Ezekiel 20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 20

In this chapter, I. The prophet is consulted by some of the elders of Israel, Ezek. 20:1. II. He is instructed by his God what answer to give them. He must, 1. Signify God's displeasure against them, Ezek. 20:2, 3. And, 2. He must show them what just cause he had for that displeasure, by giving them a history of God's grateful dealings with their fathers and their treacherous dealings with God. (1.) In Egypt, Ezek. 20:5-9. (2.) In the wilderness, Ezek. 20:10-26. (3.) In Canaan, Ezek. 20:27-32.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 20:1-4

Here is, 1. The occasion of the message which we have in this chapter. That sermon which we had Ezek. 18:1-32 was occasioned by their presumptuous reflections upon God; this was occasioned by their hypocritical enquiries after him. Each shall have his own. This prophecy is exactly dated, in the seventh year of the captivity, about two years after Ezekiel began to prophesy. God would have them to keep account how long their captivity lasted, that they might see how the years went on towards... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 20:5-9

The history of the ingratitude and rebellion of the people of Israel here 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 our first parents? creation than we immediately meet with that of their 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 his with them. Here is, I. The gracious purposes of God's law concerning Israel in Egypt,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 20:10-26

The history of the struggle between the sins of Israel, by which they endeavoured to ruin themselves, and the mercies of God, by which he endeavoured to save them and make them happy, is here continued: and the instances of that struggle in these verses have reference to what passed between God and them in the wilderness, in which God honoured himself and they shamed themselves. The story of Israel in the wilderness is referred to in the New Testament (1 Cor. 10:1-33; Heb. 3:1-19), as well as... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 20:27-32

Here the prophet goes on with the story of their rebellions, for their further humiliation, and shows, I. That they had persisted in them after they were settled in the land of Canaan. Though God had so many times testified his displeasure against their wicked courses, ?yet in this (that is, in the very same thing) your fathers have blasphemed me, continued to affront me, that they also have trespassed a trespass against me,? Ezek. 20:27. Note, It is a great aggravation of sin when men will... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 20:33-44

The design which was now on foot among the elders of Israel was that the people of Israel, being scattered among the nations, should lay aside all their peculiarities and conform to those among whom they lived; but God had told them that the design should not take effect, Ezek. 20:32. Now, in these verses, he shows particularly how it should be frustrated. They aimed at the mingling of the families of Israel with the families of the countries; but it will prove in the issue that the wicked... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 20:45-48

We have here a prophecy of wrath against Judah and Jerusalem, which would more fitly have begun the next chapter than conclude this; for it has no dependence on what goes before, but that which follows in the beginning of the next chapter is the explication of it, when the people complained that this was a parable which they understood not. In this parable, 1. It is a forest that is prophesied against, the forest of the south field, Judah and Jerusalem. These lay south from Babylon, where... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 20 The prophecy in this chapter is occasioned by some of the elders of Israel coming to inquire of the Lord; when the prophet is bid to tell them that he would not be inquired of by them. The reason of which were their abominations he is ordered to make known unto them, Ezekiel 20:1 ; and then proceeds the narration of them; first of what their fathers committed in Egypt; of God's goodness to them, and their ingratitude; how that though he promised and swore that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:1

And it came to pass in the seventh year ,.... Of Zedekiah's reign, and of the captivity of Jeconiah; from whence the dates of Ezekiel's visions and prophecies are taken, Ezekiel 1:2 ; two years, one month, and five days, after Ezekiel began to prophesy, and eleven months and five days after the preceding prophecy: in the fifth month , the tenth day of the month ; the month Ab, which answers to our July and August; on this day afterwards Jerusalem was twice destroyed, first by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:2

Then came the word of the Lord unto me ,.... While the elders were sitting before him, by an impulse upon his mind, dictating things unto him: saying : as follows: read more

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