Ezekiel 20:27 kjv
Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
Ezekiel 20:27 nkjv
"Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "In this too your fathers have blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me.
Ezekiel 20:27 niv
"Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your ancestors blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me:
Ezekiel 20:27 esv
"Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me.
Ezekiel 20:27 nlt
"Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me,
Ezekiel 20 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 16:20-21 | "You took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to me, and offered them as food to them." | God rebukes Israel for child sacrifice. |
| Leviticus 18:21 | "You shall not give any of your children to devoted to Molech..." | Prohibition against Molech worship. |
| Leviticus 20:2-5 | Stresses severe punishment for offering children to Molech. | Consequences of child sacrifice. |
| Deuteronomy 12:31 | "You shall not do the same to the LORD your God, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done in the service of their gods..." | Condemnation of Canaanite worship. |
| Deuteronomy 18:10 | "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering..." | Reinforces prohibition against child sacrifice. |
| 2 Kings 16:3 | "He [Ahaz] passed his son through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations..." | Historical example of the sin. |
| 2 Kings 21:6 | "Manasseh also made his son pass through the fire..." | Another historical example of the sin. |
| Jeremiah 32:35 | "They built the high places of Baal in the valley of the son of Hinnom to make their sons and their daughters pass through the fire to Molech..." | Specific location and god associated with the sin. |
| Jeremiah 7:31 | "They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, a thing that I commanded them not, nor did it enter my mind." | God explicitly states he never commanded it. |
| Psalm 106:37-38 | "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters..." | Further testimony to the wickedness. |
| Isaiah 57:5 | "On the smooth rock of the ravine you have set your lonely sign; over, over are you uncovered to me; you loved them on a bed, you made your covenant with them; you loved them with their strewing the way of their life." | Idolatrous practices, implying promiscuity and sacrifice. |
| Romans 1:28-32 | Describes those given over to sinful desires, including lack of natural affection. | Connects idolatry with societal decay. |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | Lists "works of the flesh" which include practices contrary to God's kingdom, like idolatry. | Categorizes such acts as opposing God. |
| Revelation 21:8 | "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." | Final judgment on idolaters. |
| Matthew 13:41-42 | "The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the fiery furnace..." | Imagery of judgment and punishment. |
| Revelation 14:10-11 | "he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever..." | Description of eternal judgment for sinners. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:20 | "No, I imply that what they sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons." | Links idol worship to demonic influence. |
| Hebrews 12:29 | "for our God is a consuming fire." | God's nature of judgment against sin. |
| Acts 7:43 | "You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon." | Quotation and connection to Israel's early history of idolatry. |
| Amos 5:26 | "You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves..." | Prophetic denunciation of idolatrous practices and "star-gods". |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 27 Meaning
This verse declares that the people of Israel were further condemned by their own actions when they continued to "make their sons pass through the fire." This is presented as a continuation and intensification of their transgression against God. It signifies their active participation in and dedication to the abominable practices of surrounding nations, specifically child sacrifice to pagan deities like Molech. The verse underscores the pervasiveness of this sin and the resulting divine judgment.
Ezekiel 20 27 Context
Ezekiel 20 continues God's patient recounting of Israel's history of rebellion, framing their exile as a just consequence. The chapter details their persistent turning away from God, embracing the practices of surrounding nations. This specific verse, Ezekiel 20:27, falls within a section where God is meticulously detailing the sins that led to His people’s dispersion. The audience, exiled Jews in Babylon, would understand this reference deeply. They lived in a land steeped in idolatry and ritualistic practices, making the concept of human sacrifice, even if they themselves weren't actively performing it, a recognizable abomination. Historically, child sacrifice was a well-documented practice among certain ancient Near Eastern cultures, particularly Canaanite groups, which the Israelites were repeatedly warned against. The reference to Molech or similar deities underscores a rejection of the covenant God and an adoption of the very things God had explicitly forbidden, such as in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, in order to maintain their unique relationship with Him. This verse acts as a damning indictment, showing that Israel not only inherited sin but actively perpetrated it, thereby inviting divine judgment.
Ezekiel 20 27 Word Analysis
And (וְ, ve): A common conjunctive particle, indicating sequence or addition. Here, it links this further sin to previous rebellions.
yet (עוֹד, 'od): Means "again," "still," or "moreover." It emphasizes the continuation and persistence of their sin despite God's dealings with them.
further (כִּי, kiy): Can function as "for," "because," or "that." Here, it introduces the specific reason or nature of their continued provocation, highlighting the inherent causality of their action.
cause (עַל, 'al): Preposition signifying "upon," "concerning," or "against." It indicates that the action of making sons pass through fire was an offense directed against God, or on God's behalf in terms of provocation.
thy (בְּנֵיכֶם, b’naychem): Plural possessive "your sons."
sons (בְּנֵי, b’ney): Refers to male offspring.
to (בְּ, be): Preposition indicating location or manner, here indicating "in" or "through."
pass (לַעֲבִיר, la‘avîr): Infinitive Hiphil of עָבַר (’avar), meaning "to cause to pass over," "to make pass through." This points to a deliberate action, not a passive event.
through (בָּאֵשׁ, ba’esh): "in fire," "through fire." The context implies a fiery ritual.
the (הָאֵשׁ, ha’esh): "the fire." This refers to the ritual fire used in worship.
words-group by words-group analysis
- "cause your sons to pass through the fire": This phrase is a direct indictment for the sin of child sacrifice, particularly associated with the worship of Molech (Lev 18:21; Deut 12:31). The Hiphil conjugation "to cause to pass" highlights the intentional, active involvement of the parents in offering their children. It was an act of devotion to foreign gods that deeply angered God, marking a profound spiritual defilement and violation of His covenant. This action directly contradicted God’s commands for Israel to be a distinct and holy nation.
Ezekiel 20 27 Bonus Section
The act of "making sons pass through the fire" points to the worship of deities such as Molech, which involved cremating children in fiery pits. This practice was so detestable to God that He declared it should not even be conceived of, let alone carried out by His people. The cumulative effect of such abominations was the erosion of Israel's spiritual distinctiveness and an invitation to divine judgment. This verse serves as a stark reminder of the seriousness of idolatry and its destructive consequences on a nation and its relationship with God. It contrasts sharply with God's demonstration of love through Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac, where God provided a substitute and rebuked the attempt to offer human life (Gen 22).
Ezekiel 20 27 Commentary
The verse highlights Israel's persistent rebellion through the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice, which God explicitly condemned. This act represented a profound betrayal of their covenant relationship with Him and a mirroring of the wicked practices of surrounding nations like the Canaanites. God's recounting of this sin emphasizes its gravity as a cause for judgment and exile. It signifies not merely an inherited sin from past generations but a continued, active participation by those living under the Mosaic Law. The action was an offense directly against God, an attempt to appease deities through the ultimate sacrifice of one's own children, which God viewed as an abomination he "commanded not, nor did it even enter my mind" (Jer 7:31).