Ezekiel 20:19-49

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 20:19

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:21

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me ,.... After the death of their fathers, when they were come into the plains of Moab, and just going to enter the land; they rebelled against the Lord, and greatly provoked him, by joining themselves to Baalpeor, the idol of Moab, they worshipped, Numbers 25:3 ; they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them ; they did as their fathers before them; though they saw with their eyes the judgments of God upon them, yet... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:22

Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand ,.... When it was stretched out against them, as in the above instance, and did not utterly consume them. The Targum is, "and I turned away the stroke of my might:' and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth . See Gill on Ezekiel 20:9 and See Gill on Ezekiel 20:14 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:23

I lifted up mine hand also to them in the wilderness ,.... Swore unto them, as in Ezekiel 20:5 ; that I would scatter them among the Heathen, and disperse them through the countries ; after they came to be settled in the land of Canaan, they sinning against the Lord; which was fulfilled in the times of the Babylonish captivity, and in their destruction by the Romans; but was threatened and foretold while they were in the wilderness, Leviticus 26:33 ; with this compare Psalm 106:26 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 20:24

Because they had not executed my judgments ,.... Had not done that which was right and just, as the Lord commanded them: but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths ; as their fathers had done: and their eyes were after their fathers' idols ; which they had learned to serve in Egypt, or brought with them from thence; these the eyes and the hearts of their children were after, as theirs find been; and they were more desirous, encouraged, and emboldened to serve them,... read more

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