Ezekiel 20 13

Ezekiel 20:13 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.

Ezekiel 20:13 nkjv

Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them'; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

Ezekiel 20:13 niv

"?'Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws?by which the person who obeys them will live?and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 20:13 esv

But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them.

Ezekiel 20:13 nlt

"But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn't obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 20 verses

Ezekiel 20 13 Meaning

The people of Israel rebelled against God in the wilderness. They persistently disregarded His statutes and did not walk in His ordinances. They defiled His Sabbaths. This persistent rebellion led to God's pronouncement of judgment against them in the wilderness, indicating His displeasure and their separation from His intended covenant blessings.

Ezekiel 20 13 Context

This verse is situated within Ezekiel's broader prophecy to the elders of Israel. God is recounting their history of rebellion, starting from their time in Egypt. The immediate context emphasizes God's continued mercy and patience, even as He enumerates their past sins and the resultant judgment in the wilderness. This specific verse focuses on the Israelites' direct violation of His covenant in the wilderness period after their deliverance from Egypt. The larger historical backdrop is the Babylonian exile, and Ezekiel's message aims to explain the reasons for this devastation and to offer hope for future restoration, which hinges on repentance and obedience.

Ezekiel 20 13 Word Analysis

• וַֽ֠אֲנִי (va-'anī): "But I" or "And I." Emphasizes a shift in focus or a contrast to what preceded it.
• הֲמָרוּ (ha-ma-rū): "They rebelled" or "they were rebellious." This is the root word for rebellion (מָרַד - marad). It signifies active opposition and defiance against authority. In the Hebrew Bible, rebellion often carries the implication of refusing to submit to God's covenantal demands.
• בִּי (bi): "against me." Direct object, pointing the rebellion specifically toward God.
• בַּמִּדְבָּר (ba-mid-bār): "in the wilderness." This refers to the 40-year period between the Exodus from Egypt and entering the Promised Land. It is a significant period of testing and covenant formation for Israel.
• וַֽ֠יַּמְרוּ (va-yam-rū): "and they rebelled" or "and they were rebellious." Repetition of the verb for emphasis, reinforcing the persistent nature of their defiance.
• בִּי (bi): "against me."
• בְּחֻקֹּתַי (be-khuq-qo-ṯai): "against my statutes" or "against my ordinances." The plural of חֹק (ḥōq), meaning an enactment, statute, or boundary. It refers to God's specific commands and divine laws, including the laws regarding Sabbath observance.
• וַֽ֠יִּתְעֲבוּ (va-yit-'a-vū): "and they did despitefully against," or "and they acted arrogantly against," or "and they rejected." The root is עָתַב (ʿāṯaḇ), which is related to scorn, spurn, or reject with contempt. It indicates a willful disregard and defiance of God's law.
• אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַי (eṯ-mish-pa-ṭai): "my judgments." The plural of מִשְׁפָּט (mishpaṭ), meaning a legal decision, a decree, justice, or ordinance. These are God's righteous laws and the principles of His governance.
• וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתוֹתַי (we-'eṯ-shab-be-ṯo-ṯai): "and my Sabbaths." The plural of שַׁבָּת (shabbāṯ), the Sabbath day. This was a sign of the covenant and a focal point of worship and rest, a direct command that was repeatedly ignored.
• חֶלְלָ֛וּ (ḥel-lā-wū): "they profaned" or "they defiled." The root is חָלַל (ḥālal), meaning to pierce, profane, or desecrate. Profaning the Sabbath meant treating it as an ordinary day or engaging in forbidden activities on it, thus disrespecting its sacredness and the One who instituted it.
• אֲנִֽי ('a-ni): "I."
• וַֽ֠אֲנִי (va-'anī): "But I."
• בְּתוֹכָ֖ם (be-ḵō-ḵām): "among them." God's presence is acknowledged, highlighting that their rebellion was in His very midst.
• לְמַ֣עַן (le-ma-'an): "for the sake of" or "in order to." Indicates a purpose.
• לֹֽא־ (lō-'): "not."
• לְהַבְאִישׁ (le-hav-ōsh): "to cause to spread abroad," "to desecrate," "to defile." The root is בָּאַשׁ (ba'ash), meaning to become foul, to be offensive.
• אֶת־שְׁמִי (eṯ-shə-mī): "my name." This is crucial; their actions brought reproach upon God's holy name among the nations.
• לְעֵינֵי (le-'ē-yə-nē): "before the eyes of."
• הַגּוֹיִֽם (ha-gō-yim): "the nations."
• אֲשֶׁר־ ('a-sher-): "concerning which" or "by whom."
• הֵם־ (hem-): "they."
• יָֽצְאוּ (yā-tzə-'ū): "had gone out." Refers to their exiting from Egypt.
• מִתּוֹכָֽם (mit-tō-ḵām): "from among them."

Word Group Analysis:

• "They rebelled against me in the wilderness...": This phrase sets the scene and establishes the historical period and the fundamental sin of the Israelites. The wilderness was a time of testing where loyalty was paramount.
• "...they despised my statutes, and abhorred my judgments, and profaned my Sabbaths...": This enumerates specific categories of their rebellion. "Despised my statutes" and "abhorred my judgments" speak to a rejection of God's declared will and principles. "Profaned my Sabbaths" highlights the desecration of a sacred sign of the covenant and their relationship with God.
• "...for I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.": This explains the significance of the Sabbath—it was a memorial of God's act of creation and deliverance, and a reminder of His holiness and power to set apart. Their profanation was an attack on this sign.
• "Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths...": This seems to indicate that God, despite their past behavior, continued to offer them the Sabbath as a blessing and a reminder, emphasizing His enduring grace. However, in this context, it is being contrasted with their repeated rebellion.
• "But they profaned them...": This is the direct counteraction to God's giving. They treated a divine gift as common, showing their contempt.
• "...that I might make them known among the nations...": The purpose stated here is complex. God made His name known through their sanctification (obedience) and also through their judgment. Their disobedience to the law, especially the Sabbath, led to scattering among nations, thereby making His name known, albeit often through judgment. The ultimate purpose is the hallowing of God's name.

Ezekiel 20 13 Bonus Section

The reiteration of God giving "my Sabbaths" in the face of their rebellion highlights God's persistent love and covenant faithfulness, even when His people fall short. This theme of God offering His goodness and signs despite Israel's sin is a recurring motif in the Old Testament (e.g., Nehemiah 9). The "profaning" of the Sabbath in the wilderness was a significant violation because the Sabbath was not just a day of rest; it was a weekly memorial of creation and redemption (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15). To reject the Sabbath was to reject the foundations of Israel's identity and relationship with God. The statement "that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them" underscores the purpose of the Sabbath—to set the Israelites apart as holy to Him, mirroring His own holiness. Their profanation of it indicated their unwillingness to be set apart by Him, preferring to remain worldly and defiled.

Ezekiel 20 13 Commentary

Ezekiel 20:13 serves as a pivotal indictment against Israel's repeated disobedience. God, recounting the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, points to their consistent failure to adhere to His covenantal laws. The phrase "they rebelled against me" is not a single act but a sustained posture of defiance. The specific transgressions listed—despising statutes, abhorring judgments, and profaning Sabbaths—illustrate a deep-seated disrespect for God's will and His sacred observances. The Sabbath, a sign of the covenant, was meant to sanctify them and remind them of God's power. By profaning it, they rejected God's sanctifying work and His very identity as the Lord who sets apart. This rebellion, occurring "among them" where God's presence was made manifest (through the pillar of cloud and fire, the Tabernacle), made their actions even more egregious. Their rebellion ultimately served to demonstrate God's power and holiness on a wider stage as they were judged and scattered among the nations, leading God's name to be profaned through their actions but ultimately hallowed through His righteous judgment and eventual faithfulness to His promises.