Ammon; no doubt the same with this Tammuz; and who is here called, in the Syriac and Arabic versions, Thamuz or Tamuz; he seems to be the same with Ham; and Egypt was called, the land of Ham, Psa 105:27 ; and it is most probable the Jews borrowed this piece of idolatry from the Egyptians their neighbours; with whom they were now very familiar, and from whom they expected help against the Chaldeans; but as there were such shocking obscenities used in this idolatrous service, it is most amazing that the Jewish women, who had been instructed in the law and worship of God, should ever go into it. Gussetius (e) thinks that Bacchus, the god of wine, is meant; and gives several reasons for it; and among the rest observes, that in the fourth month, called Tammuz from him, the vine was forming in ripe grapes; near the beginning of a fifth month, it was pressed out, and tunned up; and by the next month, having done fermenting, it was stopped up, which represented him buried; and for which the weeping was in this month. (y) Misn. Middot, c. 5. sect. 3. (z) Maimon. Hilchot Melachim, c. 2. sect. 4. (a) Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 29, p. 426. (b) Corinthiaca, sive l. 2. p. 121. (c) De Dea Syria. Vid. Theocriti, Idyll. 15. (d) Phaedrus, tom. 3. p. 974, Ed. Serran. (e) Ebr. Comment. p. 903. So Luther apud Dieteric. Antiqu. Bibl. par. 2. p. 132.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (17 words)

H0935 בּוֹא
Definition:

13+; 3 feminine singularבָּ֫אָהGenesis 15:17+; suffixבָּאַתְנוּPsalm 44:18; 2masculine singularבָּ֫אתָJoshua 13:1+,בָּ֫אתָה2 Samuel 3:7; 2feminine singularבָּאתְGenesis 16:8;Ruth 2:12,וּבָאתְconsecuti 13+; 3 feminine singularבָּ֫אָהGenesis 15:17+; suffixבָּאַתְנוּPsalm 44:18; 2masculine singularבָּ֫אתָJoshua 13:1+,בָּ֫אתָה2 Samuel 3:7; 2feminine singularבָּאתְGenesis 16:8;Ruth 2:12,וּבָאתְconsecuti

Possible Meanings:
  • come in (semantic_range)
  • come (semantic_range)
  • go in (semantic_range)
  • go (semantic_range)
  • come in (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H0413 אֶל
Definition:

22;1 Samuel 5:26;1 Samuel 15:22;1 Samuel 29:19), with suffixאֵלַי,אֵלֶיךָ,אֵלַיִךְ, etc.אֵלֵינוּ,אֲלֵיכֶם& (5 t.)אֲלֵכֶם,אֲלֵיהֶם&אֲלֵהֶם(both very often); onceאֵלֵימוֺPsalm 2:5,אֲלֵיהֶן, onceאֲלֵהֶןE 22;1 Samuel 5:26;1 Samuel 15:22;1 Samuel 29:19), with suffixאֵלַי,אֵלֶיךָ,אֵלַיִךְ, etc.אֵלֵינוּ,אֲלֵיכֶם& (5 t.)אֲלֵכֶם,אֲלֵיהֶם&אֲלֵהֶם(both very often); onceאֵלֵימוֺPsalm 2:5,אֲלֵיהֶן, onceאֲלֵהֶןE

Possible Meanings:
  • these (semantic_range)
H6607 פֶתַח
Definition:

8(feminine2 Samuel 17:9but We readsאַחַדforאַחַת, and so AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 86)opening, doorway, entrance; — absolute׳פGenesis 4:7+,מָּ֑תַחGenesis 19:11+,הַמֶּ֫תְחָהGenesis 19:6; constructמֶּתַחGenes 8(feminine2 Samuel 17:9but We readsאַחַדforאַחַת, and so AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 86)opening, doorway, entrance; — absolute׳פGenesis 4:7+,מָּ֑תַחGenesis 19:11+,הַמֶּ֫תְחָהGenesis 19:6; constructמֶּתַחGenes

Possible Meanings:
  • opened (semantic_range)
  • were opened (semantic_range)
H8179 שַׁעַר
Definition:

24(feminineIsaiah 14:31in personification, AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 86)gate; —׳שׁabsoluteJudges 9:40+, constructGenesis 22:17+; withהlocative,שָׁ֑עְרָהIsaiah 28:6+; pluralשְׁעָרִים2 Samuel 18:24+, construc 24(feminineIsaiah 14:31in personification, AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 86)gate; —׳שׁabsoluteJudges 9:40+, constructGenesis 22:17+; withהlocative,שָׁ֑עְרָהIsaiah 28:6+; pluralשְׁעָרִים2 Samuel 18:24+, construc

Possible Meanings:
  • hair (semantic_range)
H1004 בּיִת
Definition:

12house(Phoenicianבת, MIבת, suffixביתה, Arabic, Aramaicבַּיְתָא,Assyrianbîtu, COTGloss, Sabeanבית,בת,fortressDHMZMG 1883, 387;templeHal257DHMZMG 1876, 697, EthiopicPalmyrene inבת עלמא,בת מקברתאsepulch 12house(Phoenicianבת, MIבת, suffixביתה, Arabic, Aramaicבַּיְתָא,Assyrianbîtu, COTGloss, Sabeanבית,בת,fortressDHMZMG 1883, 387;templeHal257DHMZMG 1876, 697, EthiopicPalmyrene inבת עלמא,בת מקברתאsepulch

Possible Meanings:
  • lodge (semantic_range)
  • pass the night (semantic_range)
H3068 יְהוָֹה
Definition:

7;Leviticus 24:11יהוהwas regarded as anomen ineffabile(see Philode Vita Mosis iii. 519, 529), called by the Jewsהַשֵּׁםand by the Samaritansשׁימא. The pronunciationJehovahwas unknown until 1520, when 7;Leviticus 24:11יהוהwas regarded as anomen ineffabile(see Philode Vita Mosis iii. 519, 529), called by the Jewsהַשֵּׁםand by the Samaritansשׁימא. The pronunciationJehovahwas unknown until 1520, when

Possible Meanings:
  • Yahweh (semantic_range)
  • the one bringing into being (semantic_range)
  • life-giver (semantic_range)
H0834 אֲשֶׁר
Definition:

1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff 1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff

Possible Meanings:
  • Asher (semantic_range)
  • happy one (semantic_range)
  • Felix (semantic_range)
  • the tribe (semantic_range)
H0413 אֶל
Definition:

22;1 Samuel 5:26;1 Samuel 15:22;1 Samuel 29:19), with suffixאֵלַי,אֵלֶיךָ,אֵלַיִךְ, etc.אֵלֵינוּ,אֲלֵיכֶם& (5 t.)אֲלֵכֶם,אֲלֵיהֶם&אֲלֵהֶם(both very often); onceאֵלֵימוֺPsalm 2:5,אֲלֵיהֶן, onceאֲלֵהֶןE 22;1 Samuel 5:26;1 Samuel 15:22;1 Samuel 29:19), with suffixאֵלַי,אֵלֶיךָ,אֵלַיִךְ, etc.אֵלֵינוּ,אֲלֵיכֶם& (5 t.)אֲלֵכֶם,אֲלֵיהֶם&אֲלֵהֶם(both very often); onceאֵלֵימוֺPsalm 2:5,אֲלֵיהֶן, onceאֲלֵהֶןE

Possible Meanings:
  • these (semantic_range)
H6828 צָפוֹן
Definition:

6north(as thehidden, dark; compare Thes LewyFremdw. 188 f.; perhaps Phoenicianצפלnorth); — absolute׳צJeremiah 26:26+,צָפֹ֫נָהnorthwardGenesis 13:14+, oftenerצָפ֫וֺנָהJeremiah 3:12+, alsoצָפ֫וֺנָה=צָפו 6north(as thehidden, dark; compare Thes LewyFremdw. 188 f.; perhaps Phoenicianצפלnorth); — absolute׳צJeremiah 26:26+,צָפֹ֫נָהnorthwardGenesis 13:14+, oftenerצָפ֫וֺנָהJeremiah 3:12+, alsoצָפ֫וֺנָה=צָפו

H2009 הִנֵּה
Definition:

2,demonstrative particlelo! behold!(certainly, surely, literallylo !), with suffix (the pronoun being conceived as accusative, Ew§ 262 c.; compare,, which takes an accusative, whether of a noun or pro 2,demonstrative particlelo! behold!(certainly, surely, literallylo !), with suffix (the pronoun being conceived as accusative, Ew§ 262 c.; compare,, which takes an accusative, whether of a noun or pro

Possible Meanings:
  • hither (semantic_range)
H8033 שָׁם
Definition:

8,12;Genesis 11:2,7,31 + often; placed early in sentence for emphasis,Micah 4:10שָׁם תִּנָּצֵ֑לִי,Nahum 3:15;Ezekiel 32:22,24;Psalm 104:26+,וְשָׁם ֗֗֗Genesis 41:12;Exodus 15:27;Numbers 13:22,33 +,שָׁם 8,12;Genesis 11:2,7,31 + often; placed early in sentence for emphasis,Micah 4:10שָׁם תִּנָּצֵ֑לִי,Nahum 3:15;Ezekiel 32:22,24;Psalm 104:26+,וְשָׁם ֗֗֗Genesis 41:12;Exodus 15:27;Numbers 13:22,33 +,שָׁם

Possible Meanings:
  • name (semantic_range)
H0802 אִשָּׁה
Definition:

33+; constructאֵשֶׁתGenesis 11:29+ (apparently absoluteDeuteronomy 21:11;1 Samuel 28:7;Psalm 58:9but compare Bö§ 728Ges§ 130. 5); suffixאִשְׁתִּיGenesis 20:11+;אִשְׁתְּךָGenesis 12:18+ (אֶשְׁתְּךָPsal 33+; constructאֵשֶׁתGenesis 11:29+ (apparently absoluteDeuteronomy 21:11;1 Samuel 28:7;Psalm 58:9but compare Bö§ 728Ges§ 130. 5); suffixאִשְׁתִּיGenesis 20:11+;אִשְׁתְּךָGenesis 12:18+ (אֶשְׁתְּךָPsal

Possible Meanings:
  • an offering made by fire (semantic_range)
H3427 יָשַׁב
Definition:

8,19וישב,Judges 1:13ואשב,dwell; Phoenicianישבdwell; ZinjirliישבsitDHMSendsch. 58; Assyrianašâbu,sit,dwell, DlHWB 244; Arabicleap, jump, Himyer. dialectsit, Lane2919; EthiopicII. 1secum cohabitare face 8,19וישב,Judges 1:13ואשב,dwell; Phoenicianישבdwell; ZinjirliישבsitDHMSendsch. 58; Assyrianašâbu,sit,dwell, DlHWB 244; Arabicleap, jump, Himyer. dialectsit, Lane2919; EthiopicII. 1secum cohabitare face

Possible Meanings:
  • remain (semantic_range)
H1058 בָּכָה
Definition:

14;Hosea 12:5;וּבָֽכְתָהconsecutiveDeuteronomy 21:13;בָּכִ֫יתִּיJob 30:25, etc.;ImperfectוַיֵּבְךְGenesis 37:3516t. (וַיֵּבְךְּGenesis 27:28etc.); 3 feminine singularתִּבְכֶּה1 Samuel 1:102t.;וַתִּבְכ 14;Hosea 12:5;וּבָֽכְתָהconsecutiveDeuteronomy 21:13;בָּכִ֫יתִּיJob 30:25, etc.;ImperfectוַיֵּבְךְGenesis 37:3516t. (וַיֵּבְךְּGenesis 27:28etc.); 3 feminine singularתִּבְכֶּה1 Samuel 1:102t.;וַתִּבְכ

Possible Meanings:
  • a weeping (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H8542 תַּמּוּז
Definition:

14ZimKAT3, 397 f.JastrRel. Babylonian 482 et pass; on the phonetic change HptZA ii. 270, but also JägerBAS i. 591); —׳מְבַכּוֺת אֶתהַֿיּEzekiel 8:14;׳ת= Greek Adonis (אדון); compare BaudRel. Semitic i 14ZimKAT3, 397 f.JastrRel. Babylonian 482 et pass; on the phonetic change HptZA ii. 270, but also JägerBAS i. 591); —׳מְבַכּוֺת אֶתהַֿיּEzekiel 8:14;׳ת= Greek Adonis (אדון); compare BaudRel. Semitic i

Possible Meanings:
  • Tammuz (semantic_range)

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