Ezekiel 20:3

3 Son of man, speak thou to the elder men of Israel; and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Whether ye came to ask me? I live, for I shall not answer to you, saith the Lord God. (Son of man, speak thou to the elders of Israel; and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Did ye come here to ask me something? As I live, I shall not answer you, saith the Lord God.)

Ezekiel 20:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 20:3

Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them,
&c.] Give them this for an answer from me: thus saith the Lord God, are ye come to inquire of me?
no; not seriously, heartily, and in good earnest, determining to abide by the advice and counsel that might be given; or how can you have the face to inquire of me, when guilty of such abominations? [as] I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you;
knowing their wickedness and hypocrisy, which were detestable to him, and therefore would not hear what they had to say, nor give them any answer, or direct them what they should do. Sad is the case of persons when the Lord will not be inquired of by them! it is plain he has no favours to bestow upon them; for, when he has, he will put them upon inquiring of him for them, to do them unto them, ( Ezekiel 36:37 ) ; this was the case of Saul, whom God, when he inquired of him, would not answer in any of his usual ways, ( 1 Samuel 28:6 ) .

Ezekiel 20:3 In-Context

1 And it was done in the seventh year, in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month (on the tenth day of the month), men of the elders of Israel came to ask the Lord; and they sat before me.

2 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

3 Son of man, speak thou to the elder men of Israel; and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Whether ye came to ask me? I live, for I shall not answer to you, saith the Lord God. (Son of man, speak thou to the elders of Israel; and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Did ye come here to ask me something? As I live, I shall not answer you, saith the Lord God.)

4 Son of man, if thou deemest them, if thou deemest, show thou to them the abominations of their fathers. (Son of man, if thou judgest them, yea, if thou judgest them, show thou to them their forefathers? abominations.)

5 And thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, In the day in which I chose Israel, and raised mine hand for the generation of the house of Jacob, and I appeared to them in the land of Egypt, and I raised mine hand for them, and I said, I am your Lord God, (And thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, On the day on which I chose Israel, and raised up my hand for the descendants of the house of Jacob, and I appeared to them in the land of Egypt, and I raised up my hand for them, and I said, I am the Lord your God,)