Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 20

Verse 1

Eze 20:1. Seventh year is dated from the dethroning of Jehoiacliin, at which time Ezekiel was taken into Babylon. This sitting of the elders of Israel is similar to the instance given in Eze 14:1.

Verse 2

Eze 20:2. The Lord, being aware of the purpose of these elders, will tell the prophet how to address them,

Verse 3

Eze 20:3. The speech was to be about the Bame as was given at the former instance. These people were not worthy of the attention they could have received had their conduct been of the proper kind.

Verse 4

Eze 20:4. Ezekiel was told to refer them to the abominable conduct of their fathers. This would not have been held against them had they profited by the mistakes of their fathers and learned the lesson that such an example teaches.

Verse 5

Eze 20:5. With this verse the Lord begins an account of his dealings with Israel from the time they saw His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

Verse 6

Eze 20:6. The history starts with the time the people were preparing to leave the land where they had been for four centuries. Lifted up mine hand refers to the means the Lord used to procure the release of his people from the land of bondage. Glory of all lands denotes the general desirableness of the land of Canaan, but which God had reserved for his own people.

Verse 7

Eze 20:7. The Egyptians were idol worshipers and during a stay among them of several centuries the Israelites had taken up with the corrupt practices. As they were leaving that country the Lord admonished them to cut off the evil manner of life. I am the Lord your God should have been sufficient reason for their giving up the vain gods of the heathen from whom they had just been rescued.

Verse 8

Eze 20:8. The children of Israel did not obey the admonition to put away their idolatrous interests. They had not been made free from Egypt but a few weeks until they made the golden calf, suggested no doubt by their life in that country. Yea, even before getting out of that land they manifested an inclination to cling to their evil practices and the Lord’s anger was provoked to the uttermost.

Verse 9

Eze 20:9. But He would not bring his chastisement upon them while in that land, for to do so would be a pollution in the midst of the heathen. Such is the meaning of what God wrought for his name’s sake by showing the divine power in the midst of that nation that had been accustomed to devotions paid to idol gods.

Verse 10

Eze 20:10. After thus demonstrating his love for his people, God sent them forth out of that country to travel a while in the wilderness.

Verse 11

Eze 20:11, There is very little practical difference between statutes and judgments. The first refers especially to a fixed law to be enforced upon the subjects, the second considers the ability and right of the Lord to decide what is the proper conduct. In the application of them both to man the whole thought is that God knows best what is good for man and has arranged a code of rules for his conduct. The result of such a life will be that man will live in the sense of enjoying the favor and protection of God. The propriety of some Of these laws may be evident to the human mind while others would have to be accepted upon faith in God's wisdom.

Verse 12

Eze 20:12. This language refers to the time the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt. Of that time it is said by the Lord, “I gave them my sabbaths.” This means that the observance of the sabbath days had not been required of God’s people. Moreover, Nebemiah 9: 14 indicates they had not even known about such a practice as keeping a sabbath day prior to the law of Moses. It was to be a sign between tbe Lord and his people. The word means something visible as an evidence of a relationship between the parties Involved. By observing the sabbath days the children of Israel showed to the world that God was guiding them in their program of life.

Verse 13

Eze 20:13. This verse describes in a general way the spirit of lawlessness displayed by the children of Israel soon after they were released from Egypt. Despised my judgments means they belittled them and treated them aa if they were unimportant. The extent of their error is denoted by the Lord's words that the very rules which the Israelites belittled were so important that a man might live in them.

Verse 14

Eze 20:14. But I wrought means the Lord worked out his plan in order that His name would not be disgraced in the minds of the heathen.

Verse 15

Eze 20:15. The men responsible for the conspiracy against the Lord were all caused to die in the wilderness, thus being unable to reach the land of promise.

Verse 16

Eze 20:16. When men rebel against tbe righteous commandments of the Lord it is generally due to some other interests. In thi9 case the verse ex- piains it by saying ffteir heart went after their idols.

Verse 17

Eze 20:17, God chastised his people while in the wilderness and many thousands of them died. But the nation as a whole was not wiped out but succeeded In reaching the land promised to their fathers.

Verse 18

Eze 20:18. The children were not to be punished for the sins of their fathers unless they followed in the evil ways set before them, and even then it would be in punishment for their own conduct and not for that of the fathers. For this reason they were admonished not to walk in the statutes of their fathers nor serve their idols.

Verse 19

Eze 20:19. Being the Lord God of these people was cited as the reason they should walk in the statutes and judgments He had given them.

Verse 20

Eze 20:20. Sabbath as a sign is explained at verse 12.

Verse 21

Eze 20:21. This verse is a repetition of the charge of rebellion previously made against the children of Israel.

Verse 22

Eze 20:22. Withdrew mine hand means God refrained his hand from punishing his people as they deserved. This was done for the sake of His own name that it might not be polluted in the midst of the heathen.

Verse 23

Eze 20:23. Lifted up mine hand here is figurative and refers to the Lord’s determination to punish his nation finally by scattering them among the heathen.

Verse 24

Eze 20:24. The children of Israel turned away from the taw of God, then became devoted to idols.

Verse 25

Eze 20:25. It might puzzle us to read that God would give people a law that was not good. The key to the verse is the sense in which the word gave is used. The lexicon says the original has a wide range of meanings. One way in which a thing may be "given” is to step out of the way and let a person who is stubborn have his own way in Order that he may be taught a lesson by his own experience. God has used such a plan more than once when his creatures persisted in walking according to their own rules which are designated statutes in this verse. (See Psa 81:12; Act 7:42; Rom 1:24; 2Th 2:11.)

Verse 26

Eze 20:26. I polluted them denotes that God pronounced his people as a polluted group because Of their idola trous practices. They had stooped to the most abominable form of the heathen worship, that of offering human sacrifices.

Verse 27

Eze 20:27. The word translated blasphemed is defined "to revile” in the lexicon, and it has also been rendered “reproach” in other passages in the King James version. God regarded it as a reproach against Him for his own people to take up with idols.

Verse 28

Eze 20:28. This verse is a description of the idolatrous conditions the Israelites found in Palestine when they entered it. They had been warned against just such things and hence had no reason to be taken by surprise. However, they fell right in with the situation and participated in all the abominable practices of the heathen.

Verse 29

Eze 20:29, Bamah Is a word of Indefinite origin and occurs only in this place. It is used in a derisive manner with reference to the high places that were approached hy idolatrous worshipers.

Verse 30

Eze 20:30. The question form of the language really was intended as an accusation of the things named. The generation of Ezekiel’s day were accused of following in the footprints of their sinful forefathers.

Verse 31

Eze 20:31. With all these pollutions clinging to these people they were in no position to come to God for information. They had already be littled the instruction that was offered them in their law, hence it would be inconsistent for them to approach the Lord as sincere inquirers.

Verse 32

Eze 20:32. They had determined in their own mind to be as the heathen who served false gods that were made of wood and stone. They were foolish enough to think they could succeed and continue as a nation while relying on such false gods. But this verse informs them that such a Lhing shall not he at all.

Verse 33

Eze 20:33. This verse through 37 (Eze 20:33-37) is a prediction of the captivity. The rule to be had over them was to be accomplished through the Babylonians in whose land they were to dwell throughout the historic 70-year captivity.

Verse 34

Eze 20:34. The captivity was intended to act as a season of discipline for the rebellious people of God. While in that state they were destined to feel the fury of Him whom they had disobeyed.

Verse 35

Eze 20:35. Wilderness of the people Is a figure of speech, based on the event when they were led out from Egyptian bondage into the wilderness. (See verse 10.) The present passage applies to the history connected with their exile in Babylon.

Verse 36

Eze 20:36. In this verse the Lord makes his own comparison between the lime of Egypt and that of Babylon.

Verse 37

Eze 20:37. Pass under the rod is another flgure of speech and the meaning is that God would take account of his people. The flgure is drawn from the practice of a shepherd who caused his sheep to pass under his rod as he counted them. The ones thus enumerated were to be retained as heirs to the covenant that promised a restoration t.o the favor of God after the chastisement of the captivity had met its purpose.

Verse 38

Eze 20:38. The principal Item in this purpose mentioned in the preceding verse was the cure of idolatry and that is the subject of this verse. Purge out from among you the rebels refers to those who would still be favorably disposed toward idolatry. They were to he weeded out from the other Jews and also be drawn away from the land of Babylon. However, they were not to be permitted to reenter the land of Israel since only those who were weaned from idols were to be thus rewarded. This helps to explain why only a remnant was permitted to return (Ezr 2:64).

Verse 39

Eze 20:39. This verse should be considered in connection with verse 25. It was a part of the treatment for idolatry that the nation be compelled to continue its corrupt practice even while in captivity.

Verse 40

Eze 20:40. This and some following verses predict the return from captivity. Mountain in symbolic language means a government. After the captivity the Lord’s people were to return to their own land and restore the religious way of life that was directed by the law. There . . . offerings. While in Babylon the Lord would not accept any sacrifices from his people, but when they will have returned to their own country their offerings will be received.

Verse 41

Eze 20:41. By accepting and blessing the offerings of the Jews in Jerusalem, the heathen would have before them the evidence of the high standing of that people.

Verse 42

Eze 20:42. Another evidence of the favor of God will he the fact of the restoration of the Jews to the land from which they had been taken 70 years before.

Verse 43

Eze 20:43, The outstanding effort of the captivity was to rid the Jewish nation of the corruption of idolatry. (See the historical note on this subject in connection with comments on Isa 1:25, volume 3 of this Commentary.)

Verse 44

Eze 20:44. Israel did not receive the severe treatment her conduct deserved, which is the meaning of not according to your wicked ways. But the Lord wished to take care of his good name and hence held back part of his fury.

Verse 45

Eze 20:45-46. The 10-tribe kingdom had been in exile for more than a century. It was known in history as the northern kingdom as it related lo the kingdom of Judah. The latter was in the south part of Palestine, and as Ezekiel was writing its capital had not been destroyed, hence the present passage directed at Jerusalem as the south.

Verse 47

Eze 20:47. The imagery of a forest was selected for the present passage hence the destruction of the kingdom of Judah was spoken of as the burning of the trees.

Verse 48

Eze 20:48. Shall not be quenched means that. God’s decree to overthrow the kingdom of Judah was bound to go through.

Verse 49

Eze 20:49. Ezekiel expressed a fear that this form of speech would not be taken seriously by his people; that they might, think he was speaking with no end in view.