Ezechiël 20:18-28

18 Maar Ik zeide tot hun kinderen in de woestijn: Wandelt niet in de inzettingen uwer vaderen, en onderhoudt hun rechten niet, en verontreinigt u niet met hun drekgoden.

19 Ik ben de HEERE, uw God, wandelt in Mijn inzettingen, en onderhoudt Mijn rechten, en doet dezelve.

20 En heiligt Mijn sabbatten, en zij zullen tot een teken zijn tussen Mij en tussen ulieden, opdat gij weet, dat Ik, de HEERE, uw God ben.

21 Maar die kinderen waren ook wederspannig tegen Mij; zij wandelden niet in Mijn inzettingen, en Mijn rechten namen zij niet waar, om die te doen; dewelke, zo ze een mens doet, zal hij door dezelve leven; zij ontheiligden Mijn sabbatten, dat Ik zeide, Mijn grimmigheid te zullen uitgieten over hen, volbrengende Mijn toorn tegen hen in de woestijn.

22 Doch Ik keerde Mijn hand af, en deed het om Mijns Naams wil, opdat hij voor de ogen der heidenen niet zou ontheiligd worden, voor welker ogen Ik hen uitgevoerd had.

23 Ik hief ook Mijn hand tot hen op in de woestijn, dat Ik hen verspreiden zou onder de heidenen, en hen verstrooien in de landen;

24 Omdat zij Mijn rechten niet gedaan hadden, maar Mijn inzettingen verworpen en Mijn sabbatten ontheiligd hadden, en hun ogen achter de drekgoden hunner vaderen waren.

25 Daarom gaf Ik hun ook besluitingen, die niet goed waren, en rechten, waarbij zij niet leven zouden.

26 En Ik verontreinigde hen in hun giften, omdat zij door het vuur deden doorgaan al wat de baarmoeder opent; opdat Ik ze verwoesten zou, ten einde dat zij zouden weten, dat Ik de HEERE ben.

27 Daarom, mensenkind, spreek tot het huis Israels, en zeg tot hen: Alzo zegt de Heere HEERE: Hiermede nog hebben Mij uw vaderen gesmaad, dat zij door overtreding tegen Mij overtreden hebben.

28 Als Ik hen in het land gebracht had, over hetwelk Ik Mijn hand opgeheven had, om hetzelve hun te geven, zo zagen zij naar allen hogen heuvel, en alle dicht geboomte, en offerden daar hun offeren, en gaven daar hun tergende offeranden, en daar zetten zij hun liefelijken reuk, en daar offerden zij hun drankofferen.

Ezechiël 20:18-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 20

The prophecy in this chapter is occasioned by some of the elders of Israel coming to inquire of the Lord; when the prophet is bid to tell them that he would not be inquired of by them. The reason of which were their abominations he is ordered to make known unto them, Eze 20:1-4; and then proceeds the narration of them; first of what their fathers committed in Egypt; of God's goodness to them, and their ingratitude; how that though he promised and swore that he would bring them from thence, when he charged them to abstain from the idolatry of that people where they were, nevertheless they did not, for which he threatened them with his wrath to consume them; yet such was his goodness as to spare them, and bring them out of that land, Eze 20:5-9; being brought out of Egypt into the wilderness, the Lord gave them statutes and ordinances to observe, particularly sabbaths, as a sign between him and them, but these they despised and broke; wherefore the Lord threatened to consume them in the wilderness, and not bring them into the land of Canaan; yet such was his kindness and mercy to them, that he did not make an utter end of them in the wilderness, Eze 20:10-17; and whereas he exhorted their posterity not to imitate their parents, but to walk in his statutes and judgments, and observe his sabbaths, yet they would not; which drew out his resentment against them, and he threatened to scatter them among the Heathens; but, for his name's sake, that that might not be polluted among the heathen, he spared them, and did not cut them off, only gave them up to do things very pernicious to them, Eze 20:18-26; and even when they were brought into the land of Canaan, they were guilty of blasphemy against God, and of idolatry on every high hill they saw, Eze 20:27-29; but whereas it might be objected, what is all this to the present generation? it is observed, that they imitated their fathers, and were guilty of the same idolatries, and therefore the Lord would not be inquired of by them, Eze 20:30,31; and threatens to rule them with fury, and plead with them, as he had pleaded with their fathers in the wilderness, Eze 20:32-36; nevertheless he suggests that there would be a remnant among them, when he should have purged the rebels and transgressors from them, that he would deal graciously with in a covenant way; who should serve him in his holy mountain, where he would require and accept their sacrifices, in whom he would be sanctified; and who should know him, and loathe themselves, when made sensible of the distinguishing favours bestowed upon them, Eze 20:37-44; and the chapter is closed with a prophecy dropped against Jerusalem, denouncing utter destruction on it, Eze 20:45-49.

reign, and of the captivity of Jeconiah; from whence the dates of Ezekiel's visions and prophecies are taken, Eze 1:2, 8:1; two years, one month, and five days, after Ezekiel began to prophesy, and eleven months and five days after the preceding prophecy:

\\in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month\\; the month Ab, which answers to our July and August; on this day afterwards Jerusalem was twice destroyed, first by the Chaldeans, and then by the Romans:

\\[that] certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord\\; by the prophet; these were either some of the elders that were carried captive, who came to inquire how long they should continue in this state; or what methods they should use to free themselves from it; or what they should do while they were in it; whether it would be advisable that they should conform to the customs of the Heathens among whom they were; or what would be the case of those that were left in Judea: or else these were sent by Zedekiah to pay the king of Babylon his tax, or to negotiate some affair with him relating to the captives; and who took this opportunity of consulting the Lord by the prophet what methods should be taken to throw off the yoke, and to know what was the mind of God in it; but these things are uncertain, as are also the persons the inquirers; though the Jews say {e} they were Ananias, Azarias, and Misael; which is not probable, since they were good men, whereas these seem to be hypocritical persons:

\\and sat before me\\; with great seriousness and devotion seemingly, waiting for an answer.

{e} Seder Olam Rabba apud Abarbinel in loc.

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