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.

For when ye offer {H5375} your gifts {H4979}, when ye make your sons {H1121} to pass through {H5674} the fire {H784}, ye pollute {H2930} yourselves with all your idols {H1544}, even unto this day {H3117}: and shall I be enquired {H1875} of by you, O house {H1004} of Israel {H3478}? As I live {H2416}, saith {H5002} the Lord {H136} GOD {H3069}, I will not be enquired {H1875} of by you.

and when offering your gifts, you make your children pass through the fire and defile yourselves with all your idols - to this day. So, am I supposed to allow you to consult me, house of Isra'el? As I live,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'I swear that I won't have you consult me,

When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

and when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, do ye pollute yourselves with all your idols unto this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you;

Commentary on Ezekiel 20:31 (KJV)

Ezekiel 20:31 sternly addresses the continued hypocrisy and spiritual defilement of the house of Israel. Despite their outward religious practices and "gifts," their hearts and actions remained deeply entrenched in idolatry, specifically the horrific practice of child sacrifice. God's emphatic declaration, "As I live... I will not be enquired of by you," underscores His absolute refusal to engage with a people so thoroughly polluted by their abominable sins.

Context

This verse is part of Ezekiel Chapter 20, which provides a sweeping historical survey of Israel's persistent rebellion against God from the time of their exodus from Egypt through their wilderness wanderings and settlement in the Promised Land, right up to Ezekiel's present day in Babylonian exile. The Lord recounts how Israel repeatedly broke His commandments, despised His statutes, and engaged in idolatry, particularly the detestable practice of passing their children through the fire to pagan deities like Molech. This verse specifically condemns their current offerings, which were nullified by their simultaneous commitment to such heinous acts. Their desire to "enquire" of the Lord was a mockery while their hands were stained with innocent blood and their lives devoted to idols.

Key Themes

  • Persistent Idolatry and Defilement: The phrase "even unto this day" highlights the deep-seated and ongoing nature of Israel's unfaithfulness. Their "gifts" were offered alongside acts of profound spiritual pollution, demonstrating a complete lack of genuine repentance or devotion to the one true God.
  • God's Uncompromising Holiness: The Lord's emphatic oath, "As I live, saith the Lord GOD," emphasizes His absolute and uncompromising holiness. He cannot be associated with or consulted by those who actively defile themselves with such grievous sins, especially child sacrifice, which was an abomination to Him.
  • Rejection of Hypocritical Worship: God refuses to be sought or consulted by those whose worship is external and insincere. Their outward offerings were rendered meaningless and even offensive because their hearts were divided and their actions abominable. True worship requires purity and wholehearted devotion.
  • Divine Judgment and Separation: God's refusal to be "enquired of" signifies a severe judgment, a withdrawal of His presence and guidance from a people who have so thoroughly rejected Him through their actions. It implies a spiritual separation due to their persistent rebellion.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "pollute yourselves" is tame' (טָמֵא), which signifies ritual and moral defilement, making something or someone unclean and unfit for holy use or presence. This emphasizes the gravity of their sin, rendering them utterly unacceptable to a holy God. The phrase "enquired of" comes from the Hebrew darash (דָּרַשׁ), meaning to seek, consult, or resort to for guidance. God's declaration means He will not allow Himself to be consulted, nor will He provide answers or direction to those who simultaneously engage in such profound defilement.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 20:31 serves as a timeless warning against syncretism and hypocrisy in worship. While we may not literally "pass our sons through the fire" today, this verse challenges us to examine what "idols" we might be serving alongside our professed faith in God. Modern idols can include money, power, self-indulgence, careers, relationships, or anything that takes precedence over God in our lives. The message is clear: God demands wholehearted devotion and genuine purity. He cannot be mocked by outward religious acts if our hearts and lives are defiled by competing allegiances. True seeking of God requires repentance, a commitment to His holiness, and a willingness to abandon all forms of spiritual compromise.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 7:31

    And they have built the high places of Tophet, which [is] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded [them] not, neither came it into my heart.

  • Ezekiel 20:26

    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.

  • Psalms 106:37

    Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

  • Psalms 106:39

    Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

  • Isaiah 1:15

    And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

  • Jeremiah 14:12

    When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

  • 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,

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