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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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:12

Moreover, also, I gave them my sabbaths ,.... The Targum is, "the days of the sabbaths;' or sabbath days, the seventh day sabbaths, which recurring throughout the year are many; but, besides these, there were the year of remission, for the seventh year sabbath; and the jubilee year, the great sabbath of all, once in fifty years; yea, Kimchi thinks the feasts, such as the passover, &c.; are included: now these are distinguished from the statutes and judgments, or the precepts of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:13

But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness ,.... Where they were wholly at the mercy of God, entirely dependent upon him; and miracles were wrought every day for the sustaining and preservation of, them from famine, wild beasts, and enemies; yet they rebelled against the Lord; provoked him bitterly by their manifold transgressions, their ingratitude, unbelief, and idolatry; and this not a few of them only, but the whole body of the people, the house of Israel, the whole... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:14

But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the Heathen ,.... See Gill on Ezekiel 20:9 ; who would be ready to say it was for want of power, or faithfulness, or, goodness, that he did not bring them into the promised land; or there was no such land to bring them to God's own glory was concerned, and that is his ultimate end in all he does; and is of more weight with him than any other argument whatever: in whose sight I brought them out ; from Egypt, into... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:15

Yet also I lifted up mine hand unto them in the wilderness ,.... Swore unto them, as in Ezekiel 20:5 ; that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them ; by promise to their fathers, and to them. This is to be understood of the generation that came out of Egypt, that received the ill report the spies made, and murmured against the Lord; wherefore he swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest; or he would not bring them into the land of Canaan, save... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:16

Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths ,.... Which were just causes of divine resentment and anger; See Gill on Ezekiel 20:13 ; for their heart went after their idols ; which they had served in Egypt; and that led them off from the true worship and service of God; no man can serve two masters; if he holds to the one, and his heart is towards him, he will despise the other; and yet these idols were no other, as the word signifies,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:17

Nevertheless, mine eye spared them from destroying them ,.... Utterly, so as to leave neither root nor branch; for though the whole generation died excepting two, either by the immediate hand of God in wrath, or else by ordinary deaths; yet there was a generation raised up in their stead, to whom mercy was shown: neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness ; that they should be no more a nation and people; though the carcasses of them that believed not fell in the wilderness, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:18

But I said unto their children in the wilderness ,.... Or, "then I said" F11 ואמר "postea dixi", Piscator. ; his judgments and statutes being neglected and despised by them, and good instructions and kind providences being of no use unto them, the Lord turns to their posterity while yet in the wilderness: what follows seems to refer to those directions, instructions, and exhortations given in the book of Deuteronomy by Moses, in the plains of Moab, a little before the children of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:19

I am the Lord your God ,.... Not only that had made them and preserved them, but had chose them above all people to be his people; who had made a covenant with them, and had distinguished them by his favours from all others: walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them ; which he had given unto their fathers, and they had neglected and despised; those contained in the decalogue, and in the whole book of Deuteronomy, and elsewhere, read more

John Gill

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

And hallow my sabbaths ,.... Or keep them holy, by abstaining from worldly business on them; by observing all the duties of religion, private and public, to be performed on such days: and they shall be a sign between me and you ; of present and future good; See Gill on Ezekiel 20:12 ; that ye may know that I am the Lord your God ; not only acknowledge him to be the Lord their God, by observing his laws, and sanctifying his sabbaths; but also have a larger experience of his grace... read more

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