Ezekiel 8:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Spirit transported me from the ground and the heavens, guiding me to Jerusalem in a divine vision. The prophet refers to the prophetic Spirit that enveloped his thoughts; he was taken, not in bodily form, but through a vision granted by God, to the gates of the inner court, facing north, where the image of jealousy stood. In place of the sacred pillar of God, the Israelites erected detestable idols. This pillar likely functioned as a symbol, serving as a testament between buyer and seller, akin to the account of Jacob and Laban (Genesis 31:44-48).

And the representation of a hand reached out and grasped the lock of hair on my head. The LXX states that the likeness of the hand was extended to seize the fringe of my head. Notably, it is the appearance of a hand that is shown, not the hand itself, for God is not corporeal. The portrayal of the hand is offered so that any earthly member might not frighten the one who is raised up. Had the prophet been touched by something in the form of a serpent or any other creature, the dissimilarity to human form would have caused him fear. A single lock of hair is used, for if he had been taken by the entire head, the frailty of human nature would have been too much to endure.

The Prophet speaks of a divine hand that reached out and took hold of him by the top of his head, lifting him from the earth and the heavens, guiding him in a vision of God to Jerusalem. He arrived at the threshold of the inner gate facing north, where stood the pillar of the image representing God's jealousy. It is important to note that the Prophet experienced this in a vision granted by God. He did not physically move nor possess earthly sight; rather, while seated with the elders of Judah, he contemplated this revelation. In sharing this vision, he states, "I breathed," signifying his return to awareness from the vision (Ezekiel 11:25). He prophesies the severe judgments to come, clearly outlining their reasons, and in the temple of God, he observes the pillar of jealousy.