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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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:5

And say unto them, thus saith the Lord God ,.... Here begins the account of their fathers; of God's unmerited goodness to them, and of their sins and transgressions against him, and how it fared with them: in the day when I chose Israel ; to be his peculiar people, above all people on the face of the earth; when he declared his choice of them, and made it appear that he had chosen them, and distinguished them, by special blessings and favours bestowed on them: and lifted up mine hand... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:6

In the day that I lifted up my hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt ,.... Not only promised and swore to it, but exerted his power in the miracles he wrought, by bringing plagues upon the Egyptians, to oblige them to let them go forth from thence: into a land that I had espied for them ; which he had in his eye and in his heart for them; which he had in his mind provided for them, and was determined in his purposes to bring them to; and which he, as it were, looked... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:7

Then I said unto them ,.... Having promised and swore to do such great and good things for them; which must lay them under an obligation to regard what he should command them: promises and blessings of goodness are great incentives to duty, and lay under great obligation to it: cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes ; which should be so, meaning idols; but which his eyes were taken with, and were lifted up unto, as his gods; though they ought to have been rejected with the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:8

But they rebelled against me ,.... All sin is rebellion against God, an act of hostility, especially idolatry; it is refusing homage and casting off allegiance to him: and would not hearken unto me ; to his word by his prophets; so the Targum, "they rebelled against my word, and would not receive my prophets:' they did not every man cast away the abominations of his eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of the Gentiles ; whence it appears that there were some among them that did... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:5

I chose Israel - They did not choose me for their God, till I had chosen them to be my people. I lifted up mine hand - I bound myself in a covenant to them to continue to be their God, if they should be faithful, and continue to be my people. Among the Jews the juror lifted up his right hand to heaven; which explains Psalm 144:8 ; : "Their right hand is a right hand of falsehood." This is a form used in England, Scotland, and Ireland. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:6

To bring them forth of the land of Egypt - When they had been long in a very disgraceful and oppressive bondage. A land that I had espied for them - God represents himself as having gone over different countries in order to find a comfortable residence for these people, whom he considered as his children. Flowing with milk and honey - These were the characteristics of a happy and fruitful country, producing without intense labor all the necessaries and comforts of life. Of the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:7

Cast ye away - the abominations - Put away all your idols; those incentives to idolatry that ye have looked on with delight. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:8

They did not - cast away - They continued attached to the idolatry of Egypt; so that, had I consulted my justice only, I should have consumed them even in Egypt itself. This is a circumstance that Moses has not mentioned, namely, their provoking God by their idolatry, after he had sent Moses and Aaron to them in Egypt. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 20:5

Verse 5 God confirms what I said before, that the Jews were not to be reproved for beginning lately to sin: it was not sufficient to bring recent offenses before them; but God orders the Prophet to begin with their fathers, as if he had said that the nation was abandoned from the very beginning, as Stephen reproaches them: Uncircumcised in heart, you still resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers always did. (Acts 7:51.) And Christ had said the same thing before: You fill up the measure of your... read more

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