Ezekiel 8:13-15 Meaning: How Sin Grows When Left Unchecked
13He said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”
14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh’s house which was toward the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.
15Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”
13He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14Then 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.
15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
13He said also unto me, Thou shalt again see yet other great abominations which they do.
14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Jehovah’s house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz.
15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? thou shalt again see yet greater abominations than these.
13And He saith unto me, `Again thou dost turn, thou dost see great abominations that they are doing.'
14And He bringeth me in unto the opening of the gate of the house of Jehovah that is at the north, and lo, there the women are sitting weeping for Tammuz.
15And He saith unto me, `Hast thou seen, son of man? again thou dost turn, thou dost see greater abominations than these.'
13And he said unto me, Yet again thou shalt see great abominations which they do.
14And he brought me to the entry of the gate of Jehovah's house that was toward the north; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15And he said unto me, Seest thou, son of man? Thou shalt yet again see greater abominations than these.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God show Ezekiel increasingly terrible sins? The women weeping for Tammuz at the temple gate reveal the depth of Israel's idolatry.
Context
Ezekiel wrote from exile in Babylon, where the elders of Judah sat before him asking for a word from God. Instead of comfort, God gave him a vision of Jerusalem's temple, where hidden corruption was laid bare. First, the prophet saw the seventy elders burning incense to animal idols in secret chambers. Then God brought him to the north gate of the temple complex. There, women sat openly weeping for Tammuz, a pagan deity whose death and rebirth were ritually mourned. The repetition of “greater abominations” shows a progression: what began in secret now took place at the very entrance to God’s house. And worse was still to come.
Key Words
The word abominations runs through this entire vision. In the Old Testament, it describes whatever violates the covenant relationship with God, not just wrong worship, but the breaking of trust and loyalty. These were not small mistakes; they were acts that pushed God’s presence away.
Tammuz was a Mesopotamian fertility god. Worshipers mourned his death each summer, believing the land had lost its life, then celebrated his return. The women at the north gate were not expressing personal grief; they were practicing a ritual that had nothing to do with the God of Israel. They did it at the temple, mixing the worship of Yahweh with the cult of a dead god.
The word greater does not mean these sins were more shocking in scale. It points to the deepening rebellion. Sin left alone does not stay still, it grows, spreads, and eventually takes over places it never should have entered.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers across traditions agree that this passage shows how idolatry can creep into the most sacred spaces. Many Reformed commentators see the progressive revelation as God’s way of showing that sin cannot remain hidden forever. Anglican and Methodist writers highlight the public nature of the women’s mourning, this was not a private devotion but a corporate act of unfaithfulness. Catholic and Orthodox readers often note that the weeping for Tammuz parallels other ancient fertility cults that tempted God’s people to syncretism. While the specific meaning of Tammuz remains debated, all traditions read this as a warning: what begins as a small compromise can lead to open rebellion against the Lord.
A common misunderstanding
A common misunderstanding is that the women weeping for Tammuz were simply grieving a personal loss, like a funeral. In fact, it was a deliberate pagan ritual performed at the very entrance to God’s house. They were not mourning their own dead; they were worshiping a foreign god with prescribed lamentation, mixing idolatry with the temple itself.
Living This Out
God didn’t show Ezekiel everything at once. He led him step by step, from hidden rooms to the temple gate. That same Spirit can reveal the small compromises you have accepted. Maybe it is a habit you have justified, a resentment you have nursed, or a loyalty divided between God and something else. This week, ask the Spirit to show you the first step away from Him, before one small yes opens the door to a larger no.
Main takeaway: Sin that is not confronted never stops growing; God reveals it in stages so we can repent before it takes over our lives.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God showed Ezekiel that when we keep doing wrong things, they get bigger and bigger. If you do something wrong, say sorry to God right away before it grows.
For ages 9, 12
In this vision, God did not show Ezekiel all the bad things at once. He showed them one at a time. Sin works the same way, if you say yes to one small thing you know is wrong, it gets easier to say yes to a bigger thing later. Let God show you the first step away from Him before you go too far. Ask Him to help you stop at the first warning.
Questions People Ask
Who was Tammuz?
Tammuz was a Mesopotamian god associated with fertility and the seasons. Worshipers mourned his death in the summer and celebrated his return. The women at the temple gate were performing this pagan ritual, mixing it with the worship of Yahweh.
Why were the women weeping at the temple gate?
They were not crying for personal loss. They were taking part in a ritual for Tammuz, a foreign god. The north gate was the entrance to the temple courtyard, so this was a public act of idolatry in the very place where God was supposed to be worshiped.
What does 'greater abominations' mean in Ezekiel 8:15?
It does not mean the next sin is quantitatively worse. It shows that idolatry grows progressively. If left unchecked, one compromise leads to another, until even the most sacred spaces are corrupted.
Was the weeping for Tammuz a literal event or part of a vision?
Ezekiel saw this in a vision while in exile. It was a prophetic revelation of the real spiritual state of Jerusalem. The actual people in the city were committing these sins, as shown by the historical context of Judah’s idolatry.
Why did God show Ezekiel the sins in stages?
The progressive revelation mirrors the way sin often deepens gradually. It also gives the prophet (and the reader) time to see how far the people have fallen. Each new scene exposes another layer of unfaithfulness, making the need for repentance clear.
For pastors & researchers
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