Ezekiel 20:31

31 And you defile yourselves with all your idols unto this day, in the offering of your gifts, when you make your children pass through the fire: and shall I answer you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not answer you.

Ezekiel 20:31 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 20:31

For when ye offer your gifts
And sacrifices to idols. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, the firstfruits of your gifts;
it may design their firstborn; see ( Ezekiel 20:26 ) as the following clause seems to explain it: when ye make your sons to pass through the fire;
or between two fires to Moloch, as their fathers had done before them; ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day;
by worshipping idols, or dunghill gods, as the word signifies, as often observed; they defiled themselves with those filthy things, which they continued to do to that very day, and so became more and more polluted; and were as their fathers had been, and therefore must expect to be used in like manner: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel?
can you think that I will suffer you to come and inquire of me or to make your requests to me? or can you hope to have an answer from me; at least a favourable one, such as you could wish for? as I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you;
so confirming again with an oath what he had before declared, ( Ezekiel 20:3 ) , wherefore they might assure themselves that they would not be acceptable to him, neither their persons nor petitions, or be regarded by him.

Ezekiel 20:31 In-Context

29 And I said to them: What meaneth the high place to which you go? and the name thereof was called High-place even to this day.
30 Wherefore say to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: Verily, you are defiled in the way of your fathers, and you commit fornication with their abominations.
31 And you defile yourselves with all your idols unto this day, in the offering of your gifts, when you make your children pass through the fire: and shall I answer you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not answer you.
32 Neither shall the thought of your mind come to pass, by which you say: We will be as the Gentiles, and as the families of the earth, to worship stocks and stones.
33 As I live, saith the Lord God, I will reign over you with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
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