Ezekiel 20 31

Ezekiel 20:31 kjv

For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.

Ezekiel 20:31 nkjv

For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you.

Ezekiel 20:31 niv

When you offer your gifts?the sacrifice of your children in the fire?you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will not let you inquire of me.

Ezekiel 20:31 esv

When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.

Ezekiel 20:31 nlt

For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices, you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will tell you nothing.

Ezekiel 20 verses

Ezekiel 20 31 Meaning

Ezekiel 20:31 pronounces God's unwavering rejection of Israel's attempts to seek Him while they persist in egregious idolatry, particularly child sacrifice. The verse emphasizes their continuous self-defilement through worshipping "dung-gods" and confirms God's solemn oath that He will not respond to their inquiries. It highlights a severe break in the covenant relationship due to their profound unfaithfulness.

Ezekiel 20 31 Context

Ezekiel 20 presents a scathing review of Israel's history of rebellion and idolatry, spanning from their time in Egypt through the wilderness to the present day in exile. The chapter begins with elders of Israel approaching Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord (Ezek 20:1, 3). However, God immediately declares He will not be inquired of by them, due to their persistent unfaithfulness (Ezek 20:3). He recounts their spiritual adultery in Egypt (Ezek 20:5-9), the wilderness (Ezek 20:10-26), and then their current generation, where verse 31 falls. This verse specifically condemns their current abhorrent practice of offering children in fire to idols, alongside other gifts, solidifying their self-defilement and confirming God's refusal to engage with such rebellion. It precedes a promise of future judgment (gathering them back) but also future cleansing and restoration, setting a powerful contrast between their present depravity and God's eventual redemptive plan.

Ezekiel 20 31 Word analysis

• When you offer (Hebrew: ba-hakh'rivecem): The word "offer" here (from qārab) means to bring near, to present. While used for legitimate sacrifices, in this context, it takes on a sinister meaning, contrasting their offerings to God with those to idols. It highlights the direct action of presenting.
• your gifts (Hebrew: mat'noteichem): These are offerings or presents, ostensibly brought to a deity. In this verse, "your gifts" alongside "your children in fire" clarifies they are pagan offerings, demonstrating a perversion of true worship where the entire self (including children) is sacrificed to false gods.
• when you present your children in fire (Hebrew: ba-ha'avīr'chem et-beneichem ba-ēsh): "Present...in fire" (from ʿābar bāʾēš) is a euphemistic but clear reference to child sacrifice. This heinous act, typically associated with the worship of Molech or Baal in Canaanite religion, involved literally burning children as offerings. It represented the ultimate act of religious devotion and apostasy, utterly abhorrent to YHWH. This practice directly violated God's commands (Lev 18:21; Deut 18:10) and epitomized their total moral and spiritual corruption.
• you defile yourselves (Hebrew: tittammē'u): From ṭāmēʾ, meaning to be or become unclean, impure, defiled. This verb is in the Hithpael stem, indicating a reflexive action: they actively and continually make themselves defiled. This defilement is not merely ritual but deeply spiritual and moral, an impurity that separates them from the holy God.
• with all your idols (Hebrew: bechol gilluleikhem): "Idols" here is gillulim, a derogatory term unique to Ezekiel (and Leviticus and Jeremiah). It literally means "dung-pellets" or "shapeless logs," mocking the worthlessness and offensive nature of these false gods, underscoring their contempt in God's eyes. The phrase "all your idols" indicates widespread, comprehensive idolatry, not isolated incidents.
• to this day (Hebrew: ad ha-yom hazzeh): This phrase emphasizes the continuity and persistence of their idolatry and defilement. It highlights that even in exile, or on the verge of it, their rebellious hearts have not changed, extending their sin throughout their history and into their present reality. It confirms that the current generation is as guilty as their predecessors.
• And shall I be inquired of by you (Hebrew: wa-ʾādōrāsh lakhēm): A strong rhetorical question. "Inquired of" (from dāraš) means to seek, to consult, to inquire of God, often for guidance, blessing, or deliverance. The interrogative particle implies a vehement negative: "Am I to be inquired of by you? Absolutely not!" It expresses God's righteous indignation and refusal to entertain requests from those in such deep apostasy.
• O house of Israel? (Hebrew: beit Yisrael): The direct address to the covenant people emphasizes the tragedy of their actions. They are still "Israel," the chosen people, yet have acted contrary to their calling, making their defilement even more grievous.
• As I live, declares the Lord GOD (Hebrew: Chay ani ne'um Adonai Yahweh): This is a solemn divine oath, the strongest possible affirmation, indicating the absolute certainty and irreversibility of God's subsequent declaration. "As I live" means "by My very existence." "Adonai Yahweh" (Sovereign LORD) emphasizes His authority and covenant fidelity, which contrasts sharply with Israel's unfaithfulness.
• I will not be inquired of by you (Hebrew: Lo tidrshuni): A conclusive and unequivocal refusal, repeating the sentiment of the rhetorical question. This is a severe judgment, cutting off all direct communication and intervention from God due to their sustained spiritual rebellion and abominable practices. It signifies a temporary cessation of the covenant's relational benefits in their unrepentant state.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• When you offer your gifts, when you present your children in fire: These two clauses highlight the continuum of Israel's unholy offerings. "Gifts" would normally be tithes or sacrifices; coupling it with child sacrifice recontextualizes all their religious practices as corrupt and repugnant when done alongside such extreme abominations.
• you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day: This phrase ties their continuous self-pollution directly to their comprehensive embrace of gillulim. The reflexive nature of "defile yourselves" and the duration "to this day" underscore their active, sustained choice for impurity, making them wholly responsible for their separation from God.
• And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you: This double-barreled statement uses a rhetorical question followed by an oath to hammer home God's absolute refusal. It's a declaration of divine non-response, stemming from their unrepentant heart, particularly as expressed in child sacrifice. The use of "House of Israel" highlights the broken covenant relationship, while God's oath reinforces the gravity and certainty of His stance.

Ezekiel 20 31 Bonus section

The context of this refusal to be "inquired of" (Eze 20:31) contrasts with the subsequent verses (Eze 20:33-34) where God states He will be their King and bring them out with a mighty hand, whether they like it or not. This highlights a crucial distinction: God will not entertain their inquiries for their own benefit or according to their terms while they persist in sin, but He will still act on their behalf and exercise His sovereign power according to His own covenant purposes, even if it involves bringing judgment before restoration. This separation demonstrates God's consistent character as both righteous Judge and faithful Covenant Keeper, refusing false piety but holding to His ultimate redemptive plan. The emphasis on "self-defilement" in the verse reminds us that sin isn't merely an act against God; it fundamentally corrupts the perpetrator, making them unclean in God's sight.

Ezekiel 20 31 Commentary

Ezekiel 20:31 serves as a devastating indictment of Israel's spiritual adultery. Their attempt to approach God while engaged in the most detestable forms of idolatry, epitomized by offering their children in fire—a practice reserved for Canaanite deities like Molech—revealed a profound spiritual blindness and a cynical disregard for God's holiness. God’s categorical refusal to be "inquired of" is not arbitrary but a righteous response to their unyielding defilement. The phrase "to this day" tragically confirms that this was not a historical error but a persistent, current sin. God’s oath, "As I live, declares the Lord GOD," guarantees the certainty of His non-engagement. This verse profoundly demonstrates that ritual observance or even seeking divine favor is an abomination when the heart remains deeply rooted in rebellion and utterly defiled by sin, especially the shedding of innocent blood for pagan gods. It warns against superficial piety in the face of deep-seated corruption, demonstrating that God sees through hypocritical religion.