Ezekiel 20:33-38

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:33

As I live, saith the Lord God ,.... The form of an oath; the Lord swears by his own life, used more than once before; it supposes something of moment, and the certain performance of it: surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm ; from which none can escape, and which none can withstand: and with fury poured out : like floods of water, in a violent hasty shower of rain; it denotes the abundance of divine wrath, and the sudden and sure execution of it: will I rule over... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:34

I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered ,.... The Egyptians, Ammonites, and others; where they went for safety and protection, and among whom they intended to settle, and had formed a scheme to cast off the yoke of God and his worship, and be no more a nation or people under his government; but mix themselves with these nations, and become a part of them, and join with them in all matters, civil, commercial, and religious; but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:35

And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people ,.... Into Babylon, and into captivity there, which they thought to avoid by fleeing to other countries. Some think that those inhospitable nations are meant, Syro-media, Caspia, Hyrcania, Iberia, and others, into which many of the Jews were brought, who sought to live elsewhere than at Babylon; and others are of opinion that this respects the time of their return from Babylon to their own land, between which lay a wilderness, here... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:36

Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt ,.... Which was opposite the land of Egypt, near unto it, on the borders of it; and into which the people immediately went, when they came out of Egypt, and passed the Red sea; and the Arabic version is, "when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.' This refers to the controversy the Lord had with the Israelites for murmuring upon the report of the spies; and the sentence he passed upon them, that they should... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:37

And I will cause you to pass under the rod ,.... That is, such whom God will not take vengeance on, and shall not die in the wilderness of the people; but whom he will have mercy on, and show favour to, and bring at length into their own land; these he indeed will bring under the rod of correction and chastisement, by which they shall be brought to a sense of sin, a confession of it, humiliation for it, and to seek to Christ for salvation from it; or under the rod of his word, the rod of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:38

And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me ,.... All men are enemies, and enmity itself, against God; and every sin is an act of hostility and rebellion against him; every transgression and violation of his law is a casting off of allegiance to him, and a trampling upon and despising his legislative power and authority; wherefore rebels and transgressors of his law are put together; the one being explanative of the other. The people of the Jews were... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:35

I will bring you into the wilderness of the people - I will bring you out of your captivity, and bring you into your own land which you will find to be a wilderness, the consequence of your crimes. There will I plead with you - There I will be your king, and rule you with a sovereign rule; and the dispensations of my justice and mercy shall either end you or mend you. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:37

I will cause you to pass under the rod - This alludes to the custom of tithing the sheep. I take it from the rabbins. The sheep were all penned; and the shepherd stood at the door of the fold, where only one sheep could come out at once. He had in his hand a rod dipped in vermillion; and as they came out, he counted one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine; and as the tenth came out, he marked it with the rod, and said, "This is the tenth;" and that was set apart for the Lord. ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:38

I will purge out from among you the rebels - The incorrigibly wicked I will destroy; those who will not receive him whom I have appointed for this purpose as the Savior of Israel. And I will gather you who believe out of all the countries where you sojourn, and bring you into your own land; but those of you who will not believe - will not receive the Son of David to reign over you, shall never enter into the land of Israel, but die in your dispersions. This is what the contradicting and... read more

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