Ezekiel 20 25

Ezekiel 20:25 kjv

Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

Ezekiel 20:25 nkjv

"Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live;

Ezekiel 20:25 niv

So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;

Ezekiel 20:25 esv

Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life,

Ezekiel 20:25 nlt

I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.

Ezekiel 20 verses

Ezekiel 20 25 Meaning

Ezekiel 20:25 reveals God's profound judgment against the Israelites for their persistent rebellion and idolatry. It signifies that as a consequence of their refusal to obey His life-giving covenant, God gave them over to "statutes that were not good" and "judgments whereby they should not live." This is understood not as God providing inherently evil laws, but rather allowing them, in their unfaithfulness, to pursue their own destructive, pagan practices (such as child sacrifice mentioned in the very next verse) as a divine act of retribution and abandonment. These practices, which they embraced as their guiding principles, ultimately brought about spiritual death, defilement, and physical destruction, contrary to God's original intention for His true laws which were meant for life and blessing. It highlights the divine giving-over to the consequences of sin.

Ezekiel 20 25 Context

Ezekiel chapter 20 presents a panoramic review of Israel's history of rebellion against God, from their time in Egypt through the wilderness and into the land of Canaan. The Lord recounts His covenant initiatives and their repeated refusal to obey, despite His unwavering commitment to His own holy name. Leading up to verse 25, God vividly describes the nation's spiritual apostasy in Egypt (v. 7-8), their disobedience in the wilderness by rebelling against His statutes, refusing to walk in His laws, and repeatedly profaning His Sabbaths (v. 13, 16, 21, 23-24). In the face of this continuous defiance, where His perfect, life-giving laws were consistently rejected, verse 25 details God's punitive response: giving them "statutes that were not good." This is further clarified by the immediate following verse 26, which states, "And I defiled them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord." This clearly points to pagan practices, particularly child sacrifice, as the "not good" statutes they adopted under divine judgment, leading to their desolation.

Ezekiel 20 25 Word analysis

• Moreover also: 'gam 'ani' (גַּם־אֲנִ֤י). The Hebrew emphasizes "even I," highlighting the divine speaker. It sets a stark contrast to previous declarations of God giving good statutes. It indicates a consequential action by God, marking a shift or intensification.
• I gave: 'natatti' (נָתַתִּי֙). A Piel perfect verb from 'natan' (נָתַן), meaning "to give," "to put," "to grant," "to deliver over." This signifies a divine, sovereign action. In this context, it can be interpreted as an active deliverance of judgment, allowing consequences, or even enabling the pursuit of chosen sinful paths as a form of judgment. It’s God’s response to their rebellion.
• them: 'otam' (אֹותָֽם). Refers to the people of Israel, specifically those generations in the wilderness who rebelled.
• statutes: 'chuqqim' (חֻקִּ֥ים). Derived from a root meaning "to engrave" or "to decree." These are ordinances, laws, or established decrees, typically referring to divine laws (like the Law of Moses). The usage here in contrast to "not good" suggests they were either laws of judgment, or their adopted pagan customs treated as law.
• that were not good: 'lo-tovim' (לֹֽא־טוֹבִ֖ים). This negates the inherent goodness of God's true laws (which are always good). This phrase describes the nature or effect of these given "statutes." They were destructive, defiling, and led to death, either as God's punitive judgments or as the pagan laws that Israel chose and God "gave them over" to follow. They contrasted sharply with God's original, perfect commands which promise life.
• and judgments: 'umishpatim' (וּמִשְׁפָּטִ֖ים). From the root 'shaphat' (שָׁפַט), meaning "to judge." These are judicial decisions, principles of justice, or ordinances governing right and wrong. Paired with "statutes," it covers the full scope of legal and moral regulations.
• whereby: 'bahem' (בָהֶֽם). Literally "in them" or "by means of them." It indicates the way of living.
• they should not live: 'lo-yichyu' (לֹא־יִחְי֣וּ). From the root 'chaya' (חָיָה), meaning "to live," "to keep alive." The negative "not live" directly contradicts the purpose of God's original law, which explicitly stated that following His laws leads to life (Lev 18:5). This phrase emphasizes the deadly, desolating nature of these "statutes" and "judgments," confirming they brought about ruin and not spiritual or physical flourishing.
• "Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good": This phrase marks a pivotal turning point in God's relationship with rebellious Israel. It indicates a divine shift from offering life-giving instructions to imposing or permitting pathways that bring destruction. This isn't God endorsing evil, but sovereignly allowing Israel to reap the consequences of their relentless rejection of His genuine goodness, resulting in "laws" (whether punitive or permissive of idolatry) that served as instruments of judgment.
• "and judgments whereby they should not live": This further clarifies the negative impact and purpose of what God "gave" them. Unlike God's perfect laws that promised life through obedience, these judgments explicitly lead away from life, causing spiritual, social, and eventually physical death. It signifies God’s judicial act where their choices lead them to follow paths that contradict life and are antithetical to His covenant blessings.

Ezekiel 20 25 Bonus section

The paradox of God giving "not good" statutes highlights the principle of divine abandonment, a recurring theme in Scripture. When humanity persistently rejects God and chooses its own rebellious path, God, in His sovereign justice, may "give them over" (as seen in Rom 1) to the full consequences of their sinful desires. This is not God tempting them with evil, but allowing their own chosen evil to run its course as a just judgment. It serves as a severe warning against hardening one's heart against God's genuine, life-giving truth, as such persistent rebellion inevitably leads to self-inflicted spiritual and physical death, a path divergent from God's intended flourishing. This foreshadows the need for a New Covenant, where God's truly good laws would be written on the heart (Jer 31:33, Heb 8:10) so that His people would willingly walk in them and truly live.

Ezekiel 20 25 Commentary

Ezekiel 20:25 is a complex statement underscoring the severity of divine judgment upon persistent rebellion. It must be interpreted in light of the larger biblical context that God's actual laws are inherently good and designed for life. Therefore, "statutes that were not good" does not imply God literally gave evil commandments like pagan deities; rather, it represents His response to Israel's repeated and deliberate rejection of His perfect law. This "giving" manifests in a few ways: either God allowing Israel to succumb to and internalize the destructive, idolatrous practices of surrounding nations (their own chosen "statutes," vividly exemplified by child sacrifice in v. 26), or God imposing severe punitive judgments that resulted in defilement, spiritual death, and physical destruction, or even that their good laws, when treated as a burden and despised, became a cause for death for them due to their disobedience. Ultimately, these "not good" statutes became a means by which Israel would face the consequences of their unfaithfulness, designed to make them truly "know that I am the Lord" through desolation rather than blessing, a stark reversal of God's original intention to provide a path to abundant life through obedience.