The Prophets · Old Testament
Ezekiel 20
Ezekiel 20: the elders refused an answer and Israel's rebellions from Egypt to the wilderness
General context
The heading reads "in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month"; elders of Israel come to enquire of the Lord and sit before the prophet. The Lord swears, "I will not be enquired of by you," and recounts "the abominations of their fathers": in Egypt he chose Israel, swore to bring them to a land "flowing with milk and honey," and told them to cast away the idols of Egypt, but they rebelled; he acted "for my name’s sake" and brought them out. In the wilderness he gave statutes, judgments and sabbaths "to be a sign between me and them"; they rebelled and polluted the sabbaths; he spared them for his name's sake but swore not to bring them into the land. He warned their children; the children rebelled too; he withdrew his hand, swore to scatter them among the heathen, and "gave them also statutes that were not good" when they passed their firstborn through the fire. In the land they sacrificed on every high hill, and the high place is "called Bamah unto this day." The present generation still passes sons through the fire, so "I will not be enquired of by you." Their wish to be "as the heathen" will not be; the Lord will rule with "a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm," gather them, plead with them in "the wilderness of the people," make them pass under the rod, purge out the rebels, and accept the house of Israel "in mine holy mountain," where they will loathe themselves. A final word sets the prophet's face toward the south to prophesy fire on "the forest of the south field," and he objects, "they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?"
Cited passages: Ezekiel 20:1, Ezekiel 20:3, Ezekiel 20:4, Ezekiel 20:6, Ezekiel 20:7, Ezekiel 20:8, Ezekiel 20:9, Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 20:13, Ezekiel 20:15, Ezekiel 20:18, Ezekiel 20:21, Ezekiel 20:23, Ezekiel 20:25, Ezekiel 20:26, Ezekiel 20:29, Ezekiel 20:31, Ezekiel 20:32, Ezekiel 20:33, Ezekiel 20:35, Ezekiel 20:37, Ezekiel 20:38, Ezekiel 20:40, Ezekiel 20:43, Ezekiel 20:46, Ezekiel 20:49
Ezekiel 20 (KJV)
1And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the Lord, and sat before me.
2Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,
3Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
4Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
5And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God;
6In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
7Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
8But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
15Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
17Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
19I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
20And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.
21Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
23I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
24Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.
25Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
26And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.
27Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
28For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.
30Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
31For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
32And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
33As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
34And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.
37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
38And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
39As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
40For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
41I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
42And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
44And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
45Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
46Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
47And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
48And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
49Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
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Historical context
This is the third chapter to open with a dated heading, "the seventh year," after "the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity" at 1:2 and "the sixth year" at 8:1; like 8:1 it names no reference point. As in 14:1, "certain of the elders of Israel" come and sit, and here the text says they "came to enquire of the Lord"; their question is not recorded and the answer is a refusal, given twice. The Lord's review is his own account of Israel's past in three stages, Egypt, the wilderness generation, and their children in the wilderness, each with the same shape: command, rebellion, threatened fury, restraint "for my name’s sake." The statement "I gave them also statutes that were not good" and "I polluted them in their own gifts" is the Lord's own word about himself and the text does not qualify it. The high place name "Bamah" is given with "unto this day" and no location. "The wilderness of the people" and "the wilderness of the land of Egypt" are set in parallel by the text, which does not say where the first is. The passing of sons through the fire is stated as current practice "even unto this day." The closing oracle against "the forest of the south field" is unexplained in this chapter, and the prophet's complaint that people call him a speaker of parables is left unanswered here. The chapter speaks of scattering and gathering "out of the countries" without narrating any of it.
Cited passages: Ezekiel 20:1, Ezekiel 20:31, Ezekiel 20:14, Ezekiel 20:22, Ezekiel 20:26, Ezekiel 20:29, Ezekiel 20:36, Ezekiel 20:47, Ezekiel 20:41, Ezekiel 1:2, Ezekiel 8:1, Ezekiel 14:1
Literary context
The chapter is framed by refusal: "I will not be enquired of by you" at 20:3 and again at 20:31, with the history in between serving as the reason. The history is told in a repeating cycle, and its refrains are exact: "which if a man do, he shall even live in them" three times, the threat to "pour out my fury upon them" three times, "for my name’s sake" three times within the history, and "I lifted up mine hand" as the marker of each oath. The sabbath is called "a sign between me and them" and then "a sign between me and you," moving the address from fathers to children. Verse 32 quotes the people's intention, "We will be as the heathen," and the reply reuses the exodus vocabulary of "a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm" for a new bringing out, with the wilderness reappearing as the place of pleading rather than of rebellion. The word "accept" turns the tone in 20:40 to 41, and the recognition formula closes the section at 20:42 and 20:44 with the added clause "not according to your wicked ways." The last four verses stand apart, a short fire oracle and the prophet's only speech in the chapter, "Ah Lord God!", which ends the chapter on an unanswered objection about parables.
Cited passages: Ezekiel 20:11, Ezekiel 20:21, Ezekiel 20:5, Ezekiel 20:20, Ezekiel 20:34, Ezekiel 20:41, Ezekiel 20:44, Ezekiel 20:48, Ezekiel 20:8, Ezekiel 20:9
Key moments
- The seventh year heading (Ezekiel 20:1). Elders of Israel come to enquire of the Lord and sit before the prophet.
- I will not be enquired of (Ezekiel 20:3). The Lord swears he will not answer the elders' enquiry.
- Idols of Egypt (Ezekiel 20:8). Israel in Egypt refuses to cast away its idols and the Lord acts for his name's sake.
- Sabbaths as a sign (Ezekiel 20:12). The Lord gives sabbaths as a sign between himself and Israel.
- Statutes that were not good (Ezekiel 20:25). The Lord says he gave the rebellious children statutes by which they could not live.
- Pleading face to face (Ezekiel 20:35). The Lord will bring them into the wilderness of the people and plead with them.
- Doth he not speak parables (Ezekiel 20:49). The prophet complains that people dismiss him as a speaker of parables.
For reflection
Three times the Lord says he restrained his fury "for my name’s sake" rather than for Israel's sake. What difference does it make to the people whether they are spared for their own sake or for the sake of a name?
