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Ezekiel 20:21

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But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 21

In this chapter, I. The prophet is consulted by some of the elders of Israel (Eze 20:1). II. He is instructed by his God what answer to give them. He must, 1. Signify God's displeasure against them (Eze 20:2, Eze 20:3). And, 2. He must show them what just cause he had for that displeasure, by giving them a history of God's grateful dealings with their fathers and their treacherous dealings with God. (1.) In Egypt (Eze 20:5-9). (2.) In the wilderness (v. 10-26). (3.) In Canaan (Eze 20:27-32). 3. He must denounce the judgments of God against them (Eze 20:33-36). 4. He must tell them likewise what mercy God had in store for them, when he would bring a remnant of them to repentance, re-establish them in their own land, and set up his sanctuary among them again (Eze 20:37-44). 5. Here is another word dropped towards Jerusalem, which is explained and enlarged upon in the next chapter (Eze 20:45-49).

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 21

בֵּן (bên, H1121) — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative… מָרָה (mârâh, H4784) — to be (causatively, make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist;… הָלַךְ (hâlak, H1980) — to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively) חֻקָּה (chuqqâh, H2708) — {an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)} שָׁמַר (shâmar, H8104) — properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to,… מִשְׁפָּט (mishpâṭ, H4941) — properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a… עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application אָדָם (ʼâdâm, H120) — ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.) חָיַי (châyay, H2425) — to live; causatively to revive חָלַל (châlal, H2490) — properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane… שַׁבָּת (shabbâth, H7676) — intermission, i.e (specifically) the Sabbath אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude) שָׁפַךְ (shâphak, H8210) — to spill forth (blood, a libation, liquid metal; or even a solid, i.e. to mound up); also… חֵמָה (chêmâh, H2534) — heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Ezekiel 20:13rank 7

Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 20:8rank 5

But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 31:27rank 4

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!

Numbers 21:5rank 4

and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

II Chronicles 34:21rank 2

“Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words in the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD by doing all that is written in this book.”

Ezekiel 21:31rank 2

I will pour out My anger upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction.

Daniel 11:36rank 2

Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished.

Revelation of John 16:1rank 2

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”

II Chronicles 34:25rank 2

because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be quenched.’

Ezekiel 13:15rank 2

And after I have vented My wrath against the wall and against those who whitewashed it, I will say to you: ‘The wall is gone, and so are those who whitewashed it—

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