Ezekiel 20:3
in Ezekiel 20“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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Is it to inquire of me that ye are come? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.
KJV
Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
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This verse in Ezekiel 20
Commentary
8 notes on this verseLet them not think that they honoured him by their enquiries, nor expect an answer of peace from him, as long as they continued in love and league with their idols. Note, Those reap no benefit by their religion that are not entire and sincere in it; nor can we have any comfortable communion with God in ordinances of worship unless we be inward and upright with him therein.
This site's exposition
certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the Lord
on Ezekiel 20:1-4
The answer refuses the request outright, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you. Gill notes that the refusal is not silence but a summons to a longer accounting, the historical rehearsal that fills the rest of the chapter.
This site's exposition
Have you come to inquire of Me
Henry reads the question as a rebuke to men who thought they honoured God by their inquiries while they kept their idols. The same refusal met the elders of 14:3. Their idols stood in their hearts.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 2, 3.) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to inquire of me? As I live, I will not answer you, says the Lord God. To the righteous and worthy who ask, a promise is given. As you continue to speak, I will say: Here I am. But to the sinners, like the elders of Israel, whose crimes are described by the prophets that follow, there is no answer; only rebuke for their sins.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
God will not take notice of their enquiries, nor give them any satisfactory answers. Note, A hypocritical attendance on God and his ordinances is so far from being pleasing to him that it is provoking. (2.) They must be made to know that God is justly angry with them (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I will not be inquired of by you - I will not hear you. I will have nothing to do with you.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Enquire - As to the hope of deliverance from the Babylonians.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| דַּבֵּ֞ר | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| זִקְנֵ֤י | ziknei | [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶ֔ם | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֹּ֤ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַר֙ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| הֲלִדְרֹ֥שׁ | halidrosh | ¿ to consult | H1875 → | 164 times |
| אֹתִ֖י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַתֶּ֣ם | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בָּאִ֑ים | baim | coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| אָ֙נִי֙ | ʾani | of me | H589 → | 874 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אִדָּרֵ֣שׁ | ʾidaresh | I will let myself be consulted | H1875 → | 164 times |
| לָכֶ֔ם | lakhem | by you | ||
| נְאֻ֖ם | neum | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֥י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
בֶּן־O son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֗םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
דַּבֵּ֞רspeak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
זִקְנֵ֤י[the] elders of
zikneiH2205 →178 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶ֔םto them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
כֹּ֤הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַר֙he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
הֲלִדְרֹ֥שׁ¿ to consult
halidroshH1875 →164 times
אֹתִ֖י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
אַתֶּ֣ם[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
בָּאִ֑יםcoming
baimH935 →2568 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
אָ֙נִי֙of me
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אִדָּרֵ֣שׁI will let myself be consulted
ʾidareshH1875 →164 times
לָכֶ֔םby you
lakhem
נְאֻ֖ם[the] utterance of
neumH5002 →376 times
אֲדֹנָ֥י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 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
Proverbs 28:9Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.
it leads to
- Psalms 66:18
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
- 2 Timothy 4:3–4
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
- Zechariah 7:11–13
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
- Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
- Psalms 109:7
When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be regarded as sin.
- Psalms 66:18
Through
Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are…
- Proverbs 21:27
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent!
- Proverbs 15:29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.