Ezekiel 20:16

16 For they casted away my dooms, and went not in my commandments, and they defouled my sabbaths; for the heart of them went after idols. (For they threw away my laws, and went not in my commandments, and they defiled my sabbaths; for their hearts went after idols.)

Ezekiel 20:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 20:16

Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my
statutes, but polluted my sabbaths
Which were just causes of divine resentment and anger; (See Gill on Ezekiel 20:13); for their heart went after their idols;
which they had served in Egypt; and that led them off from the true worship and service of God; no man can serve two masters; if he holds to the one, and his heart is towards him, he will despise the other; and yet these idols were no other, as the word signifies, than dunghill gods, as in ( Ezekiel 20:16 ) ; and such are all worldly things, in comparison of God, that the heart of man is going after.

Ezekiel 20:16 In-Context

14 and I did for my name, lest it were defouled before heathen men, from whom I casted them out in the sight of those. (and I did it for the sake of my name, lest it were defiled before the heathen, from whom I brought them out in their sight.)

15 Therefore I raised mine hand on them in the desert, that I brought not them into the land which I gave to them, the land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands. (And so I raised up my hand before them in the wilderness, and said that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, the land flowing with milk and honey, yea, the best of all lands.)

16 For they casted away my dooms, and went not in my commandments, and they defouled my sabbaths; for the heart of them went after idols. (For they threw away my laws, and went not in my commandments, and they defiled my sabbaths; for their hearts went after idols.)

17 And mine eyes spared on them, that I killed not them, neither I wasted them in the desert. (And my eyes spared them, so that I did not kill them, and I did not destroy them in the wilderness.)

18 Forsooth I said to the sons of them in wilderness, Do no ye go in the commandments of your fathers, neither keep ye the dooms of them, neither be ye defouled in the idols of them. (For I said to them in the wilderness, Do no ye go in the commandments of your forefathers, neither keep ye, or obey ye, their laws, nor be ye defiled with their idols.)