Ezekiel 20 26

Ezekiel 20:26 kjv

And I polluted 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.

Ezekiel 20:26 nkjv

and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the LORD." '

Ezekiel 20:26 niv

I defiled them through their gifts?the sacrifice of every firstborn?that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.'

Ezekiel 20:26 esv

and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 20:26 nlt

I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods ? so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the LORD.

Ezekiel 20 verses

Ezekiel 20 26 Meaning

This verse explains how God actively defiled Israel in return for their own defilement through their "gifts" – specifically, the horrifying act of sacrificing their firstborn children by fire to pagan deities. This judicial defilement and subsequent desolation served as God's disciplinary action, intended to bring them to the recognition and knowledge that He alone is the sovereign Lord. It underscores divine judgment for persistent apostasy, turning Israel's own idolatrous practices into the instrument of their just punishment.

Ezekiel 20 26 Context

Ezekiel chapter 20 is a historical review of Israel's persistent rebellion and idolatry from the Exodus to the prophet's present day, leading to their impending exile. God addresses the elders of Israel who came to inquire of Him, refusing to answer them directly due to their uncleanness. Instead, He recounts a pattern of unfaithfulness that started in Egypt and continued through the wilderness. Verse 26, in particular, speaks to one of the most grievous aspects of Israel's rebellion: the practice of child sacrifice, specifically the giving of their firstborn "gifts" to pagan deities. This act, contrary to the very first commandment and specific laws forbidding it, marked a profound defilement that led God to judicially "pollute" them and bring about their desolation, ensuring they would ultimately understand His true identity and sovereignty through their suffering.

Ezekiel 20 26 Word analysis

• And I polluted them (וָאֲטַמֵּאֵם - `wa’aṭamme’ēm`): From the root טָמֵא (`ṭāmē’`), meaning "to be unclean, defiled." This is a causative verb. God is actively declaring them ceremonially and judicially unclean. This isn't God engaging in sin, but rather legally confirming their polluted state due to their actions, or imposing the consequences of their ritual uncleanness upon them. It is an act of divine judgment and withdrawal of holy presence.
• in their own gifts (בְּמַתְּנוֹתֵיהֶם - `bəmat·nō·ṯê·hem`): Literally "in their offerings/presents." This is ironic and punitive. Their supposed "sacred" offerings to false gods became the very instruments or basis of their defilement and subsequent judgment by YHWH. What they intended as worship became their condemnation.
• in that they caused to pass through the fire (הַעֲבִירָם בָּאֵשׁ - `ha·‘ă·ḇî·rām bā·’êš`): This is a specific idiom for the pagan practice of child sacrifice, notably to Molech. It was vehemently forbidden by God and involved extreme brutality. The act was seen as an abhorrent rejection of YHWH's covenant.
• all that openeth the womb (כָּל־פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם - `kol-peṭer re·ḥem`): A direct biblical term for the firstborn. God originally claimed the firstborn of all creatures for Himself (Exo 13:2, 22:29), often redeemed by sacrifice. Israel perverted this divine claim by offering their firstborn to idols. This phrase emphasizes the extreme preciousness of what they defiled and sacrificed.
• that I might make them desolate (לְמַעַן הַשִּׁמּוֹתָם - `ləma·‘an haš·šim·mō·ṯām`): From שָׁמֵם (`šāmēm`), "to be desolate, laid waste." This signifies severe punishment leading to the destruction of their land, cities, and the covenant community as they knew it, often through exile. It is the direct consequence of their defilement.
• to the end that they might know (לְמַעַן דַּעַת - `ləma·‘an da·‘at`): "So that they might know," indicating the purpose behind God's judgment. It's an epistemological aim, for them to acknowledge His sovereignty, unique identity, and covenant faithfulness.
• that I am the LORD (כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה - `kî-’ă·nî Yah·weh`): This is the foundational declaration of divine self-revelation throughout the Old Testament. It signifies God's absolute power, authority, and covenant relationship. The severe judgments and desolation were ultimately purposed to restore their understanding of who YHWH truly is.

• And I polluted them in their own gifts: God's righteous response to their self-inflicted defilement. By sacrificing their most precious "gifts" (children) to idols, Israel corrupted themselves to the core. God’s declaration of pollution is a judicial sentence, affirming their deserved state of uncleanness. This reflects the principle that their unholiness drew away God's holy presence, leaving them open to judgment.
• in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb: This phrase powerfully connects their pagan acts of child sacrifice with the ultimate form of rebellion. It underscores the ultimate transgression of the law which required the firstborn to be consecrated to God, showing a complete inversion of divine instruction and a desecration of life itself.
• that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD: This reveals the twin purposes of divine judgment. Desolation is the immediate punitive outcome, stripping away false security and idolatrous objects. The ultimate goal, however, is didactic and restorative: to force an acknowledgement of YHWH's unique identity, sovereignty, and authority, leading to repentance and recognition. The suffering served a greater spiritual purpose.

Ezekiel 20 26 Bonus section

The concept of God "polluting" or "defiling" His own people can be unsettling if misunderstood. It does not imply that God Himself becomes impure or that He endorses evil acts. Rather, it signifies His judicial decree that a people who consistently engage in practices of extreme spiritual and moral defilement (like child sacrifice) become, in His sight, utterly unclean and are consequently cut off from His holy presence and blessings. It's a legal and spiritual pronouncement of their status as unclean and therefore subject to the consequences of such impurity, which includes desolation and loss of covenant favor. This act serves to publicly distinguish God’s holiness from human depravity and establish His unwavering justice. The polemic here is against pagan deities often associated with such sacrifices, showing YHWH's absolute difference: He condemns what those gods purportedly demand. The repetition of "know that I am the LORD" across Ezekiel underscores this primary theological goal of all divine judgments and acts.

Ezekiel 20 26 Commentary

Ezekiel 20:26 starkly presents the severe consequences of Israel's chronic spiritual rebellion, specifically their abominable practice of child sacrifice. God declares that He Himself "polluted" them, not by actively sinning, but by rendering a judicial verdict of defilement based on their actions. Their "gifts" of firstborn children, meant to be consecrated to Yahweh, were offered to pagan deities, thereby turning their perverse acts of worship into the very catalyst for their undoing. This divinely-imposed desolation served a crucial, if painful, purpose: to make Israel (and surrounding nations) comprehend the exclusive sovereignty of YHWH, the One True God, whose commands had been so grievously violated. The judgment aimed not for utter annihilation but for a profound, albeit traumatic, revelation of God's character and authority, essential for eventual restoration. It highlights God's zero tolerance for defilement within His covenant people, particularly regarding the sanctity of life and exclusive worship.