Ezekiel 20

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1In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.

2Then the word of the Lord came to me:

3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’

4“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers

5and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.”

6On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

7And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

8“ ‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.

9But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations they lived among and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt.

10Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert.

11I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.

12Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.

13“ ‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws–although the man who obeys them will live by them–and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the desert.

14But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

15Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them–a land flowing with milk and honey, most beautiful of all lands–

16because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols.

17Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the desert.

18I said to their children in the desert, “Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols.

19I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

20Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

21“ ‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws–although the man who obeys them will live by them–and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the desert.

22But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

23Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries,

24because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their fathers' idols.

25I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by;

26I let them become defiled through their gifts–the sacrifice of every firstborn– that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’

27“Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking me:

28When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that provoked me to anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.

29Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?’ ” (It is called Bamah to this day.)

30“Therefore say to the house of Israel: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images?

31When you offer your gifts–the sacrifice of your sons in the fire–you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.

32“ ‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen.

33As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.

34I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered–with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.

35I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.

36As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.

37I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

38I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39“ ‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.

40For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.

41I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.

42Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your fathers.

43There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.

44You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

45The word of the Lord came to me:

46“Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland.

47Say to the southern forest: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it.

48Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.’ ”

49Then I said, “Ah, Sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Isn't he just telling parables?’ ”

Commentary

CHAPTER 20Eze 20:1-49. Rejection of the Elders' Application to the Prophet: Exposure of Israel's Protracted Rebellions, notwithstanding God's Long-suffering Goodness: Yet Will God Restore His People at Last.1. seventh year, &c.—namely, from the carrying away of Jeconiah (Eze 1:2; 8:1). This computation was calculated to make them cherish the more ardently the hope of the restoration promised them in seventy years; for, when prospects are hopeless, years are not computed [Calvin].elders … came to inquire—The object of their inquiry, as in Eze 14:1, is not stated; probably it was to ascertain the cause of the national calamities and the time of their termination, as their false prophets assured them of a speedy restoration.

20:1-9. Those hearts are wretchedly hardened which ask God leave to go on in sin, and that even when suffering for it; see ver.

3. The chapter falls into two great parts: Eze 20:1-32, the recital of the people's rebellions during five distinct periods: in Egypt, the wilderness, on the borders of Canaan when a new generation arose, in Canaan, and in the time of the prophet.I will not be inquired of by you—because their moral state precluded them from capability of knowing the will of God (Ps 66:18; Pr 28:9; Joh 7:17).

4. Wilt thou judge? … judge—The emphatical repetition expresses, "Wilt thou not judge? yes, judge them. There is a loud call for immediate judgment." The Hebrew interrogative here is a command, not a prohibition [Maurer]. Instead of spending time in teaching them, tell them of the abomination of their fathers, of which their own are the complement and counterpart, and which call for judgment.

5, 6. The thrice lifting up of God's hand (the sign of His oath, Re 10:5, 6; Ex 6:8, Margin; Nu 14:30; to which passages the form of words here alludes) implies the solemn earnestness of God's purpose of grace to them.made myself known unto them—proving Myself faithful and true by the actual fulfilment of My promises (Ex 4:31; 6:3); revealing Myself as "Jehovah," that is, not that the name was unknown before, but that then first the force of that name was manifested in the promises of God then being realized in performances.

20:5 When I chose - When I shewed that I had chosen them. The history of the rebellions of the children of Israel, begins as early, as their beginning. So does the history of man's apostasy from his Maker. No sooner have we read the story of his creation, but we meet with that of his rebellion. So we see here, it was with Israel; a people designed to represent the body of mankind, both in their dealings with God, and in God's dealing with them. Lifted up my hand - Or stretched out and made bare my arm; that is, magnified my power for their deliverance. When I lifted up mine hand - Shewed my power in performing my oath, and assuring them of doing what was farther promised.

6. espied for them—as though God had spied out all other lands, and chose Canaan as the best of all lands (De 8:7, 8). See Da 8:9; 11:16, 41, "the glorious land"; see Margin, "land of delight," or, ornament"; "the pleasant land," or "land of desire," Zec 7:14, Margin.glory of all lands—that is, Canaan was "the beauty of all lands"; the most lovely and delightful land; "milk and honey" are not the antecedents to "which."

7. Moses gives no formal statement of idolatries practised by Israel in Egypt. But it is implied in their readiness to worship the golden calf (resembling the Egyptian ox, Apis) (Ex 32:4), which makes it likely they had worshipped such idols in Egypt. Also, in Le 17:7, "They shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils (literally, seirim, 'he-goats,' the symbol of the false god, Pan), after whom they have gone awhoring." The call of God by Moses was as much to them to separate from idols and follow Jehovah, as it was to Pharaoh to let them go forth. Ex 6:6, 7 and Jos 24:14, expressly mention their idolatry "in Egypt." Hence the need of their being removed out of the contagion of Egyptian idolatries by the exodus.every man—so universal was the evil.of his eyes—It was not fear of their Egyptian masters, but their own lust of the eye that drew them to idols (Eze 6:9; 18:6).

8, 9. then I said, I will … But, &c.—that is, (God speaking in condescension to human modes of conception) their spiritual degradation deserved I should destroy them, "but I wrought (namely, the deliverance 'out of … Egypt') for My name's sake"; not for their merits (a rebuke to their national pride). God's "name" means the sum-total of His perfections. To manifest these, His gratuitous mercy abounding above their sins, yet without wrong to His justice, and so to set forth His glory, was and is the ultimate end of His dealings (Eze 20:14, 22; 2Sa 7:23; Isa 63:12; Ro 9:17).

20:10-26. The history of Israel in the wilderness is referred to in the new Testament as well as in the Old, for warning. God did great things for them. He gave them the law, and revived the ancient keeping of the sabbath day. Sabbaths are privileges; they are signs of our being his people. If we do the duty of the day, we shall find, to our comfort, it is the Lord that makes us holy, that is, truly happy, here; and prepares us to be happy, that is, perfectly holy, hereafter. The Israelites rebelled, and were left to the judgments they brought upon themselves. God sometimes makes sin to be its own punishment, yet he is not the Author of sin: there needs no more to make men miserable, than to give them up to their own evil desires and passions.

11. which if a man do, he shall … five in them—not "by them," as though they could justify a man, seeing that man cannot render the faultless obedience required (Le 18:5; Ga 3:12).

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG እንዲህም ሆነ፤ በሰባተኛው ዓመት በአምስተኛው ወር ከወሩም በአሥረኛው ቀን እግዚአብሔርን ይጠይቁ ዘንድ ከእስራኤል ሽማግሌዎች አያሌ ሰዎች መጡ፥ በፊቴም ተቀመጡ። አማርኛ BCV ኮነ ኸዓ፥ ኣብታ ሻውዐይቲ ዓመት፥ ኣብቲ ሓምሻይ ወርሒ፥ ኣብ ዓስረይቲ መዓልቲ፥ ብዙሓት ሰባት ካብ ዓበይቲ እስራኤል፥ ንእግዚኣብሄር ክጥይቑ መፂኦም ኣብ ቅድመይ ተቐመጡ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Kana booddees waggaa torbaffaatti, ji'a shanaffaatti, ji'icha keessaa guyyaa kurnaffaatti, jaarsolii Israa'el keessaa j… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወእምዝ አመ ሳብዕ ዓመት በኃምስ ወርዓኅ አመ ዓሡር ሠርቅ መጽኡ ኀቤየ እደው እምረበናተ ቤተ እስራኤል ይስአልዎ ለእግዚአብሔር ወነበሩ ቅድመ ገጽየ። giz GAZGAZ Kana booddees waggaa torbaffaatti, ji'a shanaffaatti, ji'icha keessaa guyyaa kurnaffaatti, jaarsolii Israa'el keessaa j… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ኮነ ኸዓ፥ ኣብታ ሻውዐይቲ ዓመት፥ ኣብቲ ሓምሻይ ወርሒ፥ ኣብ ዓስረይቲ መዓልቲ፥ ብዙሓት ሰባት ካብ ዓበይቲ እስራኤል፥ ንእግዚኣብሄር ክጥይቑ መፂኦም ኣብ ቅድመይ ተቐመጡ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV በሰባተኛው ዓመት፣ በአምስተኛው ወር፣ ከወሩም በዐሥረኛው ቀን ከእስራኤል ሽማግሌዎች አንዳንዶቹ የእግዚአብሔርን ሐሳብ ሊጠይቁ መጡ፤ በፊቴም ተቀመጡ። አማርኛ SWAHSUV Ikawa katika mwaka wa saba, mwezi wa tano, siku ya kumi ya mwezi, baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli walikuja ili kuuliza kwa B… Kiswahili