Ezekiel 20:17 kjv
Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:17 nkjv
Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:17 niv
Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:17 esv
Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:17 nlt
Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 20:17 | "Though My judgments were in them, And they executed them..." | Ez. 20:17 (The verse itself) |
| Ezekiel 20:18 | "...but they walked in the statutes of the nations, which I had forbidden." | Ez. 20:18 (Continuation) |
| Leviticus 18:30 | "Thus you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God." | Lev. 18:30 (Warning against forbidden practices) |
| Leviticus 20:23 | "And you shall not walk in the manners of the nation which I cast out before you..." | Lev. 20:23 (Direct prohibition) |
| Deuteronomy 18:9 | "When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations." | Deut. 18:9 (Instruction for Israel) |
| Jeremiah 10:2 | "Thus says the LORD: 'Do not learn the way of the nations...' " | Jer. 10:2 (Prophetic warning) |
| Romans 1:23 | "...and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man..." | Rom. 1:23 (New Testament parallel to idolatry) |
| 1 Corinthians 10:11 | "Now all these things happened to them as an example, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." | 1 Cor. 10:11 (Spiritual application) |
| Galatians 5:4 | "You are alienated from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." | Gal. 5:4 (Consequences of forsaking grace) |
| Acts 7:43 | "Yes, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which you made to worship them..." | Acts 7:43 (Historical witness of idolatry) |
| Psalm 106:35 | "But mingled with the nations, And learned their practices;" | Ps. 106:35 (Psalmic parallel) |
| Nehemiah 9:14 | "You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes, and laws, By the hand of Your servant Moses." | Neh. 9:14 (God's Law given) |
| Amos 5:26 | "But you will carry the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun, your idols, The star of your god, Which you made for yourselves." | Amos 5:26 (Prophetic accusation) |
| Ezekiel 18:31 | "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, And make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?" | Ez. 18:31 (Call to repentance) |
| Isaiah 58:2 | "Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As though they were a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God..." | Isa. 58:2 (Contrast with those who keep statutes) |
| Malachi 3:14 | "'You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What’s the profit of our keeping His ordinance and of walking mournfully before the LORD of hosts?'" | Mal. 3:14 (Questioning the value of obedience) |
| 1 Peter 1:14 | "As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance," | 1 Pet. 1:14 (Call to obedience and separation) |
| Hosea 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." | Hos. 4:6 (Consequences of not knowing) |
| Zephaniah 2:3 | "Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have performed His ordinance; Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger." | Zeph. 2:3 (Call to obedience for protection) |
| Revelation 14:12 | "Here is the patience of the saints! Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." | Rev. 14:12 (New Testament emphasis on obedience) |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 17 Meaning
This verse pronounces a divine judgment and lament over Israel's ancestors, declaring that they did not follow God's statutes, walked in the statutes of the nations around them, and did not uphold God's ordinances, which, if followed, would lead to life.
Ezekiel 20 17 Context
Ezekiel chapter 20 is a historical narrative and prophetic discourse where God recounts His relationship with Israel from Egypt through their time in the wilderness and into the promised land. God is explaining why they are facing His judgment, specifically the exile. He is establishing that their repeated disobedience, particularly their idolatry and adoption of foreign customs, has led to their present calamity. Verse 17 sets the stage for describing the specific ways their ancestors failed to uphold God's laws, despite having them. It emphasizes a generational pattern of spiritual defection. The historical context is the Babylonian exile, where many Israelites were either in exile or experiencing the consequences of national apostasy.
Ezekiel 20 17 Word Analysis
- And (Hebrew: וְ, ve): A conjunction indicating connection, sequence, or addition. It links clauses and ideas.
- although (Hebrew: גַּם, gam): Means "also," "even," or "although." It introduces a concessive clause, indicating that despite the presence of God's judgments, Israel acted contrary to them.
- My judgments (Hebrew: מִשְׁפָּטַי, mishpatay): Refers to God's righteous decrees, laws, statutes, and legal pronouncements. The plural form suggests a comprehensive body of commands and ordinances.
- were in (Hebrew: בָּהֶם, bahem): Literally "in them." It signifies that God's judgments were present, established, or resided within the people as principles or laws they possessed.
- and (Hebrew: וְ, ve): Again, a connector.
- they executed (Hebrew: הֵמָּה עָשׂוּ, hemmah asu): "They did" or "they made." The root עשׂה (asah) means to do, make, or perform. This clause is challenging because in many English translations, it appears that Israel did indeed "execute" or perform God's judgments. However, the fuller context of Ezekiel 20, especially verse 18, clarifies that their performance was selective and that the crucial element was what they failed to do or the way they did things, aligning their actions with surrounding nations. The critical understanding here, often elaborated in commentaries, is that they performed some acts that resembled divine judgments, perhaps in rituals, but their hearts and ultimate adherence to God's broader will, particularly in not adopting foreign practices, was absent. Some scholars see a strong irony here, suggesting they "practiced" their obedience hypocritically or partially.
- that they did not execute (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָשׂוּ, asher lo asu): The negation clarifies the true failure: they did not do or carry out My judgments. This directly contrasts the idea that they did execute them, emphasizing the incompleteness and selective nature of their obedience.
- though My judgments were in them (Hebrew: וְגַם גַּם מִשְׁפָּטַי בָּהֶם): A poetic emphasis on the presence of God's laws. The repetition of "gam" (although/also) underscores the irony that the laws were available but not truly followed in spirit.
- and they executed them (Hebrew: וְהֵמָּה עָשׂוּ אוֹתָם, vehemmah asu otam): The pronoun "them" refers back to "My judgments." The verse implies that Israel engaged in practices that were perceived as 'doing' judgments but ultimately fell short due to their lack of faithfulness to the entirety of God's commands and their assimilation into the practices of other nations. This phrase's meaning is tightly bound to the next part of the sentence.
- but they walked in the statutes of the nations (Hebrew: כִּי אִם בְּחֻקֹּת הַגּוֹיִם הָלָךְ, ki im bechuqqot hagoyim halak): This is the core of their failure. "Ḥuqqot" (statutes) refers to established customs, laws, or decrees. The focus is on "the nations" – the surrounding Gentile peoples with their pagan practices and idolatry. "Halak" (walked) is a common biblical metaphor for lifestyle, conduct, and allegiance.
- which I had forbidden (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי עִם מָסַסְתִּי, asher anokhi immasassti): "Masas" means to permit or appoint. The clause means "which I had permitted not" or "which I had not appointed/ordained." The context strongly implies forbidden actions, i.e., what God did not command or explicitly forbade. It highlights a deliberate transgression by Israel by adopting practices God deemed unacceptable.
Ezekiel 20 17 Bonus Section
The failure described here is not merely about outward ritual but about a heart's orientation. When the people walked in the "statutes of the nations," it signifies adopting their worldview, their religious practices, and their moral corruptions. The original language points to the very structure and customs of those pagan societies becoming their guide instead of God's divine ordinances. This reflects a deeper spiritual compromise where God's sovereignty was set aside in favor of human tradition and popular custom. It’s a potent warning against the temptation to blend biblical faith with the prevailing culture when that culture is at odds with God's revealed will.
Ezekiel 20 17 Commentary
The verse underscores a profound spiritual principle: possessing God's commands is insufficient; the vital element is obedience aligned with God's will, especially separation from worldly practices. Israel had God's laws written and revealed, but they failed to integrate them into a life of consistent faithfulness, choosing instead to mimic the surrounding cultures. This created a critical inconsistency – appearing to observe some of God's rules while simultaneously violating the core mandate of spiritual distinctiveness and loyalty. The emphasis is on holistic obedience and the danger of syncretism, where foreign cultural practices pollute true worship and devotion to the Lord. This selective adherence and imitation is presented as a profound failure leading to divine displeasure and judgment.