‘Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations that they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. And lo, they put the branch to their nose.” '
God's continual questioning of Ezekiel brings out His great concern over these things (see Ezekiel 8:6; Ezekiel 8:12; Ezekiel 8:15; Ezekiel 8:17). He wants Ezekiel to know that it is no light thing that has brought such severe judgment on His erstwhile people. Their behaviour has been outrageous. Does not Ezekiel agree?
‘For they have filled the land with violence.' This probably refers to the violence resulting from their idolatrous worship and its total lack of morality. They were ignoring God's covenant requirements, and thus violence abounded. There was little restraint. Such is often the result when men turn from God to sin.
‘And have turned again to provoke me to anger.' That is have turned back to the old gods with their non-existent morals.
‘And lo, they put the branch to their nose.' Putting a slip or branch to the nose was possibly part of the ritual practise of sun worship. Pictorial designs on some Assyrian reliefs show people holding branches to their noses in reverence and worship. But the emphasis of its mention here suggests a little more than just an ordinary act of worship. It suggests something that could be seen as especially insulting to Yahweh. Possibly it suggested that the Sun god, and not Yahweh, was responsible for the benefits of creation and was the source of life. Compare how the ‘planting with pleasant plants and setting with strange slips' is connected with the Asherim and sun-images in Isaiah 17:8; Isaiah 17:10-11.
Another suggestion is that zemora means ‘stench' per early Jewish commentators and that the text be slightly altered to read 'appi (my nose) rather than 'appam. This would then make it read ‘they put forth a stench to My nose' (compare Isaiah 65:5). But both changes lack evidence.