Ezekiel 20:2 kjv
Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 20:2 nkjv
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ezekiel 20:2 niv
Then the word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 20:2 esv
And the word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 20:2 nlt
Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 20 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 14:3 | Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts... should I be consulted by them? | God's refusal to answer idolaters. |
| Eze 33:30-32 | My people sit before you and hear your words, but they do not practice them... with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain. | People's superficial inquiry, similar to elders. |
| Jer 7:4 | Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord...’ | False sense of security/religion. |
| Isa 29:13 | These people draw near with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. | Hypocritical worship and inquiry. |
| Psa 78:36-37 | But they flattered Him with their mouths; they lied to Him with their tongues... their heart was not steadfast toward Him. | Israel's past deceit and faithlessness. |
| Amos 5:21-24 | I hate, I despise your feasts... Let justice roll down like waters... | God rejecting ritual without righteousness. |
| Prov 28:9 | If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. | Unwillingness to obey making inquiry worthless. |
| 1 Sam 28:6 | When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him... | God's silence to a disobedient king. |
| 2 Ki 22:13 | Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for the people... | Seeking God in sincerity (Josiah). |
| 2 Chr 18:4-5 | Then Jehoshaphat said... "Inquire, please, for the word of the Lord today." ... And they answered him, “Go up...” | Asking for divine word from false prophets. |
| Matt 15:8 | This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. | Jesus echoing Isaiah 29:13 regarding human tradition. |
| Mark 7:6 | Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites... | Jesus addressing religious hypocrisy. |
| Isa 1:15 | When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. | God rejecting prayers from defiled hands. |
| Jer 42:20 | For you dealt deceitfully against your own souls when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the Lord our God...' | Hypocritical seeking of the Lord. |
| Zech 7:12-13 | They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law... Therefore great wrath came... | Hard-heartedness leading to divine silence. |
| 2 Sam 2:1 | David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And He said, "Go up." | Example of a sincere inquiry leading to a positive answer. |
| Joel 1:1 | The word of the Lord that came to Joel... | Common prophetic introduction, receiving word. |
| Jer 1:2 | The word of the Lord came to him... | Divine word given to prophets. |
| Exo 24:1 | Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron... and seventy of the elders of Israel...” | Elders as representatives before God. |
| Num 11:16-17 | The Lord said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel...” | Elders as community leaders. |
| Eze 2:3 | Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to nations of rebels... | Ezekiel sent to a rebellious people. |
| Eze 3:4 | Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. | Ezekiel's commission to deliver God's words directly. |
| Exo 19:8 | All that the Lord has spoken we will do. | Israel's initial (yet often failed) pledge of obedience. |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 2 Meaning
Ezekiel 20:2 announces a divine confrontation. The Lord commands the prophet Ezekiel, "son of man," to address the elders of Israel who have come seeking counsel from God. This command introduces the lengthy discourse where God will recount Israel's history of rebellion and idolatry, despite His covenant faithfulness, indicating a deep hypocrisy in their seeking Him.
Ezekiel 20 2 Context
Ezekiel 20:2 opens a crucial section of the book, which delivers one of the most direct and damning indictments against the people of Israel. Chapter 20 begins with an explicit date, the seventh year of the exile, the fifth month, the tenth day, indicating approximately August 14, 591 BC. This precise dating underscores the historical reality of the interaction. Certain elders of Israel came to Ezekiel, apparently to "inquire of the Lord" on behalf of the exilic community in Babylon.
Their desire to "inquire" seems superficially pious, reflecting a traditional practice of seeking divine guidance through a prophet. However, this is not a new occurrence; in Ezekiel 14:1-3, God explicitly refused to answer elders who approached Ezekiel because they "set up their idols in their hearts." This prior refusal sets a strong precedent and highlights the deep spiritual malaise of the elders in Chapter 20. Despite their outward posture of seeking God, their hearts were still inclined towards idolatry and rebellion, as the subsequent historical recounting in Chapter 20 extensively demonstrates. God's instruction to Ezekiel in verse 2 is therefore not a promise of revelation for their inquiry but rather a preparatory command for a severe prophetic indictment.
Historically, the exiles, particularly their leaders, were struggling with their circumstances. They likely sought a word of hope or a promise of immediate restoration, or perhaps clarification on whether the judgments were indeed from God and how to alleviate them. Instead, God uses their false pretense of seeking Him as an opportunity to reveal their consistent and deep-rooted unfaithfulness from their past in Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the land, up to their present exile.
Ezekiel 20 2 Word analysis
Son of man (בֶּן־אָדָם - ben 'adam): A distinct address for Ezekiel throughout his prophecy. It emphasizes his humanity and mortal nature, in contrast to the divine majesty of God who commissions him. This term is also used in Daniel for a messianic figure (Dan 7:13), but in Ezekiel, it typically highlights the prophet's humility and complete reliance on God's word and power. His human frailty makes God's powerful messages even more striking.
speak (דַּבֵּר - daber): A strong imperative, meaning "utter," "command," "declare." It conveys the authority and directness of God's instruction to Ezekiel. The prophet is not merely relaying a message but delivering a direct divine address, even if it is uncomfortable.
elders of Israel (זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - ziqnei Yisrael): These were the respected leaders, representatives, and spokesmen of the community, even in exile. Their coming to inquire signifies a formal and official act, highlighting the collective responsibility of the nation's leadership. They held significant influence among the exiles. Their visit to the prophet suggests they represented the broader community's spiritual concerns, or lack thereof.
come to inquire of Me (בָּאוּ לִדְרֹשׁ אוֹתִי - ba'u lidrosh oti): Lidrosh means "to seek," "to resort to," "to consult," "to inquire." While on the surface it indicates a desire for divine revelation or guidance, the context reveals it as a formal but insincere approach. The very act of inquiry itself is what God refuses in subsequent verses because of their rebellious hearts (Eze 20:3).
Thus says the Lord God (כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה - koh amar Adonai Yehovih): This is a powerful, authoritative prophetic formula, a signature of divine pronouncement. It declares that the message immediately following comes directly from the sovereign Lord, emphasizing its absolute truth and authority. This phrase validates the divine origin of the forthcoming severe condemnation and underscores that it is not Ezekiel's personal opinion, but God's unchallengeable verdict.
Ezekiel 20 2 Bonus section
The pattern of Israel’s elders seeking counsel from prophets but harboring disobedient hearts recurs throughout prophetic literature, often met with God's refusal to be consulted (e.g., Jer 42). This reveals a significant theological principle: God cannot be genuinely approached by those who are intentionally living in rebellion. An outward ritual of seeking Him is nullified by an inward commitment to idols and sin. The elders' "inquiry" here functions not as an earnest seeking of God's will for repentance, but perhaps an attempt to gain prophetic validation for their desires or an explanation for their suffering that exonerated them. This introductory verse immediately challenges the audience's assumptions about who is worthy of a divine word, highlighting that God's holiness demands sincere and undivided allegiance.
Ezekiel 20 2 Commentary
Ezekiel 20:2 sets the stage for a dramatic divine revelation, beginning with God's clear directive to Ezekiel to confront the hypocrisy of Israel's elders. They presented themselves with an outward show of seeking divine wisdom, mimicking the actions of the faithful seeking the Lord. However, their true spiritual condition, characterized by hearts set on idols and persistent rebellion against God's covenant, made their inquiry a pretense. God, through this instruction to Ezekiel, is about to expose their false piety. He uses this opportunity, not to grant them the peace or answers they superficially sought, but to recount their unholy history, exposing how their present rebellion is merely a continuation of centuries of faithlessness from Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land. This introduction therefore signifies that divine grace is not arbitrary, and sincere repentance, not ritualistic inquiry, is the pathway to true communion with the Lord.