Advanced Commentary

Texts -- Ezekiel 20:1-16 (NET)

Context
Israel’s Rebellion
20:1 In the seventh year , in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month , some of the elders of Israel came to seek the Lord , and they sat down in front of me. 20:2 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:3 “Son of man , speak to the elders of Israel , and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says : Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live , I will not allow you to seek me, declares the sovereign Lord .’ 20:4 “Are you willing to pronounce judgment ? Are you willing to pronounce judgment , son of man ? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers , 20:5 and say to them: “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says : On the day I chose Israel I swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt . I swore to them, “I am the Lord your God .” 20:6 On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land which I had picked out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey , the most beautiful of all lands . 20:7 I said to them, “Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you , and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt ; I am the Lord your God .” 20:8 But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols , nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt . Then I decided to pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt . 20:9 I acted for the sake of my reputation , so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived, before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt . 20:10 “‘So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness . 20:11 I gave them my statutes and revealed my regulations to them. The one who carries them out will live by them! 20:12 I also gave them my Sabbaths as a reminder of our relationship, so that they would know that I , the Lord , sanctify them. 20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness ; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths . So I decided to pour out my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them. 20:14 I acted for the sake of my reputation , so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out . 20:15 I also swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them– a land flowing with milk and honey , the most beautiful of all lands . 20:16 I did this because they rejected my regulations , did not follow my statutes , and desecrated my Sabbaths ; for their hearts followed their idols .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Idolatry

    [ebd] image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Rom. 1:21-25: men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption (1:28). The forms of idolatry are, (1.) Fetishis...
    [smith] strictly speaking denotes the worship of deity in a visible form, whether the images to which homage is paid are symbolical representations of the true God or of the false divinities which have been made the objects of worshi...
    [nave] IDOLATRY. Wicked Practices of Human sacrifices, Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut. 12:31; 18:10; 2 Kin. 3:26, 27; 16:3; 17:17, 18; 21:6; 23:10; 2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6; Psa. 106:37, 38; Isa. 57:5; Jer. 7:31; 19:4-7; 32:35; Ezek. 16:20, 2...

  • LEVITICUS, 2

    [isbe] LEVITICUS, 2 - III. Origin. 1. Against the Wellhausen Hypothesis: As in the article ATONEMENT, DAY OF, sec. I, 2, (2), we took a stand against the modern attempts at splitting up the text, and in III, 1 against theory of the...

  • GOD, 2

    [isbe] GOD, 2 - II. The Idea of God in the Old Testament. 1. Course of Its Development: Any attempt to write the whole history of the idea of God in the Old Testament would require a preliminary study of the literary and historical...

  • Sabbath

    [isbe] SABBATH - sab'-ath (shabbath, shabbathon; sabbaton, ta sabbata; the root shabhath in Hebrew means "to desist," "cease," "rest"): I. ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH 1. The Biblical Account 2. Critical Theories II. HISTORY OF THE SABBAT...
    [smith] (shabbath), "a day of rest," from shabath "to cease to do to," "to rest"). The name is applied to divers great festivals, but principally and usually to the seventh day of the week, the strict observance of which is enforced ...
    [nave] SABBATH Signifying a rest period, Gen. 2:2, 3; Lev. 23; 25; 26:34, 35. Preparations for, Ex. 16:22; Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31. Religious usages on, Gen. 2:3; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:6; 13:10; Acts ...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Wicked

    [nave] WICKED Compared with: Abominable branches, Isa. 14:19; ashes under the feet, Mal. 4:3; bad fishes, Matt. 13:48; beasts, Psa. 49:12; 2 Pet. 2:12; the blind, Zeph. 1:17; Matt. 15:14; bronze and iron, Jer. 6:28; Ezek. 22:18; br...

  • Milk

    [isbe] MILK - milk (chalabh; gala; Latin lac (2 Esdras 2:19; 8:10)): The fluid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals for the nourishment of their young. The word is used in the Bible of that of human beings (Isa 28:9) as...
    [nave] MILK Used for food, Gen. 18:8; Judg. 4:19; Song 5:1; Ezek. 25:4; 1 Cor. 9:7. Of goats, Prov. 27:27; sheep, Deut. 32:14; Isa. 7:21, 22; camels, Gen. 32:15; cows, Deut. 32:14; 1 Sam. 6:7, 10. Churned, Prov. 30:33. Kid not t...

  • Honey

    [isbe] HONEY - hun'-i (debhash; meli): One familiar with life in Palestine will recognize in debhash the Arabic dibs, which is the usual term for a sweet syrup made by boiling down the juice of grapes, raisins, carob beans, or date...
    [nave] HONEY. Ex. 16:31; 2 Sam. 17:29; Prov. 25:27; Song 4:11; Isa. 7:15; Matt. 3:4; Luke 24:42. Not to be offered with sacrifices, Lev. 2:11. Found in rocks, Deut. 32:13; Psa. 81:16; upon the ground, 1 Sam. 14:25. Samson's rid...

  • Government

    [nave] GOVERNMENT Paternal functions of, Gen. 41:25-57. Civil service school provided by, Dan. 1:3-20. Maintains a system of public instruction, 2 Chr. 17:7-9. Executive departments in. See: Cabinet; King; Ruler; Statecraft. Ju...

  • Egypt

    [nave] EGYPT The country of: Called Rahab, Psa. 87:4; 89:10; Land of Ham, Psa. 105:23; 106:22. Limits of, Ezek. 29:10. Fertility of, Gen. 13:10. Productions of, Num. 11:5; Psa. 78:47; Prov. 7:16; Isa. 19:5-9. Irrigation employ...

  • Impenitence

    [nave] IMPENITENCE. Lev. 23:26-29; Lev. 26:21 vs. 22-24.; Deut. 29:19-21; 1 Sam. 15:23; Job 9:2, 4; Job 24:13; Job 33:14; Psa. 7:11, 12 v. 13.; Psa. 10:3; Psa. 32:9; Psa. 50:17, 21; Psa. 52:1, 7; Psa. 58:3-5; Psa. 68:21; Psa. 78:8...

  • ABOMINATION

    [isbe] ABOMINATION - a-bom-i-na'-shun (piggul, to`ebhah, sheqets (shiqquts)): Three distinct Hebrew words are rendered in the English Bible by "abomination," or "abominable thing," referring (except in Gen 43:32; 46:34) to things o...

  • DETESTABLE, THINGS

    [isbe] DETESTABLE, THINGS - de-tes'-ta-b'-l, (shiqquts; sheqets, synonymous with to`ebhah, "abomination," "abominable thing"): The translation of shiqqutsim in Jer 16:18; Ezek 5:11; 7:20; 11:18,21; 37:23; a term always applied to i...

  • ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

    [isbe] ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION - des-o-la'-shun: The Hebrew root for abomination is shaqats, "to be filthy," "to loathe," "to abhor," from which is derived shiqquts, "filthy," especially "idolatrous." This word is used to describ...

  • CALF, GOLDEN

    [isbe] CALF, GOLDEN - kaf, gol'-d'-n: I. THE NAME II. ANCIENT CALF WORSHIP 1. Narrative of Aaron's Golden Calf 2. Jeroboam's Golden Calves III. ATTITUDE OF ELIJAH TO THE BULL SYMBOLS IV. ATTITUDE OF AMOS AND HOSEA TO THE BULL SYMBO...

  • Sin

    [nave] SIN. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to, Defining, and Illustrating; Confession of; Consequences of, Entailed Upon Children; Conviction of; Forgiveness of; Fruits of; Kn...

  • SYNAGOGUE

    [isbe] SYNAGOGUE - sin'-a-gog: 1. Name 2. Origin 3. Spread of Synagogues 4. The Building (1) The Site (2) The Structure (3) The Furniture 5. The Officials (1) The Elders (2) The Ruler (3) The Servant (or Servants) (4) Delegate of t...

  • SIGN

    [isbe] SIGN - sin ('oth "a sign" "mark" mopheth, "wonder"' semeion, "a sign," "signal," "mark"): A mark by which persons or things are distinguished and made known. In Scripture used generally of an address to the senses to attest ...

  • ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 1

    [isbe] ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 1 - INTRODUCTORY 1. Sources (1) The Old Testament (2) Josephus (3) The Monuments 2. Religious Character of the History I. ORIGINS OF ISRAEL IN PRE-MOSAIC TIMES 1. Original Home 2. Ethnographical Origin 3....

  • ESPY

    [isbe] ESPY - es-pi': "Espy" in modern English means "to catch sight of," rather than "to explore secretly." the Revised Version (British and American) therefore retains it in Gen 42:27, "He espied his money" (Hebrew ra'ah, "see"),...
more

Arts

Sermon Illustrations

The Command to Keep the Sabbath

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Emphasis shifts in this chapter from ceremonial defilement (ch. 17) to moral impurity. The Lord wanted His people to be holy in their behavior and character as well as in less important ritual observances (cf. Matt. 23:28; Ro...
  • Ezekiel ministered to the Jews in exile. He probably wrote this book for the benefit of the exiles and the other Jewish communities of his day and beyond his day. In some of his visions (e.g. chs. 8 and 11) the Lord carried t...
  • There are two major structural peculiarities that set Ezekiel off as distinctive.First, the book is a collection of prophecies arranged in almost consistent chronological order. No other prophetical book is as consistently ch...
  • Several theological concepts receive considerable attention in Ezekiel. Alexander identified five central ones: the nature of God, the purpose and nature of God's judgment, individual responsibility, the ethical, religious, a...
  • Ezekiel began prophesying when he was 30 years old, and he had gone into captivity five years before that. Thus Ezekiel was familiar with Jeremiah's preaching and ministry. Ezekiel shows quite a bit of similarity to Jeremiah ...
  • I. Ezekiel's calling and commission chs. 1-3A. The vision of God's glory ch. 11. The setting of the vision 1:1-32. The vision proper 1:4-28B. The Lord's charge to Ezekiel chs. 2-31. The recipients of Ezekiel's ministry 2:1-52...
  • This pericope contains 10 commands, and it is the center of the chiasm in chapters 1-3."The Lord's charge to Ezekiel emphasized the absolute necessity of hearing, understanding, and assimilating God's message prior to going f...
  • 3:22 While Ezekiel was among the exiles in Tel-abib, the Lord directed him to go out to the nearby plain where the Lord promised to speak with him (cf. ch. 1; Acts 9:6; Gal. 1:16-17).3:23 Ezekiel obeyed the Lord. While he was...
  • 20:1 Certain elders of the Jewish exiles came to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord (cf. 14:1-11). Inquiring of the Lord meant securing a divine revelation concerning a particular event (cf. 1 Kings 14:5-18; 22:7-28; 2 Kings 8:8-...
  • The Lord's history lesson for these elders described Israel in four successive periods: in Egypt (vv. 5-9), in the wilderness (vv. 10-26), in the Promised Land (vv. 27-29), and in the present time (vv. 30-38).281What the Lord...
  • 20:10-12 So the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness. At Mount Sinai He gave them statutes and ordinances that would result in their welfare if they obeyed them, namely, the Mosaic Law. He also gave th...
  • 20:30 Ezekiel was to ask his hearers if they planned to defile themselves and to prostitute themselves to things the Lord detested as their ancestors had done.20:31 They were defiling themselves by practicing child sacrifice....
  • A new chapter in the Hebrew Bible begins with 20:45. The section of the book that it begins contains four messages of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem with special emphasis on the judgment coming on the leaders of the people. ...
  • The Lord now clarified one of the primary reasons for the sword that was fast approaching Jerusalem and Judah. This reason was the sins of the present generation of Judahites, especially its leaders. In chapter 20 the prophet...
  • 22:1-2 Another message came from the Lord instructing Ezekiel to remind the residents of the bloody city of Jerusalem about all their abominations (cf. 20:4). A list of specific sins was necessary for him to pronounce judgmen...
  • This chapter is the final climactic one in Ezekiel's collection of messages that condemn Israel's defective leadership (chs. 20-23).Both chapters 16 and 23 describe Israel as a prostitute, but there are significant difference...
  • 23:1-3 The Lord gave Ezekiel a story about two sisters who had one mother (cf. Jer. 3:7). These young girls became prostitutes in Egypt and allowed men to fondle their breasts. That is, they allowed the Egyptians to become in...
  • This final message brings Oholah and Oholibah back together and passes judgment on all Israel. It is a summary oracle for the section that indicts Israel's leaders (chs. 20-23).23:36-37 The Lord called Ezekiel to pass judgmen...
  • It is appropriate that this section appears at this point in Ezekiel, between the messages announcing judgment on Judah and Jerusalem for sin (chs. 4-24) and the messages announcing future blessings for Israel (chs. 33-48). I...
  • "This last major division of the book focuses on the restoration of Israel's blessing. Israel would be judged for her sin (chaps. 1-24) as would the surrounding nations (chaps. 25-32). But Israel will not remain under judgmen...
  • Since this message is undated, it may have come to Ezekiel about the same time as the previous two in chapter 32, namely, in the last month of 585 B.C. If so, Ezekiel received it about two months after God gave him the six me...
  • This part of Ezekiel's message of warning to the exiles is similar to 3:16-21. Yahweh recommissioned Ezekiel to his prophetic task (cf. chs. 2-3)."Now that Ezekiel's original ministry of judgment was completed, God appointed ...
  • The Book of Ezekiel begins with a vision of God's glory (ch. 1), records the departure of God's glory (chs. 8-11), and ends with another vision of God's glory (chs. 40-48). This is the longest vision outside the Book of Revel...
  • The Lord next gave Ezekiel directions for the division of some of the Promised Land in the future. Revelation about apportioning the rest of the land follows later (47:13-48:35). These descriptions do not coincide with any di...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. Exile and Restoration. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1968.Alexander, Ralph H. Ezekiel. Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1976._____. "Ezekiel."In Isaiah-Ezekiel. Vol. 6 of The Expo...
  • 8:9 Daniel next saw a rather small horn (king, v. 23) grow out of one of the four horns (kingdoms, v. 22) that had replaced the single horn (the first king, v. 21) on the goat (Greece, v. 21). This horn is quite clearly diffe...
  • 5:27-28 Jesus proceeded to clarify God's intended meaning in the seventh commandment (Exod. 20:14; Deut. 5:18). The rabbis in Jesus' day tended to look at adultery as wrong because it involved stealing another man's wife. The...
  • Next Peter outlined what will surely happen so his readers would understand what will take place.3:7 God has given orders that the present heavens and earth (vv. 5-6) will experience another judgment yet future. Then God will...
Back to Commentary Page
Display Bible



Universal Search:

NET Only
Exact Search
Commentary
Study Dictionary
Word Study
Lexicon
Study Maps System
Sermon Illustrations
Expository
Arts
Resource
Daily Bible Reading
Training Video
Classic NET Bible
iPhone NET Bible
Mobile Bible
TIP #07: Click the Audio icon (NT only) to listen to the NET Bible Audio New Testament. [ALL]
created in 0.04 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA