Ezequiel 20:28

28 Porque yo los metí en la tierra sobre la cual había alzado mi mano que les había de dar, y miraron a todo collado alto, y a todo árbol espeso, y allí sacrificaron sus víctimas, y allí presentaron la irritación de sus ofrendas, allí pusieron también el olor de su suavidad, y allí derramaron sus libaciones

Ezequiel 20:28 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 20:28

[For] when I had brought them into the land
Brought them out of Egypt through the wilderness into the land of Canaan, through so many difficulties, by such displays of power, goodness, and truth: [for] the which I lifted up mine band to give it to them;
which he swore he would give unto them, and which he did, and so fulfilled his word and oath; and which was an instance of his bounty and goodness; and not owing to any merits of theirs; which he did, and so fulfilled his word and oath; and which was an instance of his bounty and goodness, and not owing to any merits of theirs: then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees;
as soon as they had got into the land, and took a view of it, they at once fixed their eyes upon the high hills and groves, as proper places to set up their idols on, and perform idolatrous worship in; in the one place more openly, and in the other more secretly, as they might judge proper and necessary; in which they imitated the Heathens, who had their temples, idols, altars, and sacrifices, amidst groves and thick trees. So Herodotus ^F14 relates of the temple of Diana at Bubastis in Egypt, that at the entrance of it there were rivulets from the Nile, which flowed about it here and there, shaded with trees; and within were a vast grove of the largest trees, planted about the temple; and which he afterwards calls trees reaching to heaven: and they offered there their sacrifices;
either to the God of Israel, as some of them sometimes did, and which was sinful; for though they might offer sacrifices, as were commanded, to a right object, yet not in the proper place: or rather to their idols; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, to their own gods;
which they had made to themselves, and had chose and approved of: and there they presented the provocation of their offering;
or their offering which provoked the wrath of God against them; being such as either he had not appointed, or was offered in a wrong place, or the wrong object; than which nothing could be more provoking to him; it was giving his glory to another, and his praise to graven images: there also they made their sweet saviour;
incense to their deities. The Targum is the worship of their sacrifices: and poured out there their drink offerings;
libations of wine: all kind of sacrifices were offered up here by them; which shows to what lengths in idolatry they ran, and how dreadfully guilty they were.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Euterpe: sive l. 2. c. 138.

Ezequiel 20:28 In-Context

26 y los contaminé en sus ofrendas cuando hacían pasar por el fuego todo primogénito, para que los desolare, a fin de que supieran que yo soy el SEÑOR

27 Por tanto, hijo de hombre, habla a la Casa de Israel, y diles: Así dijo el Señor DIOS: Aun en esto me blasfemaron vuestros padres cuando cometieron contra mí rebelión

28 Porque yo los metí en la tierra sobre la cual había alzado mi mano que les había de dar, y miraron a todo collado alto, y a todo árbol espeso, y allí sacrificaron sus víctimas, y allí presentaron la irritación de sus ofrendas, allí pusieron también el olor de su suavidad, y allí derramaron sus libaciones

29 Y yo les dije: ¿Qué es ese alto adonde vosotros vais? Y fue llamado su nombre Bama hasta el día de hoy

30 Di, pues, a la Casa de Israel: Así dijo el Señor DIOS: ¿Por ventura no os contamináis vosotros a la manera de vuestros padres, y fornicáis tras sus abominaciones