Ezekiel 20:21

21 "'But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert.

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 myself am God, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws.
20 Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signaling that I am God, your God."
21 "'But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert.
22 But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.
23 "'But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and swore that I would scatter them all over the world, disperse them every which way
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.