Ezekiel 7:20

Translation
King James Version
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.
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KJV (with Strong's)
As for the beauty H6643 of his ornament H5716, he set H7760 it in majesty H1347: but they made H6213 the images H6754 of their abominations H8441 and of their detestable things H8251 therein: therefore have I set H5414 it far H5079 from them.
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Complete Jewish Bible
From their beautiful jewellery, in which they took such pride, they made their abominable idols and their other detestable things; therefore, for them I have caused it to be like something unclean.
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Berean Standard Bible
His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.
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American Standard Version
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it unto them as an unclean thing.
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World English Bible Messianic
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it to them as an unclean thing.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
He had also set the beautie of his ornament in maiestie: but they made images of their abominations, and of their idoles therein: therefore haue I set it farre from them.
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Young's Literal Translation
As to the beauty of his ornament, For excellency He set it, And the images of their abominations, Their detestable things--they made in it, Therefore I have given it to them for impurity,
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See also
Ezekiel 24:21Jeremiah 7:30Ezekiel 8:15Ezekiel 8:16Ezekiel 8:7Ezekiel 8:10Ezekiel 9:7
In the KJVVerse 20,598 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Ezekiel 7:20 powerfully encapsulates the profound spiritual degradation of ancient Judah, focusing on the egregious desecration of the Jerusalem Temple. Despite its divine establishment as a place of unparalleled beauty and majesty, intended to house God's glorious presence, the people of Israel willfully defiled it by introducing idolatrous images and engaging in detestable pagan practices. This audacious act of profanation, a direct affront to Yahweh's holiness and covenant, provoked His righteous judgment, leading to His solemn declaration that He would withdraw His protective presence and abandon the Temple, thereby signaling its impending destruction and the inevitable Babylonian exile.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 7 marks a dramatic shift in the prophet's pronouncements, moving from general warnings to an urgent, specific, and all-encompassing declaration of "the end" that has come upon the land of Israel. The chapter is characterized by its repetitive and emphatic language, underscoring the finality and inescapability of God's judgment due to pervasive sin. Verse 20 serves as a pivotal explanation for why this cataclysmic judgment is imminent, highlighting the particularly heinous sin of Temple desecration. It immediately precedes a vivid description of the chaos and despair that will engulf the land, where material wealth becomes worthless in the face of divine wrath, as people cast their silver and gold into the streets because it cannot save them (Ezekiel 7:19). This verse sets the stage for the more detailed and graphic visions of Temple abominations that Ezekiel will witness in Ezekiel 8, where the prophet is supernaturally transported to Jerusalem and shown various forms of idolatry being brazenly practiced within the very precincts of the sanctuary, thereby confirming the charges laid out in Ezekiel 7:20. The narrative flow emphasizes the direct correlation between Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness and God's righteous, inevitable response.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecy of Ezekiel 7 is delivered during the early years of the Babylonian exile, specifically after the first deportation of Judah's elite in 597 BC. Ezekiel, himself among the exiles, prophesies to a people who, despite their displacement, still clung to the false and dangerous hope that Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple were inviolable due to God's presence. However, the spiritual reality in Judah was dire. For generations, the kingdom had consistently violated the Mosaic Covenant, engaging in widespread idolatry, social injustice, and moral corruption. The Temple, intended to be the exclusive dwelling place of Yahweh and the sacred center of pure monotheistic worship, had tragically devolved into a syncretistic site. Kings like Manasseh had not only permitted but actively promoted pagan worship, even placing idols within the Temple itself (2 Kings 21:4-7). While some reforms, such as those under Josiah, attempted to cleanse the Temple, they were often superficial or short-lived, with the people quickly reverting to their idolatrous ways. The actions described in Ezekiel 7:20 represent the culmination of generations of covenant unfaithfulness, leading to the inevitable divine response: the withdrawal of God's protective presence and the subsequent destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC, an event that would shatter the people's false sense of security.
  • Key Themes: This verse profoundly contributes to several overarching themes prominent in the book of Ezekiel and throughout the broader prophetic literature. Foremost is the theme of God's inviolable holiness and righteous justice, demonstrating unequivocally that His pure presence cannot coexist with persistent sin and defilement. The desecration of the Temple underscores the theme of idolatry as spiritual adultery, portraying Israel's profound unfaithfulness to their covenant Lord by turning to "abominations" and "detestable things" that directly compete with His exclusive claim to worship. This audacious act of profaning sacred space directly challenges God's majesty and sovereignty, leading to the inevitable divine judgment and the withdrawal of His glory. The verse highlights the severe consequences of covenant disobedience, illustrating that God's promises of blessing are contingent upon faithfulness, and His warnings of curses for rebellion are absolute and will be executed (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The Temple, once a vibrant symbol of God's dwelling among His people and a source of national security, tragically becomes a testament to their rebellion and the very reason for His departure, a solemn theme further developed and visually depicted in Ezekiel 10.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • beauty (Hebrew, tsᵉbîy', H6643): From the root צָבָה (tsabah), meaning "to be prominent," this word signifies splendor, glory, or conspicuous beauty. In Ezekiel 7:20, it refers to the magnificent and glorious Temple in Jerusalem, emphasizing its architectural grandeur and its intended purpose as a place reflecting God's own glory and presence. It highlights the stark contrast between the Temple's inherent sacredness and what it tragically became due to human sin.
  • majesty (Hebrew, gâʼôwn', H1347): Derived from גָּאָה (ga'ah), meaning "to rise up" or "be exalted," this term denotes arrogance, excellency, pomp, or pride. In a positive sense, as used here, it refers to majesty or glory. It underscores the inherent dignity, honor, and sacredness of the Temple, indicating that it was established by God with a divine purpose and imbued with His glorious presence. The people's actions were a direct affront to this inherent majesty and the divine honor it represented.
  • detestable things (Hebrew, shiqqûwts', H8251): This word, from the root שָׁקַץ (shaqats), meaning "to be disgusting," refers to something filthy, abominable, or disgusting, especially in a religious sense, often concretely referring to an idol. It is a strong term used to describe idolatrous practices and objects that are utterly repugnant to God, highlighting the extreme nature of the defilement introduced into His holy dwelling place. It signifies the profound spiritual impurity that provoked God's wrath.

Verse Breakdown

  • "As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty": This opening clause refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. "His ornament" (H5716, ʻădîy') describes the Temple as God's precious adornment or finery, emphasizing its magnificent structure and its profound spiritual significance. The phrase "he set it in majesty" (H7760, sûwm' and H1347, gâʼôwn') indicates that God Himself established the Temple in a position of honor, splendor, and inherent sacredness, as a testament to His glorious presence among His people. It speaks to the Temple's divinely ordained glory and purpose.
  • "but they made the images of their abominations [and] of their detestable things therein": This is the core accusation and the pivot point of the verse. "They" refers to the people of Judah. Despite the Temple's sacred nature and divine establishment, they actively "made" (H6213, ʻâsâh') and introduced idols ("images" H6754, tselem') and engaged in pagan worship practices ("abominations" H8441, tôwʻêbah' and "detestable things" H8251, shiqqûwts') within its very precincts. This was a direct, willful act of rebellion and spiritual defilement, a brazen affront to the holy God who dwelt there and to the covenant He had made with Israel.
  • "therefore have I set it far from them": This concluding clause declares God's divine response and judgment. As a direct and inevitable consequence of their persistent profanation, God states that He will "set it far" (H5414, nâthan' and H5079, niddâh') from them. This implies a decisive withdrawal of His protective presence, favor, and blessing from the Temple and, by extension, from the people. It signifies the abandonment of the Temple to its impending destruction and the subsequent Babylonian exile, marking the end of His dwelling among them in that physical space due to their unrepentant sin.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 7:20 is powerfully constructed through Contrast, a central literary device that highlights the stark opposition between the Temple's intended glory and its actual defilement. The verse juxtaposes the "beauty" and "majesty" with the "abominations" and "detestable things," creating a profound sense of tragic irony. The Temple itself functions as potent Symbolism, representing God's holy presence, His covenant relationship with Israel, and the spiritual health of the nation. Its desecration thus symbolizes the breaking of that covenant and the profound spiritual corruption that had permeated Judah. The phrase "set it far from them" employs Metonymy, where the physical removal or abandonment of the Temple signifies God's withdrawal of His protective presence and the impending judgment on the people. This declaration also embodies Divine Retribution, directly linking the people's actions of defilement to God's just and severe consequence, underscoring His unwavering commitment to holiness and justice.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 7:20 profoundly illustrates the biblical principle that God's absolute holiness demands separation from sin and that persistent defilement of what is sacred inevitably leads to divine judgment. The Temple, as the earthly dwelling place of God's glory, was meant to be a beacon of His purity and a unique center for true worship, a symbol of His covenant faithfulness. Its desecration by idolatry was not merely a ritualistic offense but a profound act of covenant unfaithfulness, demonstrating Israel's spiritual rebellion and their rejection of God's unique sovereignty. This verse underscores that God's presence is not a guarantee of perpetual immunity from judgment, but rather a call to purity and obedience. When His people profane His name and His dwelling, He will, in His justice, withdraw His favor, leading to devastating consequences that serve as a testament to His righteous character.

  • Ezekiel 8:5-18 - Provides a detailed, visual account of the very "abominations" and "detestable things" mentioned in Ezekiel 7:20, showing the extent of idolatry within the Temple precincts.
  • Ezekiel 10:18-19 - Describes the dramatic departure of the glory of the Lord from the Temple, a direct and visual fulfillment of God's declaration to "set it far from them."
  • Jeremiah 7:1-15 - Jeremiah's "Temple Sermon" also warns Judah against relying on the physical Temple as a talisman while engaging in idolatry and injustice, predicting its destruction similar to Shiloh, reinforcing the message of Ezekiel.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 7:20 serves as a timeless and sobering reminder of God's absolute holiness and the severe consequences of profaning what is sacred. While the physical Temple in Jerusalem no longer stands, the principles embedded in this verse resonate deeply for believers today. The New Testament teaches that individual believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit and that the church corporately is God's dwelling place by the Spirit. This profound truth calls us to a rigorous introspection: are we allowing "abominations" and "detestable things"—whether they be sinful habits, worldly idols (e.g., comfort, success, self-worship), ungodly attitudes, or compromised worship—to defile the "temple" of our hearts or the corporate body of Christ? This verse challenges us to cultivate a life of profound purity, reverence, and wholehearted devotion to God, recognizing that His presence is not to be taken for granted but cherished and honored through obedience and genuine worship. It compels us to examine our priorities, ensuring that our lives reflect the beauty and majesty of God's character, rather than being marred by the detestable allurements of the world. Our response to God's holiness determines the depth of His dwelling among us.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what subtle or overt ways might I be allowing "abominations" or "detestable things" (e.g., idolatry of comfort, success, or self-image) to defile the "temple" of my heart or my spiritual walk?
  • How does my personal and corporate worship reflect the "beauty" and "majesty" of God, or are there elements that might be considered "detestable" in His holy sight?
  • What practical steps can I take to cultivate a greater sense of reverence for God's holiness in my daily life, my thought patterns, and my interactions within the church community?

FAQ

What was "the beauty of his ornament" referring to in Ezekiel 7:20?

Answer: "The beauty of his ornament" (KJV) or "their beautiful ornament" (ESV) refers to the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. This phrase highlights its architectural splendor, its precious adornments, and its profound spiritual significance as the dwelling place of God's glory and majesty among His people. It was designed and established by God to be a beautiful and sacred space, reflecting the holiness of Yahweh, but it was tragically defiled by human sin and idolatry. The phrase emphasizes the stark contrast between the Temple's intended glory and its actual state of defilement.

What kind of "abominations" and "detestable things" were being practiced in the Temple?

Answer: The "abominations" and "detestable things" refer to various forms of idolatry and pagan rituals that the people of Judah introduced into the Temple, directly violating God's covenant commands. This included setting up idols of foreign gods (like Baal and Asherah), worshipping celestial bodies (sun, moon, stars), engaging in cultic prostitution, and even practices like child sacrifice (though typically outside the Temple, it was part of the broader idolatrous culture that provoked God's wrath). Ezekiel 8 provides a graphic depiction of some of these specific pagan practices occurring within the Temple courts, such as the worship of creeping things, detestable beasts, and women weeping for Tammuz. These acts were explicitly forbidden by God's law and were a profound affront to His holiness and exclusive claim to worship.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 7:20, with its lament over the desecrated Temple and the subsequent divine withdrawal, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in several profound ways. First, Jesus Himself confronted the defilement of the physical Temple in Jerusalem, not by pagan idols, but by commercial exploitation and hypocrisy, declaring, "My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Matthew 21:13). This prophetic act foreshadowed the end of the physical Temple as the central locus of God's presence and the old covenant system. More significantly, Jesus declared, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), referring to the temple of His own body. Christ Himself became the true and ultimate Temple, the perfect dwelling place of God, in whom all the fullness of God dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9). His sinless life, sacrificial death on the cross, and glorious resurrection perfectly cleansed the ultimate "temple," offering a perfect atonement for the "abominations" and "detestable things" of humanity's sin. Through His sacrifice, believers are now made pure and are spiritually incorporated into Him, becoming living stones in a spiritual house, collectively forming the temple of the Holy Spirit, where God's presence truly resides. Thus, the "setting far" of the Old Covenant Temple paves the way for the "drawing near" of God in Christ, who perfectly fulfills the Temple's purpose and establishes a new, undefiled, and eternal dwelling place for God among redeemed humanity.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 7 verses 16–22

We have attended the fate of those that are cut off, and are now to attend the flight of those that have an opportunity of escaping the danger; some of them shall escape (Eze 7:16), but what the better? As good die once as, in a miserable life, die a thousand deaths, and escape only like Cain to be fugitives and vagabonds, and afraid of being slain by every one they meet; so shall these be.

I. They shall have no comfort or satisfaction in their own minds, but be in continual anguish and terror; for, wherever they go, they carry about with them guilty consciences, which make them a burden to themselves. 1. They shall be always solitary and under prevailing melancholy; they shall not be in the cities, or places of concourse, but all alone upon the mountains, not caring for society, but shy of it, as being ashamed of the low circumstances to which they are reduced. 2. They shall be always sorrowful. Those have reason to be so that are under the tokens of God's displeasure; and God can make those so that have been most jovial and have set sorrow at defiance. Those that once thought themselves as the lions of the mountains, so daring were they, now become as the doves of the valleys, so timid are they, and so dispirited, ready to flee when none pursues and to tremble at the shaking of a leaf. They are all of them mourning (not with a godly sorrow, but with the sorrow of the world, which works death), every one for his iniquity, that is, for those calamities which they now see their iniquity has brought upon them, not only the iniquity of the land, but their own: they shall then be brought to acknowledge what they have each of them contributed to the national guilt. Note, Sooner or later sin will have sorrow of one kind or other; and those that will not repent of their iniquity may justly be left to pine away in it; those that will not mourn for it as it is an offence to God shall be made to mourn for it as it is a shame and ruin to themselves, to mourn at the last, when the flesh and the body are consumed, and to say, How have I hated instruction! Pro 5:11, Pro 5:12. 3. They shall be deprived of all their strength of body and mind (Eze 7:17): All hands shall be feeble, so that they shall not be able to fight, or defend themselves, and all knees shall be weak as water, so that they shall neither be able to flee nor to stand their ground; they shall feel a universal colliquation: their knees shall flow as water, so that they must fall of course. Note, It is folly for the strong man to glory in his strength, for God can soon weaken it. 4. They shall be deprived of all their hopes and shall abandon themselves to despair (Eze 7:18); they shall have nothing to hold up their spirits with; their aspects shall show what are their prospects, all dreadful, for they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, as having no expectation ever to wear better clothing. Horror shall cover them, and shame, and baldness, all the expressions of a desperate sorrow, Isa 17:11. Note, Those that will not be kept from sin by fear and shame shall by fear and shame be punished for it; such is the confusion that sin will end in.

II. They shall have no benefit from their wealth and riches, but shall be perfectly sick of them, Eze 7:19. Those that were reduced to this distress were such as had had abundance of silver and gold, money, and plate, and jewels, and other valuable goods, from which they promised themselves a great deal of advantage in times of public trouble. They thought their wealth would be their strong city, that with it they could bribe enemies and buy friends, that it would be the ransom of their lives, that they could never want bread as long as they had money, and that money would answer all things; but see how it proved. 1. Their wealth had been a great temptation to them in the day of their prosperity; they set their affections upon it, and put their confidence in it. By their eager pursuit of it they were drawn into sin, and by their plentiful enjoyment of it they were hardened in sin; and thus it was the stumbling-block of their iniquity; it occasioned their falling into sin and obstructed their return to God. Note, There are many whose wealth is their snare and ruin. The gaining of the world is the losing of their souls; it makes them proud, secure, covetous, oppressive, voluptuous; and that which, it well used, might have been the servant of their piety, being abused, becomes the stumbling-block of their iniquity. 2. It was no relief to them now in the day of their adversity; for, (1.) Their gold and silver could not protect them from the judgments of God. They shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not serve to atone his justice, or turn away his wrath, nor to screen them from the judgments he is bringing upon them. Note, Riches profit not in the day of wrath, Pro 11:4. They neither set them so high that god's judgments cannot reach them nor make them so strong that they cannot conquer them. There is a day of wrath coming, when it will appear that men's wealth is utterly unable to deliver them or do them any service. What the better was the rich man for his full barns when his soul was required of him, or that other rich man for his purple, and scarlet, and sumptuous fare, when in hell he could not procure a drop of water to cool his tongue? Money is no defence against the arrests of death, nor any alleviation to the miseries of the damned. (2.) Their gold and silver could not give them any content under their calamities. [1.] They could not fill their bowels; when there was no bread left in the city, none to be had for love or money, their silver and gold could not satisfy their hunger, nor serve to make one meal's meat for them. Note, We could better be without mines of gold than fields of corn; the products of the earth, which may easily be gathered from the surface of it, are much greater blessings to mankind than its treasures, which are with so much difficulty and hazard dug out of its bowels. If God give us daily bread, we have reason to be thankful, and no reason to complain, though silver and gold we have none. [2.] Much less could they satisfy their souls, or yield them any inward comfort. Note, The wealth of this world has not that in it which will answer the desires of the soul, or be any satisfaction to it in a day of distress. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, much less he that loses it. (3.) Their gold and silver shall be thrown into the streets, either by the hands of the enemy, who shall have more spoil than they care for or can carry away (silver shall be nothing accounted of; they shall cast that in the streets; but the gold, which is more valuable, shall be removed and brought to Babylon); or they themselves shall throw away their silver and gold, because it would be an incumbrance to them and retard their flight, or because it would expose them and be a temptation to the enemy to cut their throats for their money, or in indignation at it, because, after all the care and pains they had taken to scrape it together and hoard it up, they found that it would stand them in no stead, but do them a mischief rather. Note, The world passes away, and the lusts thereof, Jo1 2:17. The time may come when worldly men will be as weary of their wealth as now they are wedded to it, when those will fare best that have least.

III. God's temple shall stand them in no stead, Eze 7:20-22. This they had prided themselves in, and promised themselves security from (Jer 7:4; Mic 3:11); but this confidence of theirs shall fail them. Observe, 1. The great honour God had done to that people in setting up his sanctuary among them (Eze 7:20): As for the beauty of his ornament, that holy and beautiful house, where they and their fathers praised God (Isa 64:11), which was therefore beautiful because holy (it was called the beauty of holiness, and holiness is the beauty of its ornament; it was also adorned with gold and gifts) - as for this, he set it in majesty; every thing was contrived to make it magnificent, that it might help to make the people of Israel the more illustrious among their neighbours. He built his sanctuary like high palaces, Psa 78:69. It was a glorious high throne from the beginning, Jer 17:12. But, 2. Here is the great dishonour they had done to God in profaning his sanctuary; they made the images of their counterfeit deities, which they set up in rivalship with God, and which are here called their abominations and their detestable things (for so they were to God, and so they should have been to them), and these they set up in God's temple, than which a greater affront could not be put upon him. And therefore, 3. It is here threatened that they shall be deprived of the temple, and it shall be no succour to them: Therefore have I set it far from them, that is, sent them far from it, so that it is out of the reach of their services and they are out of the reach of its influences. Note, God's ordinances, and the privileges of a profession of religion, will justly be taken away from those that despise and profane them. Nay, they shall not only be kept at a distance from the temple, but the temple itself shall be involved in the common desolation (Eze 7:21); the Chaldeans, who are strangers, and therefore have no veneration for it, who are the wicked of the earth, and therefore have an antipathy to it, shall have it for a prey and for a spoil; all the ornaments and treasures of it shall fall into their hands, who will make no difference between that and other plunder. This was a grief to the saints in Zion, who complained of nothing so much as of that which the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary (Psa 74:3); but it was the punishment of the sinners in Zion, who, by profaning the temple with strange gods, provoked God to suffer it to be profaned by strange nations, and to turn his face from those that did it as if he had not seen them and their crimes and from those that deprecated it as not regarding them and their prayers. Let the soldiers do as they will; let them enter into the secret place, into the holy of holies, as robbers; let them strip it, let them pollute it; its defence has departed, and then farewell all its glory. Note, Those are unworthy to be honoured with the form of godliness who will not be governed by the power of godliness.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 16–22. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 20) And they put the ornament of their necklaces upon their pride, and they made images of their abominations and idols from it. LXX: The chosen ones of the world have put it upon their pride, and they have made images of their abominations and stumbling blocks from it. Which I, he says, had given as an ornament to those who possessed and to the wealthy, they have turned into pride, so that they could use them to free their own souls through alms and good works, and from them they had material for arrogance. Finally, they made idols out of gold and silver, and turned my gifts into images of demons. Moreover, what the Seventy said is applicable to their pride in bringing gold and silver: nothing is considered more precious in the world. And what follows, we know is found in Theodotion. The meaning is easily understood according to the allegory, that heretics have used gold and silver, the senses and the words of Scripture that have been chosen as the world's treasures, and which have been given to us as ornaments, as fuel and material for pride, and they have made images of various doctrines and abominations and stumbling blocks from them, so that by means of these they could worship and adore God, but instead they offend God.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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