Deep Dive

Ezekiel 20:31

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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!

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 31

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. 31

נָשָׂא (nâsâʼ, H5375) — to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative מַתָּנָה (mattânâh, H4979) — a present; specifically (in a good sense), a sacrificial offering, (in a bad sense) a… בֵּן (bên, H1121) — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative… עָבַר (ʻâbar, H5674) — to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive,… אֵשׁ (ʼêsh, H784) — fire (literally or figuratively) טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ, H2930) — to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated) גִּלּוּל (gillûwl, H1544) — properly, a log (as round); by implication, an idol יוֹם (yôwm, H3117) — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to… דָּרַשׁ (dârash, H1875) — properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by… בַּיִת (bayith, H1004) — a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.) יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrâʼêl, H3478) — Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity חַי (chay, H2416) — alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially… נְאֻם (nᵉʼum, H5002) — an oracle אֲדֹנָי (ʼĂdônây, H136) — the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)

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Cross-references

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

Ezekiel 20:26rank 3

And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.

Jeremiah 7:31rank 3

They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

Jeremiah 19:5rank 1

They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

Isaiah 1:15rank 1

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Zechariah 7:13rank 1

And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.

Proverbs 28:9rank 1

Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.

Jeremiah 14:12rank 1

Although they may fast, I will not listen to their cry; although they may offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague.”

Ezekiel 20:3rank 1

“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of Me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 16:20rank 1

You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough?

Job 27:8rank 1

For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

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