Ezekiel 20 recounts the Lord's refusal to be enquired of by the elders of Israel, due to their long history of rebellion and idolatry from Egypt through the wilderness and into the promised land. Despite their repeated disobedience and pollution of His statutes and Sabbaths, God consistently withheld His full wrath for the sake of His holy name. He declares a future judgment where He will gather them, purge the rebels, and bring a remnant into the land, where they will finally recognize Him and loathe their past evils.
Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
and tell them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
in that day I swore to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.
But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me; they each didn’t throw away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they didn’t walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keep, he shall live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
I said to their children in the wilderness, Don’t walk in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
But the children rebelled against me; they didn’t walk in my statutes, neither kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them; they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.
and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused all that opens the womb to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.
Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In this moreover have your fathers blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their pleasant aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings.
Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? and do you play the prostitute after their abominations?
and when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you;
and that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, in that you say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
and I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out;
and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who disobey against me; I will bring them out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into Eretz-Israel: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.
For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.
As a pleasant aroma will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.
There you shall remember your ways, and all your doings, in which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.
You shall know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel, says the Lord GOD.
and tell the forest of the South, Hear the LORD’s word: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt thereby.
Then I said, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Isn’t he a speaker of parables?
Study Notes for Ezekiel 20
Verse 1
This date (August 14, 591 B.C.) places this oracle about one year after the visions of chapters 8–11. The elders, representing the exiled community, sought guidance, perhaps hoping for news of a quick return.
Verse 3
God refuses to be consulted. The elders’ hearts were impure, and they were still practicing idolatry while seeking divine counsel, demonstrating spiritual hypocrisy (cf. Ezek 14:3).
Verse 4
God commands Ezekiel to 'judge them' (a prophetic declaration of judgment) by exposing the sins of the current generation through the history of their fathers.
Verse 5
To 'lift up mine hand' signifies swearing an oath, emphasizing the solemnity of God’s covenant promise. The election of Israel began in Egypt, before the Law was given.
Verse 7
Israel’s first covenant failure occurred immediately: they refused to abandon the idols of Egypt even as God delivered them. Idolatry was a deep-seated problem from the beginning.
Verse 9
This is a key theological theme in Ezekiel. God restrains His wrath and saves Israel not because they deserve it, but 'for my name’s sake,' to preserve His reputation and holiness among the surrounding nations.
Verse 11
Echoing Lev 18:5, the statutes and judgments were designed to be a path to life (blessing and flourishing), but disobedience brought death (curse and destruction).
Verse 12
The Sabbath is highlighted as the primary sign of the covenant in Ezekiel (cf. Exod 31:13). Observing the Sabbath demonstrated recognition of God as the one who sets Israel apart (sanctifies them).
Verse 13
The first generation in the wilderness repeated the rebellion of their parents, leading to God’s decision to prevent them from entering the Promised Land (Num 14:29).
Verse 18
God gave the new generation a clear warning to break the cycle of ancestral sin, emphasizing personal responsibility to obey the covenant.
Verse 21
The second generation proved equally rebellious, demonstrating that sin was not merely an environmental problem but a deep spiritual condition carried across time.
Verse 25
This difficult phrase likely refers to God allowing Israel to suffer the consequences of their own choices. He gave them over to follow destructive practices (like child sacrifice, v. 26) which they wrongly believed were divine statutes.
Verse 26
The ultimate defilement was offering their firstborn children to pagan gods (Moloch worship). By allowing this horrific practice, God 'polluted' them, bringing judgment to make them desolate.
Verse 27
The historical survey now moves to the period after the conquest, detailing the persistent idolatry that led to the final judgment of exile.
Verse 28
The 'high hill' and 'thick trees' refer to the *bamot* (high places), local shrines where the Israelites mixed pagan Canaanite fertility rites with the worship of Yahweh.
Verse 31
Ezekiel connects the sins of the fathers (v. 26) directly to the present generation of exiles, confirming that their hypocrisy (seeking an oracle while practicing idolatry) warrants God’s refusal (cf. v. 3).
Verse 32
The exiles were considering assimilation, believing they could abandon their identity and become 'like the heathen.' God vehemently rejects this plan, stating He will rule over them regardless.
Verse 33
God promises a forceful intervention. His rule will be established through powerful judgment ('fury poured out'), showing that He will not allow Israel to escape His sovereignty.
Verse 35
The 'wilderness of the people' refers to the place of exile and dispersion among the nations. God promises a new judgment phase, mirroring the original wilderness experience, where He will 'plead' (judge) them directly.
Verse 37
To 'pass under the rod' is a shepherd’s practice of counting and inspecting his flock (Lev 27:32). This symbolizes God’s careful scrutiny, selecting a purified remnant to enter the 'bond of the covenant.'
Verse 38
The purpose of the new wilderness judgment is separation. The rebels will be purged from the community and denied entrance into the restored land of Israel.
Verse 39
This is a command given in bitter irony: if they insist on serving idols, they should do so completely, but they must cease polluting the temple and the name of Yahweh with their hypocritical worship.
Verse 40
A vision of ultimate restoration. True, pure worship will be centralized and accepted in the future, restored Jerusalem ('mine holy mountain'), signifying a complete spiritual renewal.
Verse 44
The final affirmation of grace: the future restoration will be accomplished solely 'for my name’s sake,' not because of Israel’s righteousness, but because of God’s faithfulness to Himself.
Verse 45
This brief, cryptic oracle serves as a summary judgment. The 'south' (Negev) often refers symbolically to Judah and Jerusalem, situated south of Babylon where Ezekiel was exiled.
Verse 47
The 'forest of the south' represents the population of Judah/Jerusalem. The fire symbolizes the impending Babylonian siege and destruction, which will consume both the 'green tree' (the righteous/prosperous) and the 'dry tree' (the wicked/unfruitful).
Verse 49
Ezekiel laments the people’s unwillingness to take his warnings seriously. They dismiss his prophecies as mere riddles or parables, reflecting their spiritual dullness and resistance to repentance.
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The Calling of Disciples
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