51 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Ezekiel 20 The prophecy in this chapter is occasioned by some of the elders of Israel coming to inquire of the Lord; when the prophet is bid to tell them that he would not be inquired of by them. The reason of which were their abominations he is ordered to make known unto them, Ezekiel 20:1; and then proceeds the narration of them;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass in the seventh year,.... Of Zedekiah's reign, and of the captivity of Jeconiah; from whence the dates of Ezekiel's visions and prophecies are taken, Ezekiel 1:2; two years, one month, and five days, after Ezekiel began to prophesy, and eleven months and five days after the preceding prophecy: in the fifth [month], the tenth...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
In this chapter, I. The prophet is consulted by some of the elders of Israel, ver. 1. II. He is instructed by his God what answer to give them. He must, 1. Signify God's displeasure against them, ver. 2, 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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then came the word of the Lord unto me,.... While the elders were sitting before him, by an impulse upon his mind, dictating things unto him: saying: as follows:
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them,.... Give them this for an answer from me: thus saith the Lord God, are ye come to inquire of me? no; not seriously, heartily, and in good earnest, determining to abide by the advice and counsel that might be given; or how can you have the face to inquire of me, when guilty of such...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Wilt thou judge them, son of man?.... Excuse them, patronise them, defend their cause, and plead for them? surely thou wilt not; or rather, wilt thou not reprove and correct them, judge and condemn them, for their sins and wickedness? this thou oughtest to do: wilt thou judge [them]? this is repeated, to show the vehemency of the speaker, and the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And say unto them, thus saith the Lord God,.... Here begins the account of their fathers; of God's unmerited goodness to them, and of their sins and transgressions against him, and how it fared with them: in the day when I chose Israel; to be his peculiar people, above all people on the face of the earth; when he declared his choice of them, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
In the day [that] I lifted up my hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt,.... Not only promised and swore to it, but exerted his power in the miracles he wrought, by bringing plagues upon the Egyptians, to oblige them to let them go forth from thence: into a land that I had espied for them; which he had in his eye and in his heart...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then I said unto them,.... Having promised and swore to do such great and good things for them; which must lay them under an obligation to regard what he should command them: promises and blessings of goodness are great incentives to duty, and lay under great obligation to it: cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes; which should be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But they rebelled against me,.... All sin is rebellion against God, an act of hostility, especially idolatry; it is refusing homage and casting off allegiance to him: and would not hearken unto me; to his word by his prophets; so the Targum, "they rebelled against my word, and would not receive my prophets:'' they did not every man cast away the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But I wrought for my name's sake,.... In a way of grace and mercy; did well by thorn, did what he promised to do; not for any merits of theirs, but for his own honour, and the glory of his name: that it should not be polluted before the Heathen, among whom they [were]; be spoken evil of, which is a polluting it; saying, either that he was not true...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt,.... It was the Lord that brought them out from thence with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; that obliged Pharaoh to let them go, and gave them favour in the eyes of the Egyptians, that they went out unmolested by them: and brought them into the wilderness; before they went into the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I gave them my statutes,.... The precepts of his law, the law on Mount Sinai, of which there were not the like among other nations; nor were they given unto them, but were a special gift unto Israel, and greatly to be valued, Deuteronomy 4:8; and showed them judgments: the nature, use, and excellency of the the necessity and advantage of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Moreover, also, I gave them my sabbaths,.... The Targum is, "the days of the sabbaths;'' or sabbath days, the seventh day sabbaths, which recurring throughout the year are many; but, besides these, there were the year of remission, for the seventh year sabbath; and the jubilee year, the great sabbath of all, once in fifty years; yea, Kimchi thinks...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness,.... Where they were wholly at the mercy of God, entirely dependent upon him; and miracles were wrought every day for the sustaining and preservation of, them from famine, wild beasts, and enemies; yet they rebelled against the Lord; provoked him bitterly by their manifold...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the Heathen,.... [See comments on Ezekiel 20:9]; who would be ready to say it was for want of power, or faithfulness, or, goodness, that he did not bring them into the promised land; or there was no such land to bring them to God's own glory was concerned, and that is his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Yet also I lifted up mine hand unto them in the wilderness,.... Swore unto them, as in Ezekiel 20:5; that I would not bring them into the land which I had given [them]; by promise to their fathers, and to them. This is to be understood of the generation that came out of Egypt, that received the ill report the spies made, and murmured against the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths,.... Which were just causes of divine resentment and anger; [See comments on Ezekiel 20:13]; for their heart went after their idols; which they had served in Egypt; and that led them off from the true worship and service of God; no man can serve two...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Nevertheless, mine eye spared them from destroying them,.... Utterly, so as to leave neither root nor branch; for though the whole generation died excepting two, either by the immediate hand of God in wrath, or else by ordinary deaths; yet there was a generation raised up in their stead, to whom mercy was shown: neither did I make an end of them...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But I said unto their children in the wilderness,.... Or, "then I said" (k); his judgments and statutes being neglected and despised by them, and good instructions and kind providences being of no use unto them, the Lord turns to their posterity while yet in the wilderness: what follows seems to refer to those directions, instructions, and...