Ezekiel 20:21

21 Notwithstanding, the sons rebelled against me: they did not walk in my statutes, nor keep my rights to do them, by which the man that does them shall live by them; they polluted my Sabbaths; then I said: I would pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 20:21 Meaning and 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 this did not deter them from following their evil ways: which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them;
(See Gill on Ezekiel 20:13); they polluted my sabbaths;
just as their fathers had done, taking no warning by them, and what befell them: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish mine
anger against them in the wilderness;
twenty and four thousand died on account of the idolatry of Baalpeor, ( Numbers 25:9 ) .

Ezekiel 20:21 In-Context

19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my rights, and do them;
20 and hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
21 Notwithstanding, the sons rebelled against me: they did not walk in my statutes, nor keep my rights to do them, by which the man that does them shall live by them; they polluted my Sabbaths; then I said: I would pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22 Nevertheless, I withdrew my hand and intervened for my name’s sake that it should not be polluted in the sight of the Gentiles in whose sight I brought them forth.
23 I lifted up my hand unto them also in the wilderness with an oath that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them through the countries
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010