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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 20:27–32. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here the prophet goes on with the story of their rebellions, for their further humiliation, and shows,
I.That they had persisted in them after they were settled in the land of Canaan.
Though God had so many times testified his displeasure against their wicked courses, "yet in this (that is, in the very same thing) your fathers have blasphemed me, continued to affront me, that they also have trespassed a trespass against me," Eze 20:27. Note, It is a great aggravation of sin when men will not take warning by the mischievous consequences of sin in those that have gone before them: this is blaspheming God; it is speaking reproachfully of his judgments, as if they were of no significancy and were not worth regarding.
1.God had made good his promise: I brought them into the land that I had sworn to give them. Though their unbelief and disobedience had made the performance slow, and much retarded it, yet it did not make the promise of no effect. They were often very near being cut off in the wilderness, but a step between them and ruin, and yet they came to Canaan at last. Note, Even God's Israel get to heaven by hell-gates; so many are their transgressions, and so strong their corruptions, that it is a miracle of mercy they are happy at last; as hypocrites go to hell by heaven-gates. The righteous scarcely are saved. Per tot discrimina rerum tendimus ad coelum - Ten thousand dangers fill the road to heaven.
2.They had broken his precept by their abominable idolatries. God had appointed them to destroy all the monuments of idolatry, that they might not be tempted to desert his sanctuary; but, instead of defacing them, they fell in love with them, and when they saw every high hill whence they had the most delightful prospects, and all the thick trees where they had the most delightful shades (the former to show forth their pompous idolatries, the latter to conceal their shameful ones), there they offered their sacrifices and made their sweet savour, which should have been presented upon God's altar only. There they presented the provocation of their offering (Eze 20:28), that is, their offerings, which, instead of pacifying God, or pleasing him, were highly provoking-sacrifices which, though costly, yet being misplaced, were an abomination to the Lord.
3.They obstinately persisted herein notwithstanding all the admonitions that were given them (Eze 20:29): "Then I told them, by my servants the prophets, told them where the high place was, to which they went; nay, I put them upon considering it, and asking their own consciences concerning it, by putting this question to them, Which is the high place whereunto you go? What do you find there so inviting that you will leave God's altars, where he requires your attendance, to frequent such places as he has forbidden you to worship in? Do you not know that those high places are of a heathenish extraction, and that the things which the Gentiles sacrificed they sacrificed to devils and not to God? Did not Moses tell you so? Deu 32:17. And will you have fellowship with devils? What is that high place to which you go when you turn your back on God's altars? O foolish Israelites, who or what has bewitched you, that you will forsake the fountain of life for broken cisterns, that worship which God appoints, and will accept, for that which he forbids, which he abhors, and which he will punish?" And yet the name is called Bamah unto this day; they will have their way, let God and his prophets say what they please to the contrary. They are wedded to their high places; even in the best reigns those were not taken away; you could not prevail to take away the name of Bamah - the high place, out of their mouths, but still they would have that in the place of their worship. The sin and the sinner are with difficulty parted.
II.That this generation, after they were unsettled, continued under the dominion of the same corrupt inclinations to idolatry, Eze 20:30.
He must say to the present house of Israel, some of whose elders were now sitting before him, "Are you polluted after the manner of your fathers? After all that God has said against you by a succession of prophets, and done against you by a series of judgments, yet will you take no warning? Will you still be as bad as your fathers were, and commit the same abominations that they committed? I see you will; you are bent upon returning to the old abominations; you offer your gifts in the high places, and you make your sons to pass through the fire; either you actually do it or you do it in purpose and imagination, and so you continue idolaters to this day." These elders seem now to have been projecting a coalition with the heathen; their hearts they will reserve for the God of Israel, but their knees they will be at liberty to bow to the gods of the nations among whom they live, that they may have the more respect and the fairer quarter among them. Now the prophet is here ordered to tell those who were forming this scheme, and were for compounding the matter between God and Baal, that they should have no comfort or benefit from either.
1.They should have no benefit by their consulting in private with the prophets of the Lord; for, because they were hearkening after idols, God would have nothing to do with them (Eze 20:31): As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you. What he had said before (Eze 20:3), having largely shown how just it was, he here repeats, as that which he would abide by. Let them not think that they honoured him by their enquiries, nor expect an answer of peace from him, as long as they continued in love and league with their idols. Note, Those reap no benefit by their religion that are not entire and sincere in it; nor can we have any comfortable communion with God in ordinances of worship unless we be inward and upright with him therein. We make nothing of our profession if it be but a profession. Nay,
2.They should have no benefit from their conforming in public to the practice of their neighbours (Eze 20:32): "That which comes into your mind as a piece of refined politics in the present difficult juncture, and which you would be advised to for your own preservation, and that you may not by being singular expose yourselves to abuses, it shall not be at all, it shall turn to no account to you. You say, 'We will be as the heathen, we will join with them in worshipping their gods, though at the same time we do not believe them to be gods, but wood and stone, and then we should be taken as the families of the countries; they will not know, or in a little while will have forgotten, that we are Jews, and will allow us the same privileges with their own countrymen.' Tell them," says God, "that this project shall never prosper. Either their neighbours will not admit them to join with them in their worship, or, if they do, will think never the better, but the worse, of them for it, and will look upon them as dissemblers, and not fit to be trusted, who are thus false to their God, and put a cheat upon their neighbours." Note, There is nothing got by sinful compliances; and the carnal projects of hypocrites will stand them in no stead. It is only integrity and uprightness that will preserve men, and recommend them to God and man.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
(Ver. 23, 24 onwards) Again, I raised my hand against them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the lands, because they had not performed my judgments, and had rejected my commandments, and had violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes had been after the idols (or thoughts) of their fathers. Therefore, I also gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they would not live, and I defiled them in their offerings (or transgressions), as they offered (or led astray) everything that opens the womb because of their sins (for which the Septuagint translated, to destroy them and what they had overlooked): and they will know that I am the Lord. Where in the Old Testament, against their children, who fell in the wilderness, the Lord lifted up His hand to scatter them among the nations, Scripture does not say; but it is to be believed that this was done in accordance with what is reported here. Or he signifies by this, that after they entered the promised land, they were given over at various times, for many sins, to different nations and kings, and at that time the commandments of the Lord, which were good according to their nature, and the judgments by which believers could live, were made not good for them, since they were in no way able to keep the precepts of the law in captivity, and to do what the divine word commanded. He did not say, 'I gave them evil commandments,' but, 'not good commandments.' For it does not immediately follow that what is not good is evil, as the Apostle teaches, it is good for a man not to touch a woman; but because of incontinence, let each possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor (I Cor. VII). And if he does not do this, it is neither good nor evil. Therefore, God gave them, dispersed among the nations, not good commandments, that is, he allowed them to follow their own thoughts and desires, to do what is not appropriate. And he defiled them in his gifts: just as a Priest separates lepers from the people, and shows that they are defiled; while they offer to idols what they should offer to God. And they pass everything that opens the womb through the fire of Baal, that is, the firstborn; so that after they have deserted God and been handed over to the worship of idols, then they may understand that He is the Lord whom they have provoked to anger by their own fault. Symmachus interpreted this passage more explicitly, treating the future as past. Therefore, I will also give them bad precepts and judgments for which they will not live, and I will defile them because of their gifts, as they consecrate and offer everything that opens the womb, so that I may destroy them, and they will know that I am the Lord. And the meaning is this: because I have seen the sons of the fathers equaling the wickedness of their ancestors and doing the same things for which they offended God, I wanted to divide them into nations and disperse them throughout the whole world, and give them bad precepts and judgments in which they would not live, so that I may defile them with their gifts, for they consecrated everything that opens the womb to idols, and I may destroy them forever, and they will know that I am the Lord. Through which he showed that he had not given them good commandments who dwelt in the wilderness, but to those whom he wanted to scatter among the nations, and to make foreigners in the whole world, he gave them a desire for things that he did not give: so that there they would do good commandments of God, not good because of their own fault, while they exhibited to idols what God had commanded to be exhibited. This can also be said, that before the offense, they received only the Ten Commandments; but after idolatry and blasphemy, they received multiple ceremonies of the law, so that they would offer victims to God rather than to demons, and by comparison with sacrilege, what was not good in itself became lighter, and by no means evil, because it was offered to God, and yet not good, because they offended the author of good.
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
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Summary
Ezekiel 20:28 powerfully encapsulates Israel's profound and immediate spiritual failure upon entering the Promised Land. Despite God's unwavering faithfulness in fulfilling His solemn oath to bring them into their inheritance, the Israelites swiftly abandoned Him. They turned to the idolatrous practices of the surrounding Canaanite nations, defiling the very land God had graciously given them by offering sacrifices, "provocation" offerings, and drink offerings on "every high hill, and all the thick trees," thereby demonstrating a deep-seated rebellion and a preference for pagan worship over exclusive devotion to the Lord.
Context
Literary Context
Ezekiel 20:28 is situated within a lengthy and damning historical recital of Israel's persistent rebellion against God, delivered by the prophet Ezekiel to the elders of Israel. This chapter serves as a comprehensive indictment, tracing Israel's unbroken pattern of idolatry and disobedience from their time in Egypt, through the wilderness wanderings, and into their settlement in Canaan. The preceding verses (Ezekiel 20:1-27) detail earlier instances of their unfaithfulness, where God's patience was repeatedly tested. Verse 28 marks a pivotal and deeply tragic moment, demonstrating that even after God faithfully fulfilled His promise to bring them into the land of blessing, their rebellion did not cease but immediately escalated. This immediate spiritual defection upon entering the land sets the stage for the subsequent judgments and the ultimate exile that Ezekiel is prophesying, underscoring the severity of their sin. The chapter's overarching message is God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, even in the face of Israel's chronic unfaithfulness, and His ultimate plan to restore them for the sake of His own holy name.
Historical & Cultural Context
Upon their entrance into Canaan, the Israelites encountered a deeply entrenched polytheistic culture characterized by the worship of various deities, most notably Baal (the storm god) and Asherah (the fertility goddess). These Canaanite religions often involved fertility cults, ritual prostitution, and even child sacrifice, practices explicitly forbidden by God in His Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 12:29-31). The "high hills" and "thick trees" mentioned in the verse were common sites for Canaanite worship, considered sacred groves or elevated places where altars and cultic pillars (like Asherah poles) were erected. These natural settings were believed to enhance communication with the gods and facilitate fertility rituals. The Israelites, instead of utterly destroying these pagan sites and practices as commanded (e.g., Deuteronomy 7:5), readily adopted them, integrating them into their own religious life. This syncretism, blending their worship of Yahweh with the worship of foreign gods, was a direct violation of their covenant with God, which demanded exclusive devotion and holiness.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully illustrates several recurring themes found throughout Ezekiel and the broader Old Testament narrative. First, it highlights the theme of Divine Faithfulness versus Human Rebellion. God consistently fulfills His promises, bringing Israel into the land He "lifted up mine hand" to give them, yet Israel consistently rebels against His commands. This stark contrast underscores the depth of human depravity and the steadfastness of God's character. Second, the verse underscores the pervasive problem of Idolatry and High Places. The immediate turn to pagan worship on "every high hill, and all the thick trees" demonstrates Israel's deep-seated inclination towards false gods, a theme central to Israel's history of disobedience and a primary reason for their eventual exile, as seen throughout the books of Judges and Kings. Finally, the description of their offerings as "the provocation of their offering" emphasizes the theme of God's Righteous Anger and Grief. Israel's actions were not merely misguided; they were a direct affront to God's holiness and a betrayal of their covenant relationship, eliciting His just displeasure and profound sorrow. This persistent rebellion foreshadows the need for a radical transformation, as promised later in Ezekiel 36:26-27, where God promises to give them a new heart and spirit.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word, while literally referring to a physical hand, is used idiomatically here in the phrase "lifted up mine hand." In this context, it signifies a solemn oath, a binding vow, or an unchangeable pledge made by God. It emphasizes the absolute certainty and unwavering commitment of God's promise to bring Israel into the land, making their subsequent betrayal even more egregious due to the weight and inviolability of His sworn word. This divine oath underscores the graciousness of the gift and the severity of Israel's ingratitude.
Referring to a "hillock" or "little hill," this term specifically denotes the elevated places that were commonly used as sites for pagan worship in Canaan. These "high places" were not merely geographical features but became potent symbols of Israel's spiritual compromise and their adoption of the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations, directly contrary to God's commands to dismantle such sites and worship Him exclusively in the manner and place He ordained.
This powerful word conveys deep vexation, anger, grief, or indignation. When applied to Israel's offerings, it signifies that their actions were not simply misguided or disobedient, but were a direct affront to God, stirring up His righteous wrath and profound sorrow. It highlights the utterly offensive nature of their idolatry, which mimicked legitimate worship forms but directed them to false gods, thereby defiling their relationship with the Holy One of Israel and provoking His just judgment.
Verse Breakdown
"For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them"
This opening clause highlights God's absolute faithfulness and the complete fulfillment of His covenant promise. Despite Israel's earlier rebellions and murmuring in the wilderness, God honored His solemn oath, bringing them into the Promised Land. The phrase "lifted up mine hand" underscores the gravity, solemnity, and certainty of this divine commitment, emphasizing that the land was a gracious, unearned gift, making Israel's subsequent ingratitude and betrayal all the more heinous.
"then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees"
Immediately upon entering the land, Israel's attention was drawn to the physical landscape, specifically the prominent "high hills" and "thick trees." These natural features were, in the Canaanite culture, intrinsically associated with pagan worship sites, often serving as open-air altars or sacred groves. This clause sets the scene for their immediate spiritual deviation, indicating that their focus was not on God's commands to cleanse the land, but on the alluring and pervasive local religious customs.
"and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering"
This section details the specific acts of idolatry. Instead of offering sacrifices exclusively to Yahweh at His appointed sanctuary (the Tabernacle, and later the Temple), they offered them "there"—on the pagan high places. The critical term "provocation of their offering" signifies that these sacrifices, though outwardly resembling legitimate worship, were an abomination to God because they were directed to false gods, thereby inciting His anger, grief, and righteous indignation.
"there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings"
This final clause further elaborates on their idolatrous practices, demonstrating the full extent of their syncretism. "Sweet savour" (or pleasing aroma) refers to the fragrant smoke of burnt offerings, which in legitimate Israelite worship was meant to ascend to God as a pleasing aroma, symbolizing acceptance. Similarly, "drink offerings" were an integral part of Israelite worship, signifying devotion and dedication. However, by performing these sacred acts "there" (on the high places, to idols), Israel perverted and profaned rituals meant for Yahweh, transforming acts of potential worship into acts of rebellion that were deeply offensive and provoked God's wrath.
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 20:28 employs several significant literary devices to convey its powerful and tragic message. Irony is profoundly evident, as God recounts His unwavering faithfulness in bringing Israel into the promised land, only for them to immediately betray Him. The very land given as an inheritance, a symbol of God's blessing, quickly becomes the stage for their immediate and profound spiritual infidelity. The description of "every high hill, and all the thick trees" functions as powerful Symbolism, representing the pervasive nature of Canaanite idolatry and the seductive allure of false worship. These natural features were not merely locations but became emblematic of Israel's spiritual compromise and their failure to eradicate pagan influences. The phrase "lifted up mine hand" is a potent Idiom, signifying a solemn, unbreakable oath by God, which dramatically heightens the sense of Israel's egregious betrayal against a divinely guaranteed promise. Finally, the use of "provocation" (Hebrew: kaʻaç) to describe their offerings is a striking form of Anthropopathy, attributing human emotions (anger, vexation, grief) to God. This device underscores the depth of His displeasure and sorrow over His people's unfaithfulness, emphasizing that their actions were not merely disobedient but deeply offensive to His holy character.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ezekiel 20:28 serves as a stark reminder of humanity's persistent inclination towards idolatry and the profound consequences of spiritual unfaithfulness. The verse underscores God's unwavering covenant faithfulness, even in the face of His people's immediate and egregious rebellion. It highlights that true worship demands exclusive devotion and that syncretism—the blending of divine truth with pagan practices—is an abomination to a holy God. This historical account of Israel's failure to occupy the land spiritually as well as physically resonates with the broader biblical narrative of humanity's struggle with sin, demonstrating an inherent bent towards disobedience and the dire need for divine intervention to transform the human heart.
Reflection and Application
Ezekiel 20:28 offers a sobering mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to examine the idols of our own hearts and cultures. Just as ancient Israel was drawn to the "high places" and "thick trees" of Canaanite worship, we too can be subtly (or overtly) lured by modern "high places"—materialism, self-worship, the pursuit of comfort, societal approval, or even seemingly good causes—that compete for our ultimate allegiance. This verse calls us to a radical, exclusive devotion to God, reminding us that anything that takes His rightful place in our lives becomes a "provocation" to Him. It compels us to ask: What are the "high hills" in my life that draw my worship away from the One True God? Am I truly living out my covenant with Him, or am I compromising with the values and practices of the world around me, allowing syncretism to creep into my faith? The passage reminds us that God's faithfulness to His promises is unwavering, and our response should be one of complete loyalty and obedience, seeking to honor Him in every sphere of life, recognizing that true worship is not merely ritualistic but a matter of the heart's ultimate devotion.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "lifted up mine hand" mean in this context?
The phrase "lifted up mine hand" (Hebrew: nasa' yad) is a powerful idiom in the Old Testament signifying a solemn oath or a binding, irrevocable vow made by God. It emphasizes the absolute certainty, unwavering nature, and inviolability of God's promise. In Ezekiel 20:28, it underscores that God had sworn to bring Israel into the land, and He faithfully fulfilled that promise. This makes Israel's immediate rebellion upon entering the land even more grievous because it was a direct betrayal of a divinely sworn commitment. This idiom is also seen in other passages like Exodus 6:8 where God promises to bring them into the land He swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Deuteronomy 32:40 where God swears by His own hand to execute judgment.
Why were "high hills" and "thick trees" significant for Israel's idolatry?
"High hills" and "thick trees" (often translated as "groves") were common and prominent sites for Canaanite pagan worship. The Canaanites believed that elevated places brought them closer to their deities, and trees were frequently associated with fertility cults, often having Asherah poles or altars erected beneath them. When Israel entered the land, instead of destroying these sites and their associated idols as commanded by God (e.g., Deuteronomy 12:2-3), they adopted these locations and the associated practices for their own worship. They blended their devotion to Yahweh with the worship of foreign gods like Baal and Asherah, a practice known as syncretism. This syncretistic worship on the "high places" became a recurring sin throughout Israel's history, frequently condemned by the prophets as an abomination to the Lord.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ezekiel 20:28, though a stark indictment of Israel's historical rebellion, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in highlighting the depth of human depravity and the absolute necessity of God's redemptive work through Jesus Christ. Israel's immediate turn to idolatry upon entering the Promised Land demonstrates humanity's inherent inability to keep God's covenant and live in perfect obedience, even when blessed abundantly and brought into a land of promise. This persistent failure underscores the need for a new covenant, not written on stone tablets or dependent on flawed human effort, but etched on the heart by the Spirit of God. Jesus, as the true Israel, perfectly fulfilled the covenant that ancient Israel broke. He is the one who truly entered the "land" of God's presence and remained perfectly faithful, resisting every temptation to idolatry or self-worship (e.g., Matthew 4:1-11). His perfect obedience, culminating in His sacrificial death on the cross, provides the "sweet savour" and "offering" that truly pleases God, not as a "provocation" but as a perfect, atoning sacrifice (e.g., Ephesians 5:2). Through Christ, believers are given a "new heart and a new spirit" (foreshadowed in Ezekiel 36:26-27), enabling them to truly worship God in spirit and truth, free from the pervasive pull of spiritual idolatry that plagued ancient Israel. He is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise, establishing a kingdom where true worship is finally realized, not on high hills or under thick trees, but in the hearts of those redeemed by His blood (e.g., John 4:23-24).