5 And say H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 In the day H3117 when I chose H977 Israel, H3478 and lifted up H5375 mine hand H3027 unto the seed H2233 of the house H1004 of Jacob, H3290 and made myself known H3045 unto them in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 when I lifted H5375 up mine hand H3027 unto them, saying, H559 I am the LORD H3068 your God; H430
And ye shall inherit H5157 it, one H376 as well as another: H251 concerning the which I lifted up H5375 mine hand H3027 to give H5414 it unto your fathers: H1 and this land H776 shall fall H5307 unto you for inheritance. H5159
For thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God: H430 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath chosen H977 thee to be a special H5459 people H5971 unto himself, above all people H5971 that are upon the face H6440 of the earth. H127
Wherefore H3651 say H559 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 I am the LORD, H3068 and I will bring H3318 you out from under the burdens H5450 of the Egyptians, H4714 and I will rid H5337 you out of their bondage, H5656 and I will redeem H1350 you with a stretched H5186 out arm, H2220 and with great H1419 judgments: H8201 And I will take H3947 you to me for a people, H5971 and I will be to you a God: H430 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which bringeth H3318 you out from under the burdens H5450 of the Egyptians. H4714
And I am come down H3381 to deliver H5337 them out of the hand H3027 of the Egyptians, H4714 and to bring H5927 them up out of that land H776 unto a good H2896 land H776 and a large, H7342 unto a land H776 flowing H2100 with milk H2461 and honey; H1706 unto the place H4725 of the Canaanites, H3669 and the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites. H2983
And Abram H87 said H559 to the king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 I have lift up H7311 mine hand H3027 unto the LORD, H3068 the most high H5945 God, H410 the possessor H7069 of heaven H8064 and earth, H776
And G2532 the angel G32 which G3739 I saw G1492 stand G2476 upon G1909 the sea G2281 and G2532 upon G1909 the earth G1093 lifted up G142 his G846 hand G5495 to G1519 heaven, G3772
And G2532 except G1508 that the Lord G2962 had shortened G2856 those days, G2250 no G3756 G3956 flesh G4561 should be G302 saved: G4982 but G235 for G1223 the elect's sake, G1588 whom G3739 he hath chosen, G1586 he hath shortened G2856 the days. G2250
Therefore, as I live, H2416 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 I will even do H6213 according to thine anger, H639 and according to thine envy H7068 which thou hast used H6213 out of thy hatred H8135 against them; and I will make myself known H3045 among them, when I have judged H8199 thee.
Considerest H7200 thou not what this people H5971 have spoken, H1696 saying, H559 The two H8147 families H4940 which the LORD H3068 hath chosen, H977 he hath even cast them off? H3988 thus they have despised H5006 my people, H5971 that they should be no more a nation H1471 before H6440 them.
Yet now hear, H8085 O Jacob H3290 my servant; H5650 and Israel, H3478 whom I have chosen: H977 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 that made H6213 thee, and formed H3335 thee from the womb, H990 which will help H5826 thee; Fear H3372 not, O Jacob, H3290 my servant; H5650 and thou, Jesurun, H3484 whom I have chosen. H977
But thou, Israel, H3478 art my servant, H5650 Jacob H3290 whom I have chosen, H977 the seed H2233 of Abraham H85 my friend. H157 Thou whom I have taken H2388 from the ends H7098 of the earth, H776 and called H7121 thee from the chief men H678 thereof, and said H559 unto thee, Thou art my servant; H5650 I have chosen H977 thee, and not cast thee away. H3988
For I lift up H5375 my hand H3027 to heaven, H8064 and say, H559 I live H2416 for ever. H5769
For thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and the LORD H3068 hath chosen H977 thee to be a peculiar H5459 people H5971 unto himself, above all the nations H5971 that are upon H6440 the earth. H127
And know H3045 ye this day: H3117 for I speak not with your children H1121 which have not known, H3045 and which have not seen H7200 the chastisement H4148 of the LORD H3068 your God, H430 his greatness, H1433 his mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and his stretched out H5186 arm, H2220 And his miracles, H226 and his acts, H4639 which he did H6213 in the midst H8432 of Egypt H4714 unto Pharaoh H6547 the king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 and unto all his land; H776 And what he did H6213 unto the army H2428 of Egypt, H4714 unto their horses, H5483 and to their chariots; H7393 how he made the water H4325 of the Red H5488 sea H3220 to overflow H6687 them H6440 as they pursued H7291 after H310 you, and how the LORD H3068 hath destroyed H6 them unto this day; H3117 And what he did H6213 unto you in the wilderness, H4057 until ye came H935 into this place; H4725 And what he did H6213 unto Dathan H1885 and Abiram, H48 the sons H1121 of Eliab, H446 the son H1121 of Reuben: H7205 how the earth H776 opened H6475 her mouth, H6310 and swallowed them up, H1104 and their households, H1004 and their tents, H168 and all the substance H3351 that was in their possession, H7272 in the midst H7130 of all Israel: H3478 But your eyes H5869 have seen H7200 all the great H1419 acts H4639 of the LORD H3068 which he did. H6213
And because he loved H157 thy fathers, H1 therefore he chose H977 their seed H2233 after H310 them, and brought thee out H3318 in his sight H6440 with his mighty H1419 power H3581 out of Egypt; H4714
Or hath God H430 assayed H5254 to go H935 and take H3947 him a nation H1471 from the midst H7130 of another nation, H1471 by temptations, H4531 by signs, H226 and by wonders, H4159 and by war, H4421 and by a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and by a stretched out H5186 arm, H2220 and by great H1419 terrors, H4172 according to all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 did H6213 for you in Egypt H4714 before your eyes? H5869
Ye have seen H7200 what I did H6213 unto the Egyptians, H4714 and how I bare H5375 you on eagles' H5404 wings, H3671 and brought H935 you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey H8085 my voice H6963 indeed, H8085 and keep H8104 my covenant, H1285 then ye shall be a peculiar treasure H5459 unto me above all people: H5971 for all the earth H776 is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom H4467 of priests, H3548 and an holy H6918 nation. H1471 These are the words H1697 which thou shalt speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And God H430 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 and said H559 unto him, I am the LORD: H3068
Go, H3212 and gather H622 the elders H2205 of Israel H3478 together, H622 and say H559 unto them, The LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers, H1 the God H430 of Abraham, H85 of Isaac, H3327 and of Jacob, H3290 appeared H7200 unto me, saying, H559 I have surely H6485 visited H6485 you, and seen that which is done H6213 to you in Egypt: H4714
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 20
Commentary on Ezekiel 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
In this chapter,
Eze 20:1-4
Here is,
Eze 20:5-9
The history of the ingratitude and rebellion of the people of Israel here begins as early as their beginning; so does the history of man's apostasy from his Maker. No sooner have we read the story of our first parents' creation than we immediately meet with that of their rebellion; so we see here it was with Israel, a people designed to represent the body of mankind both in their dealings with God and in his with them. Here is,
Eze 20:10-26
The history of the struggle between the sins of Israel, by which they endeavoured to ruin themselves, and the mercies of God, by which he endeavoured to save them and make them happy, is here continued: and the instances of that struggle in these verses have reference to what passed between God and them in the wilderness, in which God honoured himself and they shamed themselves. The story of Israel in the wilderness is referred to in the New Testament (1 Co. 10 and Heb. 3), as well as often in the Old, for warning to us Christians; and therefore we are particularly concerned in these verses. Observe,
Eze 20:27-32
Here the prophet goes on with the story of their rebellions, for their further humiliation, and shows,
Eze 20:33-44
The design which was now on foot among the elders of Israel was that the people of Israel, being scattered among the nations, should lay aside all their peculiarities and conform to those among whom they lived; but God had told them that the design should not take effect, v. 32. Now, in these verses, he shows particularly how it should be frustrated. They aimed at the mingling of the families of Israel with the families of the countries; but it will prove in the issue that the wicked Israelites, notwithstanding their compliances, shall not mingle with them in their prosperity, but shall be distinguished from them for destruction; for idolatrous Israelites, that are apostates from God, shall be sooner and more sorely punished than idolatrous Babylonians that never knew the way of righteousness. Read and tremble at the doom here passed upon them; it is backed with an oath not to be reversed: As I live, saith the Lord God, thus and thus will I deal with you. They think to make both Jerusalem and Babylon their friends by halting between two; but God threatens that neither of them shall serve for a rest or refuge for them.
Eze 20:45-49
We have here a prophecy of wrath against Judah and Jerusalem, which would more fitly have begun the next chapter than conclude this; for it has no dependence on what goes before, but that which follows in the beginning of the next chapter is the explication of it, when the people complained that this was a parable which they understood not. In this parable,
Now observe,