Ezekiel 20:23

23 And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I would scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries,

Ezekiel 20:23 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 20:23

I lifted up mine hand also to them in the wilderness
Swore unto them, as in ( Ezekiel 20:5 Ezekiel 20:6 Ezekiel 20:15 ) ; 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 ) ( Deuteronomy 32:26 ) ; with this compare ( Psalms 106:26-30 ) .

Ezekiel 20:23 In-Context

21 "'But the children turned against me. They did not live by my rules, nor were they careful to obey my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my anger against them in the desert.

22 But I held back my anger. I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations who watched as I brought the Israelites out.

23 And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I would scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries,

24 because they had not obeyed my laws. They had rejected my rules and dishonored my Sabbaths and worshiped the idols of their parents.

25 I also allowed them to follow rules that were not good and laws by which they could not live.