Ezekiel 20:5

5 Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD : When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the LORD, would be their God.

Ezekiel 20:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 20:5

And say unto them, thus saith the Lord God
Here begins the account of their fathers; of God's unmerited goodness to them, and of their sins and transgressions against him, and how it fared with them: in the day when I chose Israel;
to be his peculiar people, above all people on the face of the earth; when he declared his choice of them, and made it appear that he had chosen them, and distinguished them, by special blessings and favours bestowed on them: and lifted up mine hand to the seed of the house of Jacob;
the posterity of Jacob or Israel, to whom the Lord swore that he would do such and such things for them; of which the lifting up the hand was a token; it is a gesture used in swearing, ( Daniel 12:7 ) ; and so the Targum,

``and I swore unto them by my word:''

and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt:
by his name Jehovah; by the prophets he sent unto them, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; and by the miracles he wrought among them: when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I [am] the Lord your God:
making promise of it, declaring it unto them, confirming it with an oath; see ( Hebrews 6:17 Hebrews 6:18 ) .

Ezekiel 20:5 In-Context

3 “Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will tell you nothing!’

4 “Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.

5 Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD : When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the LORD, would be their God.

6 I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere.

7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the LORD your God.’