Matthew Poole and continuators on Ezekiel 8:12

12 Then said he unto me, son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not, the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

Observed and throughly considered.

See verse 11.

Whether ashamed to act openly what was most absurd, or whether out of blindness doting in secret on what heathens secretly derided, though for interest they acted it openly, owning that Religion which awed the People among them and deriding it at home, but Idolatrous Jews bl[illegible: 1 letter]sh in publick and retire into Corners to be Idolaters, as thou seest in this Chamber.

Every one of those Antients, for still God had his remnant that kept close to God.

Secret, closet, or Bed Chamber.

Most shameless would give a reason for their unreasonable pra[illegible: 2 letters]ices.

Iehovah the Everlasting, and Almighty God.

Either they deny his Providence and act what they durst not if they thought the Lord knew and noted it, as if they accounted I[illegible: 1 letter]h[illegible: 1 letter]vah no better then Idols that have eyes but see not. Or else they deny Gods care of them and their affairs, traduce him as if he minded them not, and therefore they must chuse some or other God for Patron them who would better help then he had done

T[illegible: 1 letter]is seems to explain the meaning of that he seeth us not, and so with Atheism more then ordinary they would cast the blame of choosing other Gods on God himself.

Marginal references: Chap. 9.9.