What is the high place . . . ? Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia ( App-6 ). Hebrew oath habhamdh, for emphasis, to mark the contrast between this idolatrous high place and Zion the true high and holy mountain (Ezekiel 20:40 ). read more
Ezekiel 20:27-31. Son of man, speak unto the house of Israel— This prophesy hitherto contains a declaration of the various punishments inflicted on the rebellious Israelites, from the time of Moses's mission to the preaching of Ezekiel. We have shewn, that their punishment in the first period was death in the wilderness; their punishment in the second period was the fastening on their necks the yoke of the ritual law. The punishment in the third period is now to be considered; and we shall see,... read more
Ezekiel 20:29. Then I said unto them— And though I said unto them, What is the high place in which you assemble? yet the high place retained its name even to this day. Houbigant. See commentary on Eze 20:27 read more
29. What is the high place whereunto ye go?—What is the meaning of this name? For My altar is not so called. What excellence do ye see in it, that ye go there, rather than to My temple, the only lawful place of sacrificing? The very name, "high place," convicts you of sinning, not from ignorance but perverse rebellion. is called . . . unto this day—whereas this name ought to have been long since laid aside, along with the custom of sacrificing on high places which it represents, being borrowed... read more
1. The history of Israel’s rebellion and Yahweh’s grace 20:1-44The structure of this passage is quite clear. It consists of a review of Israel’s history with an introduction and a concluding application."The chapter is remarkable in that it shows a uniform moral plane sustained by the nation throughout its history." [Note: Feinberg, p. 108.] Other important themes in this chapter include God’s faithful grace in spite of Israel’s persistent rebelliousness, the repetition of a wilderness... read more
Israel’s rebellion in the Promised Land and God’s grace 20:27-29 read more
The Lord had confronted His people with their use of the high places on hilltops for idolatry. The name of the high places, Bamah, had a double significance. It meant "high place," but it also meant literally "go where" or "go what" (Heb. ba mah). Thus Bamah became a contemptuous pun. When the people went to the high places to worship idols, where were they going? They were going nowhere of any significance to do nothing of any importance since these idols were nonentities and could not help... read more
History Repeating itselfSome four years before the fall of Jerusalem the elders of Tel-abib again came to consult Ezekiel, who declared that God had no answer to give them. The reason was that their enquiry was insincere, and this passage is consequently an illustration of the principle of Ezekiel 14:3. The exiles were beginning to avow idolatrous tendencies (Ezekiel 20:32), with which the elders were in secret sympathy. Ezekiel recounted how God had dealt with Israel’s idolatrous spirit in the... read more
§ 5. A Final series of Prophecies on the necessity of Israel's Punishment and the Destruction of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 20-24)Date, Aug.-Sept. 590 b.c. to Jan.-Feb. 587 b.c.This group includes a warning to the exiles against idolatry (Eze 20:1-44), a description of the sword of the Lord directed against Jerusalem (Eze 20:45 to Eze 21:27), a short prophecy against the Ammonites, connected with the foregoing (Eze 21:28-32) an indictment of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 22:0), an allegorical history of the sins... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:27-44
Past mistakes must not be repeated (20:27-44)Having clearly illustrated that Israel had always shown a tendency to idolatry, Ezekiel now began to apply the lessons of history to his fellow exiles in Babylon. He reminded them that as soon as the people of Israel settled in Canaan they copied the religious practices of the Canaanites (27-29). Those of Ezekiel’s day were just as idolatrous in heart and were thinking of copying the idolatrous ways of Babylon. God warns that he will not allow this... read more