Ezekiel 20
20
Israel’s History of Infidelity. 1In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month,#The seventh year…the fifth month: August 14, 591 B.C. some of the elders of Israel came to consult the Lord and sat down before me.#cf. Ez 8:1. 2Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to consult me? As I live, I will not allow myself to be consulted by you!—oracle of the Lord God.
4Will you judge them? Will you judge, son of man? Tell them about the abominations of their ancestors,#cf. Ez 16:2; Mt 23:32. 5and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: The day I chose Israel, I swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob; I revealed myself to them in the land of Egypt and swore to them, saying: I am the Lord, your God. 6That day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt to the land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, a jewel among all lands.#Ex 3:8; 6:8; Dt 8:7–10. 7Then I said to them: Throw away, each of you, the detestable things#Detestable things: in the Book of Ezekiel, Israel’s continued worship of idols in Egypt and in the wilderness, despite the Lord’s powerful deeds on their behalf, is the reason God punishes them so severely; they must learn and acknowledge that he is their only Lord. Cf., e.g., Exodus (5:1–6:9; 14:10–30; 16:1–36) and Numbers (11:1–15; 14:1–12; 20:1–9), where the people’s failure to trust Moses and the Lord brings punishment. that held your eyes; do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord, your God.#Ex 20:2–4.
8But they rebelled and refused to listen to me; none of them threw away the detestable things that held their eyes, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I considered pouring out my fury and spending my anger against them there in the land of Egypt.#cf. Ez 16:26; Ex 32:7. 9I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be desecrated in the eyes of the nations among whom they were: in the eyes of the nations I had made myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.#cf. Ez 36:22. 10Therefore I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11#Lv 18:5; Dt 4:7–8; Rom 10:5. Then I gave them my statutes and made known to them my ordinances, so that everyone who keeps them has life through them. 12#Ex 20:8, 10; 31:13; Dt 5:12; Neh 13:17–18. I also gave them my sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, to show that it is I, the Lord, who makes them holy.
13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not observe my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances that bring life to those who keep them. My sabbaths, too, they desecrated grievously. Then I considered pouring out my fury on them in the wilderness to put an end to them,#Jer 11:7–8; 17:21–23. 14but I acted for the sake of my name, so it would not be desecrated in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.#Is 48:11. 15Nevertheless in the wilderness I swore to them that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, a jewel among all the lands. 16Their hearts followed after their idols so closely that they did not live by my statutes, but rejected my ordinances and desecrated my sabbaths. 17But I looked on them with pity, not wanting to destroy them, so I did not put an end to them in the wilderness.
18Then I said to their children in the wilderness: Do not follow the statutes of your parents. Do not keep their ordinances. Do not defile yourselves with their idols. 19I am the Lord, your God: follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances; 20keep holy my sabbaths as a sign between me and you so that you may know that I am the Lord, your God.#Ex 31:13. 21But their children rebelled against me: they did not follow my statutes or keep my ordinances that bring life to those who observe them; my sabbaths they desecrated. Then I considered pouring out my fury on them, spending my anger against them in the wilderness; 22but I stayed my hand, acting for the sake of my name, lest it be desecrated in the eyes of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23Nevertheless I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them in other lands, 24because they did not carry out my ordinances, but rejected my statutes and desecrated my sabbaths, having eyes only for the idols of their ancestors. 25Therefore I gave them statutes that were not good,#I gave them statutes that were not good: because Israel rejected the Lord’s life-giving laws, he “gave” laws (e.g., the sacrifice of every firstborn) that would lead only to death and destruction. Dt 12:29–31; Jer 7:31; 19:4–5 may address a popular assumption that the Lord accepted and perhaps required child sacrifice, especially as evidence of great trust during national emergencies (2 Kgs 3:27; Mi 6:7). By combining language from Ex 22:28 with the vocabulary of child sacrifice, Ezekiel suggests that firstborn sons were regularly sacrificed in Israel. and ordinances through which they could not have life.#cf. Rom 1:28. 26I let them become defiled by their offerings, by having them make a fiery offering of every womb’s firstborn, in order to ruin them so they might know that I am the Lord.#Lv 18:21.
27Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: In this way also your ancestors blasphemed me, breaking faith with me. 28When I brought them to the land I had sworn to give them, and they saw all its high hills and leafy trees, there they offered sacrifices, there they made offerings to provoke me, there they sent up sweet-smelling oblations, there they poured out their libations.#Ps 78:57–58. 29So I said to them, “What is this high place#High place: a cultic site, originally a hilltop, but often a raised platform in a sacred area. Until Deuteronomy’s insistence that official and legitimate worship of the Lord take place only in Jerusalem, these local shrines were popular places for worship (e.g., 1 Sm 9–10) or for consulting the Lord (1 Kgs 3:4–5). In order to unite the Kingdom of Judah politically and religiously, Dt 12:2 demands destruction of the high places. Ezekiel, like other prophets, condemns Israelite worship at these places and identifies this illegitimate worship as one reason for the punishment of exile. to which you go?” Thus its name became “high place” even to this day.#cf. Ez 16:16. 30Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves in the way your ancestors did? Will you lust after their detestable idols? 31By offering your gifts, by making your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols even to this day. Shall I let myself be consulted by you, house of Israel? As I live—oracle of the Lord God—I swear I will not let myself be consulted by you!#Ps 106:37–39.
32What has entered your mind shall never happen: You are thinking, “We shall be like the nations, like the peoples of foreign lands, serving wood and stone.” 33As I live—oracle of the Lord God—with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with wrath poured out, I swear I will be king over you!#Dt 4:34; 5:1. 34With mighty hand and outstretched arm, with wrath poured out, I will bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries over which you are scattered;#Ps 106:47. 35#Exile among other lands occasions a new exodus and a new wilderness journey back to Israel. The Lord will eliminate the rebellious, as he did on the first journey, and use the surviving remnant to reveal his power to the nations. I will lead you to the wilderness of the peoples and enter into judgment with you face to face. 36Just as I entered into judgment with your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you—oracle of the Lord God. 37Thus I will make you pass under the staff#Pass under the staff: in Lv 27:32–33, a method of counting off animals to select those to be dedicated for the tithe. In Ezekiel, on the other hand, those who survive the selection process are marked for destruction for violating the covenant. and will impose on you the terms of the covenant.#Lv 27:3; Jer 33:13. 38I will sort out from you those who defied me and rebelled against me; from the land where they resided as aliens I will bring them out, but they shall not return to the land of Israel. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord.
39As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go! each of you, and worship your idols. Listen to me! You shall never again desecrate my holy name with your offerings and your idols!#Ex 20:7. 40For on my holy mountain,#Holy mountain: the Temple mount and Jerusalem in contrast to “every high hill” in v. 28 (cf. the royal Zion theology in Ps 48:2). Acceptable worship takes place here among a restored people, a theme taken up in chaps. 40–48 (cf. 40:2). on the highest mountain in Israel—oracle of the Lord God—there the whole house of Israel shall worship me; there in the land I will accept them all, there I will claim your tributes, the best of your offerings, from all your holy things.#cf. Ps 2:6; Is 11:9; 56:7. 41As a sweet-smelling oblation I will accept you, when I bring you from among the nations and gather you out of the lands over which you were scattered; and through you I will manifest my holiness in the sight of the nations.#cf. 2 Cor 2:14. 42Thus you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you back to the soil of Israel, the land I swore to give your ancestors. 43There you shall remember your ways, all the deeds by which you defiled yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves because of all the evil you did.#Lv 26:41. 44And you shall know that I am the Lord when I deal with you thus, for the sake of my name, not according to your evil ways and wanton deeds, house of Israel—oracle of the Lord God.#cf. Ez 36:22.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Ezekiel 20
20
God’s Dealings with Israel for His Name’s Sake
1And then in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to consult Yahweh, and they sat before me.#Literally “to the face of” 2And the word of Yahweh came#Literally “was” to me, saying,#Literally “to say” 3“Son of man,#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” speak with the elders of Israel, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Are you coming to consult me? As I live,#Literally “live I” I will surely not allow myself#Or “me” to be consulted by you!” ’ declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh. 4Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man?#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” Make known to them the detestable things of their ancestors.#Or “fathers” 5And you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “On the day of my choosing Israel I swore#Literally “and I raised my hand” to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, and I swore#Literally “and I raised my hand” to them, saying,#Literally “to say” ‘I am Yahweh your God.’ 6On that day I swore#Literally “I raised my hand” to them to bring them out from the land of Egypt to the land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands. 7Then I said to them, ‘Let each one throw away the detestable things of his eyes, and you must not make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt! I am Yahweh your God.’ 8But they rebelled against me, and they were not willing to listen to me; each one did not throw away#Literally “not they threw away” the detestable things of their eyes; and they did not abandon#Literally “not they abandoned” the idols of Egypt, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9“But#Or “And” I acted for the sake of my name to keep it from being profaned#Literally “not to be profaned before the eyes of” before the eyes of the nations among whom they lived,#Literally “which they were in their midst” where I made known to them before their eyes, to bring them out from the land of Egypt. 10And I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and I brought them to the desert, 11and I gave my statutes to them, and my regulations I made known to them, which, if a person does them, then he will live by them. 12And also my Sabbaths I gave to them to be a sign between me and between them so they would know#Literally “know” that I, Yahweh, am the one sanctifying them.
13“But#Or “And” in the desert the house of Israel rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes,#Literally “in my statutes not they went” and they rejected my regulations, which, if a person does them, he will live by them, and they greatly profaned my Sabbaths, and I decided to pour out my rage on them in the desert to destroy them, 14and I acted for the sake of my name, that it not be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whom I brought them out.#Literally “which I brought out them before their eyes” 15And also I myself swore#Literally “I, I raised my hand” to them in the desert not to bring them into the land that I had given to them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands— 16because they despised my judgments, and they did not walk in my statutes,#Literally “and my statutes not they went in them” and my Sabbaths they profaned, for their heart was going after their idols. 17But my eye took pity on them by not destroying them, and I did not completely destroy them#Literally “and not I make them complete destruction” in the desert.
18“And I said to their children in the desert, ‘You must not go in the statutes of your parents;#Or “fathers” you must not keep their regulations, and you must not make yourself unclean with their idols. 19I, Yahweh, am your God, so go in my statutes and keep my regulations and do them. 20And treat my Sabbaths as holy, and they will be a sign between me and between you that you may know#Literally “know” that I, Yahweh, am your God.’ 21But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes,#Literally “in statutes my not they went” and they did not observe my regulations,#Literally “my regulations not they kept to do them” which if a person does them, then he will live by them. My Sabbaths they desecrated, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to finish my anger against them in the desert. 22But I withheld my hand, and I acted for the sake of my name not to be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whom I had brought them out before their eyes. 23What is more, I swore#Literally “I will raise my hand” to them in the desert to scatter them among the nations and to disperse them in the lands, 24because they did not do my regulations, and my statutes they despised, and my Sabbaths they profaned, and their eyes were after the idols of their ancestors.#Or “fathers” 25And in turn I gave to them rules that were not good and regulations by which they will not live.#Literally “regulations not they will live by them” 26And I defiled them through their gifts in sacrificing all of the first offspring of the womb, in order that#Or “so that” I will cause them to be stunned, so that they will know that I am Yahweh.
27“Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man,#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Again in this your ancestors blasphemed me at#Or “by” their display of infidelity toward me.” ’#Literally “at/in acting unfaithfully they against me in/by unfaithfulness” 28And I brought them to the land that I swore#Literally “I raised my hand” to give#Hebrew “give it” to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered their sacrifices, and they presented there the provocation of their offering, and they gave there their fragrant incense offering, and they poured out their libations there. 29And I said to them, ‘What is the high place#Hebrew Bamah, which became its name to which you are going?’ And it is called#Literally “it is called name its” Bamah until this day. 30Therefore thus say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In the way of your ancestors#Or “fathers” will you defile yourself, and after their vile idols will you prostitute yourselves? 31And when you lift up your gifts, sacrificing your children#Literally “at to lift up your gifts at causing to pass over your children” through the fire, you are defiling yourself through all of your idols until today,#Literally “the day” and will I let myself#Hebrew “me” be consulted by you, house of Israel?” ’ As I live,”#Literally “Live I” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh, “I will not let myself#Hebrew “me” be consulted by you! 32And what you are planning,#Literally “what is going up on your spirit” surely it will not be—that you are saying, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the clans#Or “tribes” of the lands, serving wood and stone!’#Literally “to serve wood and stone”
33“As I live,”#Literally “live I” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh, “surely#Literally “if not” with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage pouring forth#Literally “rage poured out” I will reign as king over you! 34And I will bring you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage poured out. 35Then I will bring you to the desert of the peoples, and I will execute justice on you there face to face. 36Just as#Literally “Like what” I executed justice on your ancestors#Or “fathers” in the desert of the land of Egypt, likewise I will execute justice on you!” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh. 37“And I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38And I will purge the rebels from among you and the ones transgressing against me; I will bring them out from the land where they are living as aliens,#Literally “from the land of living as an alien there” but into the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am Yahweh.
39And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Let each one go serve his idols now and after, if you are not listening to me, but my holy name#Literally “the name of my holiness” you will not profane any longer with your gifts and with your idols.
40“For on my holy mountain,#Literally “the mountain of my holiness” on the mountain of the height of Israel,” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh, “there all of the house of Israel will serve me, all of them,#Hebrew “it/him” in the land. I will take pleasure in them, and there I will accept your contributions and the best of your portions with all of your holy objects. 41I will accept you as a fragrant incense offering#Literally “a fragrance of an incense offering” when I bring you out from the peoples and I gather you from the lands to which you were scattered, and I will show myself holy among you before the eyes of the nations. 42And you will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land that I swore#Literally “I raised my hand” to give to your ancestors. 43And you will remember there your ways, and all of your deeds by which you were made unclean,#Literally “which you were made unclean by them” and you will feel a loathing for yourself#Literally “for your face” for all of your evils that you have done. 44And you will know that I am Yahweh when I deal with you#Literally “at/in doing my with you” for the sake of my name and not according to your evil ways#Literally “not like your ways the evil” or according to#Literally “like” your corrupted deeds, house of Israel,” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh.
45#Ezekiel 20:45–21:32 in the English Bible is 21:1–37 in the Hebrew Bible And the word of Yahweh came#Literally “was” to me, saying,#Literally “to say” 46“Son of man,#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” set your face toward the way of the south,#Or “Teman” and preach to the south, and prophesy against the forest of the territory of the Negev. 47And you must say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; the blaze of the flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48And all creatures will see that I, Yahweh, I kindled it—it will not be quenched!” ’ ” 49Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, they are saying about me, ‘Is he not posing a parable?’ ”
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