Ezekiel 20:30 kjv
Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
Ezekiel 20:30 nkjv
Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your fathers, and committing harlotry according to their abominations?
Ezekiel 20:30 niv
"Therefore say to the Israelites: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?
Ezekiel 20:30 esv
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?
Ezekiel 20:30 nlt
"Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshiping vile images?
Ezekiel 20 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 20:30 | "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; Are you defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers and playing the harlot after their abominations?" | Prophetic accusation/sin confessed |
| Lev 18:3 | "You shall not do according to the doings of the land of Egypt where you lived, nor according to the doings of the land of Canaan where I bring you, nor shall you walk in their statutes." | Warning against pagan practices |
| Deut 7:4 | "For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you." | Consequence of following idols |
| Isa 43:25 | "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins." | God's promise of forgiveness/restoration |
| Jer 3:13 | "Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice, says the LORD." | Israel's unfaithfulness confession |
| Eze 22:3-5 | "Say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “A city that sheds blood in its midst, so that its time may come, and makes idols for itself to defile itself!” ‘You have incurred guilt by the blood which you have shed, and by the idols which you have made, and you have made your days draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mockery to all countries." | Specific example of defilement and reproach |
| Eze 36:20-23 | "But when they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name—wherever they went among the nations, they said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have come out of His land.’ "But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to do this, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight." | God's desire to sanctify His name |
| Rom 2:24 | "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is written." | Echo of profaning God's name |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." | Christian implication of holiness |
| Rev 14:12 | "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." | Endurance and faithfulness |
| John 17:4 | "I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do." | Christ glorifying God |
| 2 Tim 3:5 | "...having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." | False godliness contrasted with true |
| Mal 1:6 | "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name." | Priests despising God's name |
| Isa 5:13 | "Therefore My people go into captivity without knowledge; Their nobles famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst." | Consequence of ignorance and apostasy |
| Jer 5:30-31 | "An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests bear rule by their means; And My people love it so! But what will you do in the end?" | Religious leaders' complicity in sin |
| Hosea 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being My priest; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." | Rejection of knowledge and its consequences |
| Deut 32:39 | "See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand." | God's sovereignty and power |
| Psa 106:8 | "Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, That He might make known His mighty power." | God's saving action for His name's sake |
| Rom 3:23 | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," | Universal sinfulness |
| Eze 36:22 | "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to do this, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went." | Repetition of the theme for emphasis |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 30 Meaning
This verse speaks to God's specific accusation against Israel: their defilement of Him among the nations. They were supposed to be a distinct people, reflecting His holiness, but instead, by their actions, they brought shame upon His name. The verse also reveals God's intention: to sanctify Himself within them through His judgment, thereby demonstrating His holiness and power to all, even those who witnessed their dispersion and disgrace.
Ezekiel 20 30 Context
Ezekiel chapter 20 is a powerful denunciation of Israel's persistent apostasy and disobedience. God, through the prophet Ezekiel, recounts Israel's history of rebellion, from their Egyptian idolatry to their Canaanite enticements. This particular verse (20:30) comes after God has systematically listed the ways Israel has defiled His name, both in the past and in their current state of exile. The historical context is the Babylonian exile, where the remnant of Israel, though physically removed from their land, were still spiritually entangled with the sins of their ancestors. They had been scattered among the nations, and their very presence in exile was a testimony to their broken covenant with God. This chapter functions as a pre-exile "guilt confession" on the part of God, demonstrating His long-suffering nature while also explaining the divine reasons for the impending judgment. The verse addresses the "house of Israel" directly, reminding them of their fathers' ways, which they continue to emulate, specifically highlighting the "abominations" of pagan worship.
Ezekiel 20 30 Word analysis
So (וְלָכֵן) - (ve'lahen) Means "therefore" or "and for this reason." It serves as a conjunction, connecting God's observation of their sin to the pronouncement of His word. It signifies a logical consequence.
say (אמרו) - (imru) Imperative verb, meaning "speak" or "say." This is God's command to Ezekiel to deliver His message to the people.
to the house of Israel (לבית ישראל) - (l'veit Yisrael) Refers to the entire nation of Israel, both the northern kingdom (often referred to as Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). It denotes their collective identity as God's covenant people.
Thus says the Lord GOD (כה אמר אדני יהוה) - (ko amar Adonai Yehovah) A standard prophetic formula asserting the divine origin of the message. "Adonai" (Lord) emphasizes sovereignty, and "Yehovah" is God's covenant name, emphasizing His personal relationship and faithfulness.
Are you defiling yourselves (המטמאים) - (hametme'im) A participial form, literally "Are you defiling yourselves?" It's a rhetorical question emphasizing their ongoing action and complicity in impurity. The verb tame', means to become unclean, to pollute, or to profane.
in the way of your fathers (בדרך אבותיכם) - (b'derech avoteychem) Refers to the inherited sins and ungodly practices passed down from previous generations, particularly their forefathers who sinned after leaving Egypt and entering Canaan.
and playing the harlot (ובזנות) - (uvizonut) Literally "and in whoring" or "and committing sexual immorality." This metaphorically represents spiritual unfaithfulness to God, engaging in idolatry and compromising with foreign religions and practices. The root word zanah signifies illicit sexual behavior, used here to illustrate their disloyalty to the covenant.
after their abominations (אחרי שקוציהם) - (acharê shekutzeyhem) "Shekutzim" refers to abominations, detestable things, idols, and the practices associated with them, which are deeply offensive to God. The preposition "after" signifies following and pursuing these detestable practices.
Word-group analysis: The phrase "defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers and playing the harlot after their abominations" is a powerful accusation of inherited and practiced spiritual infidelity. It highlights a continuity of sin across generations, where the present generation replicates the sins of their ancestors, thereby perpetuating their defilement and spiritual harlotry by adopting the "abominations" (pagan practices and idols).
Ezekiel 20 30 Bonus section
The rhetorical question structure ("Are you defiling yourselves?") emphasizes Israel's conscious participation in sin. They are not merely being passively affected by circumstances but are actively choosing to repeat the sins that led to past judgments. This verse underscores the importance of historical consciousness in spiritual life, highlighting how the failure to learn from past mistakes leads to future consequences. The term "abominations" ( shekutzim) points to the deep offense that idolatry and the associated pagan rites were to the God of Israel, as these practices often involved moral corruption and violence. God’s holiness, as emphasized in later verses, is central here; Israel’s sin is not just a personal failing but a public dishonoring of God’s holy name among the nations.
Ezekiel 20 30 Commentary
This verse serves as a direct indictment from God to His people, Israel. It's a question loaded with accusation, pointing out their persistent failure to learn from history. They were commanded to be a holy people, separate from the surrounding nations, yet they continued to imitate the corrupt practices of their forefathers, specifically their idolatry and ritualistic impurity. This spiritual infidelity is depicted as "playing the harlot," a potent metaphor for covenant breaking and unfaithfulness to God. The consequences are dire, as their actions have not only brought defilement upon themselves but have also dishonored God's name among the very nations they were meant to witness His glory. God's subsequent actions, mentioned in later verses, are driven by His desire to re-establish His holiness in their midst, proving His faithfulness and power despite their transgressions.