King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through [the fire] all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I [am] the LORD.
Complete Jewish Bible:
and I let them become defiled by their own gifts, in that they offered up their firstborn sons, so that I could fill them with revulsion, so that they would [finally] realize that I am ADONAI.'
Berean Standard Bible:
And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.
American Standard Version:
and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And I polluted{H2930} them in their own gifts{H4979}, in that they caused to pass through{H5674} the fire all that openeth{H6363} the womb{H7356}, that I might make them desolate{H8074}, to the end that they might know{H3045} that I am the LORD{H3068}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezekiel 6:7
- And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.
Leviticus 18:21
- And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through [the fire] to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I [am] the LORD.
2 Kings 17:17
- And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
Ezekiel 16:20
- Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. [Is this] of thy whoredoms a small matter,
Ezekiel 16:21
- That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through [the fire] for them?
Ezekiel 20:31
- For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
Isaiah 63:17
- O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, [and] hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
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Commentary for Ezekiel 20:26
Ezekiel 20:26 is part of the Old Testament and is set within the broader context of the prophetic book of Ezekiel, who was a priest and a prophet among the Jewish exiles in Babylon during the 6th century BCE. This verse reflects a period of intense theological reflection on the reasons for the Babylonian exile and the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
In this verse, the speaker is God, who is addressing the Israelites through the prophet Ezekiel. The verse conveys God's anger and disappointment with the Israelites for their idolatry and disobedience. The phrase "I polluted them in their own gifts" suggests that God allowed the people to suffer the consequences of their own sinful actions. The specific sin highlighted here is the practice of passing "all that openeth the womb" through the fire, which refers to a pagan ritual of sacrificing the firstborn children to the gods, a practice God had explicitly forbidden in the Torah (for example, in Leviticus 18:21).
The verse indicates that God permitted this self-inflicted defilement as a form of divine judgment, with the intention of bringing the Israelites to a point of desolation. The purpose of this harsh measure was to lead them to a recognition of God's sovereignty—"that they might know that I am the LORD." This reflects a recurring theme in the Hebrew Bible, where God's corrective actions aim to bring about repentance and a deeper understanding of the divine nature among the people.
In summary, Ezekiel 20:26 addresses the severe consequences of Israel's idolatry, particularly their participation in the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice. It reflects the theological understanding that God, in response to such egregious sins, would allow the people to experience the full ramifications of their actions, ultimately to bring them to an acknowledgment of His authority and to turn them back to Him. This verse underscores the importance of obedience to God's laws and the severe penalties for straying into idolatrous practices.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H2930
There are 142 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טָמֵא
Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
Pronunciation: taw-may'
Description: a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated); defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, [idiom] utterly. - Strong's Number: H4979
There are 17 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַתָּנָה
Transliteration: mattânâh
Pronunciation: mat-taw-naw'
Description: feminine of מַתָּן; a present; specifically (in a good sense), a sacrificial offering, (in a bad sense) a bribe; gift. - Strong's Number: H5674
There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָבַר
Transliteration: ʻâbar
Pronunciation: aw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath. - Strong's Number: H6363
There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פֶּטֶר
Transliteration: peṭer
Pronunciation: peh'-ter
Description: or פִּטְרָה; from פָּטַר; a fissure, i.e. (concretely) firstling (as opening the matrix); firstling, openeth, such as open. - Strong's Number: H7356
There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רַחַם
Transliteration: racham
Pronunciation: rakh'-am
Description: from רָחַם; compassion (in the plural); by extension, the womb (as cherishing the fetus); by implication, a maiden; bowels, compassion, damsel, tender love, (great, tender) mercy, pity, womb. - Strong's Number: H8074
There are 87 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמֵם
Transliteration: shâmêm
Pronunciation: shaw-mame'
Description: a primitive root; to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense); make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder. - Strong's Number: H3045
There are 873 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָדַע
Transliteration: yâdaʻ
Pronunciation: yaw-dah'
Description: a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.); acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-) norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, [phrase] be learned, [phrase] lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, [idiom] prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), [idiom] will be, wist, wit, wot. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.