Ezekiel 20:13
in Ezekiel 20Yet 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
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This verse in Ezekiel 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseIn the wilderness - Where they most needed my care and favour; where the preserving their life from destruction by the noxious creatures, and from famine by the barrenness of the wilderness, was a continued miracle.
This site's exposition
rebelled against me in the wilderness
on Ezekiel 20:13-14
The wilderness generation rebelled against me in the wilderness in the same three ways just named, statutes unkept, judgments despised, sabbaths greatly polluted. Again the sentence is stayed for his name's sake before the heathen who watched the exodus and might read Israel's destruction as their God's weakness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 10 and following) Therefore I expelled them from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the desert, and gave them my commandments, and showed them my judgments, which a man should do and live by them. Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. But the house of Israel provoked me in the desert.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They did not only not walk in God's statutes, but they despised his judgments as not worth observing; instead of sanctifying the sabbaths, they polluted them, greatly polluted them; one gathered sticks, many went out to gather manna on this day. Hereupon God was ready sometimes to cut them off; he said, more than once, that he would consume them in the wilderness.
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
But the house of Israel rebelled - They acted in the wilderness just as they had done in Egypt; and he spared them there for the same reason. See Eze 20:9.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
they walked not in My statutes They tested Me with the calf, and in Rephidim [i.e., showing unwillingness] to receive the Torah, and they left over some of the manna.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
to be for a sign It is a great sign for them, that I gave the day of My resting to them for a resting. Behold this is a phenomenal manifestation that I hallowed them to Myself.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּמְרוּ־ | vaiyamru- | and they rebelled | H4784 → | 45 times |
| בִ֨י | vi | against me | ||
| בֵֽית־ | veit- | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֨י | bechukotai | in statutes my | H2708 → | 104 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָלָ֜כוּ | halakhu | they walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁפָּטַ֣י | mishpatai | judgments my | H4941 → | 422 times |
| מָאָ֗סוּ | maasu | they rejected | H3988 → | 76 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה | yaaseh | he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֹתָ֤ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָֽאָדָם֙ | haadam | the person | H120 → | 551 times |
| וָחַ֣י | vachai | and he will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| בָּהֶ֔ם | bahem | by them | ||
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י | shabetotai | sabbaths my | H7676 → | 110 times |
| חִלְּל֣וּ | chilelu | they profaned | H2490 → | 143 times |
| מְאֹ֑ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| וָאֹמַ֞ר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִשְׁפֹּ֨ךְ | lishpokh | to pour out | H8210 → | 114 times |
| חֲמָתִ֧י | chamati | rage my | H2534 → | 125 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| לְכַלּוֹתָֽם׃ | lekhalotam | to make an end of them | H3615 → | 208 times |
וַיַּמְרוּ־and they rebelled
vaiyamru-H4784 →45 times
בִ֨יagainst me
vi
בֵֽית־[the] house of
veit-H1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בַּמִּדְבָּ֗רin the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 times
בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֨יin statutes my
bechukotaiH2708 →104 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
הָלָ֜כוּthey walked
halakhuH1980 →1546 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִשְׁפָּטַ֣יjudgments my
mishpataiH4941 →422 times
מָאָ֗סוּthey rejected
maasuH3988 →76 times
אֲשֶׁר֩which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַעֲשֶׂ֨הhe will do
yaasehH6213 →2628 times
אֹתָ֤ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
הָֽאָדָם֙the person
haadamH120 →551 times
וָחַ֣יand he will live
vachaiH2421 →282 times
בָּהֶ֔םby them
bahem
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖יsabbaths my
shabetotaiH7676 →110 times
חִלְּל֣וּthey profaned
chileluH2490 →143 times
מְאֹ֑דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
וָאֹמַ֞רand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
לִשְׁפֹּ֨ךְto pour out
lishpokhH8210 →114 times
חֲמָתִ֧יrage my
chamatiH2534 →125 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֛םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
בַּמִּדְבָּ֖רin the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 times
לְכַלּוֹתָֽם׃to make an end of them
lekhalotamH3615 →208 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 56:6And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants—all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 50:5
They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
- Isaiah 56:2–4
Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
- Isaiah 58:13
If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath, from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the LORD’s holy day honorable, if you honor…
- Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
- Isaiah 44:5
One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD,’ another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name of Israel.”
- Jeremiah 50:5
Through
Ezekiel 20:21But 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…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 20:8
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…
- Ezekiel 20:8
Through
Ezekiel 20:24For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 20:16
because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.
- Ezekiel 20:16
Through
Ezekiel 20:8But 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…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 7:8
Very soon I will pour out My wrath upon you and vent My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your abominations.
- Ezekiel 7:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.