Yechezkel 20:1-44

1 0 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain anashim of the zekenim of Yisroel came to inquire of Hashem, and sat before me.

2 Then came the Devar Hashem unto me, saying,

3 Ben adam, speak unto the zekenim of Yisroel, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Are ye come to inquire of Me? As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I will not be inquired of by you.

4 Wilt thou judge them, ben adam, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the to’avot of their avot.

5 And say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: In the day when I chose Yisroel, and lifted up Mine yad [i.e., took a shevua] unto the zera Bais Ya’akov, and made Myself known unto them in Eretz Mitzrayim, when I lifted up Mine yad unto them, saying, I am Hashem Eloheichem;

6 In the day that I lifted up Mine yad unto them, to bring them forth from Eretz Mitzrayim into a land that I had searched out for them, zavat cholov udevash, which is the most beautiful of all lands;

7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every ish the shikkutzim before his eynayim, and make not yourselves tameh with the gillulim (idols) of Mitzrayim; I am Hashem Eloheichem.

8 But they rebelled against Me, and would not pay heed unto Me; they did not every ish cast away the shikkutzim from before their eynayim, neither did they forsake the gillulim (idols) of Mitzrayim; then I said, I will pour out My chemah (wrath) upon them, to vent My anger against them in the midst of Eretz Mitzrayim.

9 But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the Goyim, among whom they were living. In bringing them forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, in their sight I made Myself [publicly] known unto them.

10 Therefore I caused them to go forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and brought them into the midbar.

11 And I gave them My chukkot, and made known to them My mishpatim, which if ha’adam does, he shall even live in them.

12 Moreover also I gave them My Shabbatot, to be an Ot between Me and them, that they might know that I am Hashem that set them apart as kodesh.

13 But Bais Yisroel rebelled against Me in the midbar; they walked not in My chukkot, and they despised My mishpatim, which if ha’adam does, he shall even live in them; and My Shabbatot they greatly defiled; then I said, I would pour out My chemah (wrath) upon them in the midbar, to consume them.

14 But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the Goyim, in whose sight I brought them out.

15 Yet also I lifted up My Yad unto them in the midbar, that I would not bring them into ha’aretz which I had given them, zavat cholov udevash, the most beautiful of all lands;

16 Because they despised My mishpatim, and walked not in My chukkot, but profaned My Shabbatot; for their lev went after their gillulim (idols).

17 Nevertheless since Mine eye spared them from destroying them, I did not make an end of them in the midbar.

18 But I said unto their banim in the midbar, Walk ye not in the chukkot of avoteichem, neither be shomer over their mishpatim, nor make yourselves tameh with their gillulim (idols).

19 I am Hashem Eloheichem; walk in My chukkot, and be shomer over My mishpatim, and do them;

20 And be shomer shabbos over My Shabbatot, keeping them kodesh; and they shall be an Ot between Me and you, that ye may know that I am Hashem Eloheichem .

21 Notwithstanding, the banim rebelled against Me; they walked not in My chukkot, neither were shomer over My mishpatim to do them, which if ha’adam does, he shall even live in them; they profaned My Shabbatot; then I said, I would pour out My chemah (wrath) upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midbar.

22 Nevertheless, I withdrew Mine yad, and acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the Goyim, in whose sight I brought them forth.

23 I lifted up Mine yad unto them also in the midbar, that I would scatter them among the Goyim, and disperse them through the countries;

24 Because they had not executed My mishpatim, but had despised My chukkot, and had profaned My Shabbatot, and their eynayim were after the gillulim of their fathers.

25 Therefore I gave them also chukkot that were not tovim, and mishpatim whereby they could not live;

26 And I pronounced them tameh (unclean) because of their own [ritual] gifts, in that they caused to pass through the eish all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Hashem.

27 Therefore, ben adam, speak unto Bais Yisroel, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Yet in this avoteichem have made gidduf (blasphemy) against Me, in that they have been ma’al (unfaithful) to Me.

28 For when I had brought them into ha’aretz, for the which I lifted up Mine yad to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their zevakhim, and there they presented the ka’as (provocation) of their korban; there also they made their re’ach hannichoach, and poured out there their nesakhim.

29 Then I said unto them, What is the bamah whereunto ye go? And the shem whereof is called Bamah (High Place) unto this day.

30 Therefore say unto Bais Yisroel, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Are ye ones making yourself tameh after the manner of avoteichem? And do ye commit zenut after their shikkutzim?

31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your banim to pass through the eish, ye make yourselves tameh with all your gillulim (idols), even unto this day; and shall I be inquired of by you, O Bais Yisroel? As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all—that ye say, We will be as the Goyim, as the mishpekhot of the countries, to serve wood and even (stone).

33 As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, surely with a yad chazakah, and with an outstretched zero’a, and with chemah (fury) poured out, will I rule over you;

34 And I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a yad chazakah, and with an outstretched zero’a, and with chemah (wrath) poured out.

35 And I will bring you into the midbar of the peoples, and there will I execute judgment with you face to face.

36 Just as I judged avoteichem in the midbar of the Eretz Mitzrayim, so will I enter into judgment with you, saith Adonoi Hashem.

37 And I will cause you to pass under the shevet (rod), and I will bring you into the bond of the brit (covenant);

38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels and the posh’im against Me; I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn as gerim, and they shall not enter into Eretz Yisroel; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

39 As for you, O Bais Yisroel, thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Go ye, serve ye every one his gillulim, and hereafter since ye will not pay heed unto Me; and do not profane Shem Kodshi anymore with your gifts, and with your gillulim.

40 For in Har Kodshi, in the mountain of the height of Yisroel, saith Adonoi Hashem, there shall all Bais Yisroel, all of them in ha’aretz, serve Me; there will I accept them, there will I require your terumot, the reshit of your offerings, with all your kodeshim.

41 I will accept you as a re’ach hannichoach, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will show Myself Kadosh among you before the eyes of the Goyim.

42 And ye shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall bring you into Admat Yisroel, into the country for which I lifted up Mine yad to give it to avoteichem.

43 And there shall ye remember your drakhim, and all your doings, wherein ye have made yourselves tameh; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

44 And ye shall know that I am Hashem when I have dealt with you for the sake of Shmi, not according to your wicked drakhim, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye Bais Yisroel, saith Adonoi Hashem.

Yechezkel 20:1-44 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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