Albert Barnes Commentary Ezekiel 20
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezekiel 20
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezekiel 20
"And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me." — Ezekiel 20:1 (ASV)
The elders of Israel - These were as in Ezekiel 14:1, some of Ezekiel’s fellow-exiles, designated in general terms by the name of Israel, though more properly belonging to the kingdom of Judah.
"Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Is it to inquire of me that ye are come? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you." — Ezekiel 20:3 (ASV)
Enquire: As to the hope of deliverance from the Babylonians.
"Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers;" — Ezekiel 20:4 (ASV)
Wilt thou judge them? - We should rather say, Will you not judge them? that is, will you not pronounce sentence upon them? Compare (Ezekiel 22:2).
"and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when I chose Israel, and sware unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I sware unto them, saying, I am Jehovah your God; in that day I sware unto them, to bring them forth 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. And I said unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Jehovah your God. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me; they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I wrought 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 unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt." — Ezekiel 20:5-9 (ASV)
The children of Israel in Egypt were warned to abstain from the idolatry of the pagans. They lost sight of this purpose, yet God spared them and brought them into another state of probation (Ezekiel 20:5).
Lifted up mine hand—that is, swore, because the hand was lifted up in swearing an oath (Ezekiel 20:8).
Idols of Egypt—These incidental notices show the children of Israel in Egypt to have been addicted to idolatry .
I wrought for my name’s sake—so that it would not appear to the Egyptians that Yahweh was a God who would, but could not, save (Ezekiel 20:9).
"So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them my statutes, and showed them mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they rejected mine 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 upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. But I wrought for my name`s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. Moreover also I sware unto 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; because they rejected mine ordinances, and walked not in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless mine eye spared them, and I destroyed them not, neither did I make a full end of them in the wilderness. And I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am Jehovah your God: walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am Jehovah your God. But the children rebelled against me; they walked not in my statutes, neither kept mine 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 upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and wrought for my name`s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth. Moreover I sware unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; because they had not executed mine ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers` idols. Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances wherein they should not live; 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." — Ezekiel 20:10-26 (ASV)
The probation in the wilderness. The promise was forfeited by those to whom it was first conditionally made, but was renewed to their children.
Ezekiel 20:11. The “statutes” were given on Mount Sinai, and repeated by Moses before his death (Exodus 20:1 and following; Deuteronomy 4:8).
In them - Or, through them: and in Ezekiel 20:13.
Ezekiel 20:12. See Exodus 31:13. The Sabbath was a sign of a special people, commemorative of the work of creation, and hallowed to the honor of Yahweh, the covenant-God. As man honored God by keeping the Sabbath holy, so by the Sabbath, God “sanctified” Israel and marked them as a holy people. Therefore to profane the Sabbath was to abjure their Divine Governor.
Ezekiel 20:13. My sabbaths they greatly polluted - Not by actual non-observance of the sabbatical rest in the wilderness, but in failing to make the day holy in deed as well as in name by earnest worship and true heart service.
Ezekiel 20:18. The book of Deuteronomy contains the address to “the children” of those who perished in the wilderness. The whole history of Israel was a repetition of this course. The covenant was made with one generation, broken by them, and then renewed to the next.
Ezekiel 20:25. The “judgments by which they should not live” are those spoken of in Ezekiel 20:18, and are contrasted with the judgments in Ezekiel 20:13, Ezekiel 20:21, laws other than divine, to which God gives up those whom He afflicts with judicial blindness, because they have willfully closed their eyes (Psalms 81:12; Romans 1:24).
Ezekiel 20:26. To pass through - The word also means to “set apart,” as the firstborn to the Lord (Exodus 13:12). They were commanded to “set apart” their firstborn males to the Lord. They “caused them to pass through the fire” to Moloch. An instance of their perversion of God’s laws.
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