Ezekiel 14:5

5 that the house of Israel be taken in their heart, by which they went away from me in all their idols. (so that the house of Israel be taken in their own hearts, by which they went away from me with all their idols.)

Ezekiel 14:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 14:5

That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart
By which they are ensnared, and drawn aside to their ruin; being given up to strong delusions, to believe a lie, and worship idols; God threatening to answer them by righteous judgments, and thereby take the wickedness, the hypocrisy, and idolatry, that were in their hearts, and expose and make it manifest unto others; or, by punishing them, to draw out the corruption and sin that were in them, that it might be seen what a wicked people they were. The Targum interprets the text in another way,

``that I may bring near the house of Israel, and put repentance into their hearts;''

because they are all estranged from me through their idols;
they grew shy of God and his worship, when they fell into idolatry. Alienation from God, from the life of God, from the law of God, from the worship of God, and of the affections from him, is owing to some idol or another set up in the heart, or before the eye; whatever is worshipped besides God, or gains the ascendant in the heart, alienates from him; and God will not admit of a rival, he cannot and will not bear it; and for this reason he inflicts punishment, or answers in a terrible way.

Ezekiel 14:5 In-Context

3 Son of man, these men have set their uncleannesses in their hearts, and have set steadfastly the cause of stumbling of their wickedness against their face (and steadfastly have put the cause of stumbling of their wickedness before their faces). Whether I that am asked, shall answer to them?

4 For this thing speak thou to them, and thou shalt say to them, These things saith the Lord God, A man, a man of the house of Israel, that setteth his uncleannesses in his heart, and setteth steadfastly the cause of stumbling of his wickedness against his face (A man, a man of the house of Israel, who setteth his uncleannesses in his heart, and steadfastly setteth the cause of stumbling of his wickedness before his face), and cometh to the prophet, and asketh me by him, I the Lord shall answer to him in the multitude of his uncleannesses;

5 that the house of Israel be taken in their heart, by which they went away from me in all their idols. (so that the house of Israel be taken in their own hearts, by which they went away from me with all their idols.)

6 Therefore say thou to the house of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, Be ye converted (Be ye turned), and go ye away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your filths.

7 For why a man, a man of the house of Israel, and of converts, whoever is a comeling in Israel, if he is aliened from me, and setteth his idols in his heart, and setteth steadfastly the cause of stumbling of his wickedness against his face (For a man, a man of the house of Israel, and of the converts, yea, whomever is a newcomer in Israel, if he is alienated from me, and steadfastly setteth the cause of stumbling of his wickedness before his face), and he cometh to the prophet, to ask me by him, I the Lord shall answer him by myself.