Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 8:12

"Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land." — Ezekiel 8:12 (ASV)

Do in the dark, i.e., in secret. This is why access to the place of their worship was difficult.

The ordinary idolatries of Israel, like those of most pagans, consisted in worshipping the true God, or a supposed spiritual deity, by means of tangible images . This practice was open and public enough in Jerusalem at this time.

However, the peculiar sin portrayed here was the actual worship of the creature through images and paintings. Although the chief people of the nation participated in this, it was practised secretly, perhaps not only to conceal its Egyptian tendencies from the Chaldeans but also to cast over it the charm of mystery, as was so common among pagans.

Every man in the chambers of his imagery.— By “chambers of imagery” (the same word as in Leviticus 26:1) is meant chambers painted with images, like the one now shown to the prophet.

This was not an isolated case; on the contrary, it was merely an example of what was done everywhere. The people stifled the voice of conscience then, as in every age, by saying, The LORD seeth us not (Psalms 94:7, and so on).

Yet, besides this, they argued—doubtless from the calamities that had already fallen upon their country—the LORD hath forsaken the earth, or rather, the land. Therefore, they felt they must turn to other help. But the prophet was to see yet worse things.