Ezekiel 20:23

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

Complete Jewish Bible:

"'I also raised my hand and swore to them in the desert that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries;

Berean Standard Bible:

However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

American Standard Version:

Moreover I sware unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

I lifted up^{H5375} mine hand^{H3027} unto them also in the wilderness^{H4057}, that I would scatter^{H6327} them among the heathen^{H1471}, and disperse^{H2219} them through the countries^{H776};

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Ezekiel 20:23

Ezekiel 20:23 is part of a larger passage in which the prophet Ezekiel is recounting the history of the Israelites' rebellion against God, stretching from the time of their exodus from Egypt to Ezekiel's own time in the Babylonian exile. The verse specifically speaks to a moment in the wilderness when, despite God's repeated demonstrations of power and faithfulness, the Israelites continued to rebel and disobey His commandments.

In this verse, God is depicted as having "lifted up [His] hand" to the Israelites, a gesture signifying an oath or a solemn promise. The promise, however, is one of judgment: because of their disobedience, God vows to scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout various countries. This scattering is a reference to the dispersion of the Israelites that occurred as a result of various conquests and exiles, including the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom of Israel and the Babylonian exile of the southern kingdom of Judah, which was ongoing during Ezekiel's time.

The themes present in this verse include God's justice in response to covenant unfaithfulness, the consequences of rebellion against divine commandments, and the pattern of God's people cycling through disobedience, punishment, and potential restoration. Historically, this verse reflects the experience of the Israelites who, because of their failure to adhere to the covenant with God, faced displacement from their homeland and suffered the loss of their political and religious autonomy. This dispersion was both a fulfillment of the curses for covenant violation found in the Torah (particularly in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28) and a precursor to the eventual regathering and restoration of Israel that is prophesied throughout the book of Ezekiel.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5375
   There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָשָׂא
   Transliteration: nâsâʼ
   Pronunciation: naw-saw'
   Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield.
   
2. Strong's Number: H3027
   There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָד
   Transliteration: yâd
   Pronunciation: yawd
   Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
   
3. Strong's Number: H4057
   There are 257 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִדְבָּר
   Transliteration: midbâr
   Pronunciation: mid-bawr'
   Description: from דָבַר in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs); desert, south, speech, wilderness.
   
4. Strong's Number: H6327
   There are 66 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פּוּץ
   Transliteration: pûwts
   Pronunciation: poots
   Description: a primitive root; to dash in pieces, literally or figuratively (especially to disperse); break (dash, shake) in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive, retire, scatter (abroad), spread abroad.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1471
   There are 511 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גּוֹי
   Transliteration: gôwy
   Pronunciation: go'-ee
   Description: rarely (shortened) גֹּי; apparently from the same root as גֵּוָה (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts; Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
   
6. Strong's Number: H2219
   There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: זָרָה
   Transliteration: zârâh
   Pronunciation: zaw-raw'
   Description: a primitive root (compare זוּר); to toss about; by implication, to diffuse, winnow; cast away, compass, disperse, fan, scatter (away), spread, strew, winnow.
   
7. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.