Ezekiel 20:21
in Ezekiel 20But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
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This verse in Ezekiel 20
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Though warned by the judgment on their fathers, the next generation also rebelled against God. The "kindness of Israel's youth and love of her espousals in the wilderness" (Jer 2:2, 3) were only comparative (the corruption in later times being more general), and confined to the minority; as a whole, Israel at no time fully served God.
This site's exposition
the children rebelled against me
on Ezekiel 20:21-22
The children rebelled against me exactly as their fathers had. I withdrew mine hand repeats the earlier restraint, an oath begun and physically pulled back. Clarke reads the withdrawn hand as the most vivid picture in the chapter of mercy overruling a judgment already set in motion.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 21, 22.) And my children have provoked me, they have not walked in my commandments, and they have not kept my judgments, to do the things that if a man does, he shall live in them, and they have violated my sabbaths. And I threatened to pour out my fury upon them, and to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. But I turned away my hand, and I did it for the sake of my name, so that it would not be violated in the sight of the nations, from whom I cast them out.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
): The children rebelled against me too. And the same that was said of the fathers' rebellion is here said of the children's, for they were a seed of evil-doers.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
), might have been a happy thriving people. Note, Those that go contrary to their duty go contrary to their interest; they will not obey, will not come to Christ, that they may have life, John
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me,....
Note, Those are justly forbidden God's house that profane his house. He will separate them to himself again. (1.) He will gather them in mercy out of the countries whither they were scattered, to be monuments of mercy, as the incorrigible were gathered to be vessels of wrath,
The words behind it
29 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 |
| בִ֣י | vi | against me | ||
| הַבָּנִ֗ים | habanim | the children | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֣י | bechukotai | in statutes my | H2708 → | 104 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָ֠לָכוּ | halakhu | they walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁפָּטַ֨י | mishpatai | judgments my | H4941 → | 422 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמְר֜וּ | shameru | they kept | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת | laasot | to observe | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אוֹתָ֗ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה | yaaseh | he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אוֹתָ֤ם | 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 | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֖י | shabetotai | sabbaths my | H7676 → | 110 times |
| חִלֵּ֑לוּ | chilelu | they profaned | H2490 → | 143 times |
| וָאֹמַ֞ר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִשְׁפֹּ֧ךְ | lishpokh | to pour out | H8210 → | 114 times |
| חֲמָתִ֣י | chamati | rage my | H2534 → | 125 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְכַלּ֥וֹת | lekhalot | to complete | H3615 → | 208 times |
| אַפִּ֛י | ʾapi | anger my | H639 → | 276 times |
| בָּ֖ם | bam | on them | ||
| בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
וַיַּמְרוּ־and they rebelled
vaiyamru-H4784 →45 times
בִ֣יagainst me
vi
הַבָּנִ֗יםthe children
habanimH1121 →4930 times
בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֣יin statutes my
bechukotaiH2708 →104 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
הָ֠לָכוּthey walked
halakhuH1980 →1546 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִשְׁפָּטַ֨יjudgments my
mishpataiH4941 →422 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמְר֜וּthey kept
shameruH8104 →468 times
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹתto observe
laasotH6213 →2628 times
אוֹתָ֗ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁר֩which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַעֲשֶׂ֨הhe will do
yaasehH6213 →2628 times
אוֹתָ֤ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
הָֽאָדָם֙the person
haadamH120 →551 times
וָחַ֣יand he will live
vachaiH2421 →282 times
בָּהֶ֔םby them
bahem
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֖יsabbaths my
shabetotaiH7676 →110 times
חִלֵּ֑לוּthey profaned
chileluH2490 →143 times
וָאֹמַ֞רand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
לִשְׁפֹּ֧ךְto pour out
lishpokhH8210 →114 times
חֲמָתִ֣יrage my
chamatiH2534 →125 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֗םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
לְכַלּ֥וֹתto complete
lekhalotH3615 →208 times
אַפִּ֛יanger my
ʾapiH639 →276 times
בָּ֖םon them
bam
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃in the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 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
Ezekiel 20:13Yet 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…
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 20:24
For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.
- Ezekiel 20:8
Through
Numbers 21:5and 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!”
it leads to
- Psalms 78:19
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?
- Psalms 78:19
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 5:13
And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD,…
- Ezekiel 20:7
And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’
- Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
- 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 5:13
Through
Deuteronomy 31:27For 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!
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:20
He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness.
- Deuteronomy 32:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.