Ezekiel 20:32 kjv
And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
Ezekiel 20:32 nkjv
What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, 'We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.'
Ezekiel 20:32 niv
"?'You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen.
Ezekiel 20:32 esv
"What is in your mind shall never happen ? the thought, 'Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.'
Ezekiel 20:32 nlt
"You say, 'We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.' But what you have in mind will never happen.
Ezekiel 20 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 42:2 | "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted." | God's absolute sovereignty and unthwartable plans. |
| Ps 33:10-11 | "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates the plans...but the counsel of the Lord stands forever." | Divine sovereignty over nations' plans and human counsel. |
| Prov 19:21 | "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." | Human plans vs. God's prevailing purpose. |
| Isa 14:27 | "For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?" | God's unalterable decrees. |
| Dan 4:35 | "He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can restrain His hand..." | God's absolute dominion over all creation. |
| Deut 12:29-31 | "When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations...do not inquire after their gods...nor worship their gods." | Warning against adopting nations' idolatry. |
| 1 Sam 8:5-7 | "Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations.'...But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king...'" | Israel's desire to be like other nations in requesting a king. |
| Isa 2:6-8 | "For you have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of customs...and bow down to the work of their hands." | Israel adopting foreign practices and idolatry. |
| Jer 10:2 | "Thus says the Lord: 'Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed by the signs of the heavens...'" | Instruction not to imitate the idolatry of other nations. |
| Hos 8:12 | "I wrote for him many things...but they are regarded as a strange thing. They sacrifice flesh as gifts..." | Israel neglecting God's law for their own ways. |
| Deut 4:28 | "And there you will serve gods made by human hands, of wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell." | The futility and nature of idols. |
| Ps 115:4-8 | "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands...those who make them become like them..." | Description of powerless idols and the fate of their worshippers. |
| Isa 44:9-20 | A comprehensive satire on the making and futility of idols from wood. | Detailed mockery of idolatry and its illogical nature. |
| Jer 10:3-5 | "For the customs of the peoples are vanity...like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, they cannot speak..." | Idols as worthless, impotent objects. |
| Hab 2:18-19 | "What profit is an idol...to the maker, who trusts in his handiwork...? Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!'" | The utter worthlessness of crafted gods. |
| Ezek 20:9 | "But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations..." | God's motivation for His actions is the glory of His name. |
| Ezek 36:22-23 | "Thus says the Lord God: 'It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name’s sake...'" | God's redemptive work driven by His name, not Israel's merit. |
| Ezek 36:24-27 | "For I will take you from the nations...and will gather you...I will put a new spirit within you..." | The promise of future restoration and spiritual renewal. |
| Jer 31:33 | "But this is the covenant that I will make...I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their heart..." | The New Covenant: internal transformation by God's Spirit. |
| Heb 8:10 | "For this is the covenant...I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts..." | Echo of the New Covenant promise from Jeremiah. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name...every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..." | God's ultimate plan of exalting Christ and universal acknowledgment of His Lordship. |
| Rom 11:25-27 | "For I do not want you...that Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in...so all Israel will be saved." | God's continuing covenant plan for Israel's ultimate salvation. |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 32 Meaning
Ezekiel 20:32 declares that Israel's rebellious desire to abandon their unique identity as God's chosen people and assimilate among the idolatrous nations, serving false gods of "wood and stone," will absolutely not come to pass. This verse emphasizes God's unshakeable sovereignty over His people's intentions and His determined plan for them, regardless of their wishes.
Ezekiel 20 32 Context
Ezekiel 20:32 is part of a prophetic message delivered to the elders of Israel during the Babylonian exile. The chapter details a long history of Israel's rebellion against God, beginning from their time in Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the promised land. Despite God's faithfulness and repeated deliverance, the people continually provoked Him with idolatry and disobedience. Each time, God threatened to execute judgment but refrained "for My name's sake" (Ezek 20:9, 14, 22), so that His holiness would not be profaned among the nations. The current generation, still rebellious in exile, is considering the ultimate rejection of their unique identity by fully assimilating into pagan worship. Verse 32 is a direct divine counter-response to this wicked thought, declaring its absolute futility. God will not allow His covenant people to become like the nations, serving dead idols, because He has a greater plan for them, driven by His holy name and sovereign purpose. He will restore them and be acknowledged as their God, even if He has to bring them under a "strong hand" (Ezek 20:33) to do so.
Ezekiel 20 32 Word analysis
- And what comes into your mind (וְהַנּוֹלְאָה הָעֹלָה עַל־רוּחֲכֶם - vehannol'ah ha'olah al-ruchakhem):
comes into your mind: This translates ruach, which often refers to 'spirit' or 'breath,' but here denotes inner thoughts, desires, or intentions. It highlights an inward contemplation or resolution by the people, a plan hatched in their hearts.- Significance: This emphasizes that God knows their innermost thoughts and the depth of their apostasy. It's not just an act, but a desire originating from their core being.
- shall not happen at all (הֶיוֹ לֹא־תִהְיֶה - heyo lo'-tihyeh):
shall not happen: This is a very strong double negative construction in Hebrew (heyo lo'-tihyeh - "being it shall not be"), indicating absolute impossibility and a divine decree.- Significance: It signifies God's absolute control and sovereign will. Their human will, though strong, cannot override God's determined purpose for His people. It's an emphatic declaration of futility regarding their rebellious plan.
- what you say (אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם אֹמְרִים - asher attem omerim):
what you say: This indicates their internal thought processes would lead to verbal articulation and open profession of their desire. It is a further concretization of their wicked plan.- Significance: It bridges the gap from internal thought to outward intention and potential action, which God also frustrates.
- ‘We will be like the nations (נִהְיֶה כַגּוֹיִם - nihyeh khagoyim):
be like: khagoyim (like the nations/Gentiles). The desire was to shed their distinctive, covenantal identity. Israel was called to be distinct (Lev 18:3; Deut 4:6-8).- Significance: This desire represents a profound spiritual betrayal and a rejection of their election as God's peculiar treasure. It was a wish to exchange their unique status and privilege for the commonality of pagan peoples.
- like the families of the countries (כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲרָצוֹת - khamishpekhot ha'aratsot):
families of the countries: Refers to the various ethnic or tribal groups throughout the world, all engaging in idolatrous practices.- Significance: This further stresses the depth of their desired assimilation—not just individually, but as an entire collective, blending completely into the idolatrous fabric of gentile societies.
- serving wood and stone (לְשָׁרֵת עֵץ וָאֶבֶן - lesharesh ets va'even):
serving: lesharesh means to minister, serve, or worship.wood and stone: These are representative materials for idols, common objects of pagan worship. They are dead, inanimate objects, contrasted with the living God (Deut 4:28, Ps 115).- Significance: This highlights the specific nature of their intended apostasy—abandoning the worship of the one true God for worthless, powerless, created things, an act of supreme insult and spiritual degradation. This form of idolatry signifies spiritual blindness and utter depravity.
Ezekiel 20 32 Bonus section
This verse stands as a powerful testament to the theological concept of God's 'invincible grace' or 'irresistible call' concerning His covenant people, particularly in the context of salvation history. Even when Israel desired to completely sever ties with their divine calling and embrace utter paganism, God's self-glorifying purpose for them would not allow it. This doesn't negate human free will, but it demonstrates that God's overarching plan for redemptive history will always reach its intended goal, often despite human sin, not because of it. It previews the New Covenant truth where God directly intervenes to transform the hearts of His people, making them willing and obedient, not for their sake, but for His name's sake. It shows that God will always maintain a remnant and ultimately ensure the fulfillment of His promises to Abraham. The "wood and stone" represent the dead works and futile efforts humanity often turns to when rejecting the living God.
Ezekiel 20 32 Commentary
Ezekiel 20:32 unveils a crucial tension between humanity's rebellious will and God's sovereign, unthwartable purpose. Despite Israel's profound spiritual depravity and their heartfelt desire to discard their distinct covenant identity to serve lifeless idols, God emphatically declares that this will "not happen at all." This is not a permissive "no," but an absolute, declarative judgment. God's rejection of their intention is driven by His uncompromised commitment to His own holy name and His established covenant promises, not by Israel's merit. He will ultimately accomplish His will through a remnant, demonstrating His power to keep His people for His purposes, even if it requires strong disciplinary action. This declaration underscores the reality that while humanity may plan evil, God’s ultimate will for His people—their eventual restoration and a display of His glory—will inevitably prevail. It’s a preview of His promise to transform them from within (Ezek 36:26-27), ensuring they live as His people.