Ezekiel 20:35 kjv
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
Ezekiel 20:35 nkjv
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face.
Ezekiel 20:35 niv
I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.
Ezekiel 20:35 esv
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
Ezekiel 20:35 nlt
I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.
Ezekiel 20 35 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 20:35 | I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will | God's judgment on Israel |
| Ezekiel 20:36 | will plead with you face to face there. | God's judgment on Israel |
| Jeremiah 2:30 | "I struck your children, but they did not accept correction; your own | Similar theme of God's chastening |
| Jeremiah 12:7 | "I have forsaken my house, I have left my heritage; I have given the | God's forsaking due to sin |
| Hosea 2:14 | Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, | God's discipline and restoration |
| Hosea 5:10 | "The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmarks; I | Judah's disobedience |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I | God's unique relationship |
| Amos 4:12 | "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to | God's preparatory actions |
| Micah 6:11 | Shall I count the wicked the full measure of the bad money in my bag? | God's justice |
| Romans 3:3-4 | What then? If some were unfaithful, shall their unfaithfulness nullify | God's faithfulness |
| Hebrews 12:5-11 | And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, | Discipline from God |
| Revelation 19:11 | Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it | Christ's judgment |
| Genesis 3:24 | He drove out the man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the | Exile/Separation |
| Leviticus 26:41 | also, when they were in the land of their enemies, I did not spurn them or | Consequences of disobedience |
| Deuteronomy 8:2 | And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you | Wilderness as testing ground |
| Deuteronomy 28:63-67 | And as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so | Judgment of exile |
| Judges 10:16 | And they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, | Repentance and removal of idols |
| Psalm 95:8-11 | Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the | God's testing and disbelief |
| Isaiah 40:1-2 | "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, | Comfort after judgment |
| Jeremiah 15:3 | I will appoint over them four kinds, declares the Lord: the sword to | Judgment by various means |
| Lamentations 2:2 | The Lord has utterly swept away all the habitations of Jacob and has not | God's wrath upon Jerusalem |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 35 Meaning
This verse declares God's intention to bring Israel into the wilderness of peoples, where He will contend with them face to face. This signifies a period of severe judgment and discipline, designed to purge the unfaithfulness and rebellion from them.
Ezekiel 20 35 Context
Ezekiel chapter 20 recounts God's recounting of Israel's history of rebellion and unfaithfulness from their time in Egypt, through their journey in the wilderness, and up to their present exile in Babylon. The prophet emphasizes God's repeated efforts to guide and correct them, despite their persistent idolatry and defiance. This particular verse, Ezekiel 20:35, follows a declaration that God will bring them out from the nations where they are scattered and will not gather them there. Instead, they will be brought to a desolate place for a direct confrontation and reckoning with God Himself. This confrontation is not necessarily about physical expulsion from the land again, but a spiritual and experiential purification.
Ezekiel 20 35 Word Analysis
- וְהוֹצֵאתִ֕י (wehōḵōletī): From the root י.צ.א (y.ts.ʼ), meaning "to go out," "to bring out," or "to lead out." The prefix וְ (we-) signifies "and." The suffix ִ֕י (-tī) is the first-person singular perfect form, indicating "I will bring out" or "I brought out." It conveys a sense of action and removal.
- אֶתְכֶ֥ם (etḵem): A direct object marker followed by the second-person plural masculine suffix "-כם" (-ḵem), meaning "you."
- מִתּוֹךְ (mittōḵ): From the preposition מִן (min), meaning "from," "out of," combined with the noun תּוֹךְ (tōḵ), meaning "middle" or "amidst." This translates to "from within," "from out of."
- הָעַמִּ֖ים (hāʻammīm): The definite article הַ (ha-) meaning "the," followed by the noun עַמִּים ʻammīm), the plural of עָם ʻam), meaning "people" or "nations." So, "the peoples" or "the nations."
- וּבְת֥וֹךְ (ūḇəṯōḵ): Similar to the previous phrase, this begins with the conjunction וְ (wə-) meaning "and," combined with the prepositional phrase בְתּוֹךְ (ḇəṯōḵ) meaning "in the midst of."
- שְׁמָמ֥וֹת (šəmamōṯ): This is the plural feminine form of the noun שְׁמָמָה (šəmāmah), meaning "desolation," "wasteland," "barrenness." It refers to a place or state of emptiness and ruin.
- ק֖וֹל (qōl): The common noun for "voice" or "sound."
- וּשְׁפַטְתִּ֤י (ūšəfɑtṯî): The conjunction וּ (ū-) meaning "and," followed by the first-person singular perfect form of the verb ש.פ.ט (š.p.ṭ), meaning "to judge," "to contend," "to govern." Here it signifies "I will judge" or "I will contend."
- אֶתְכֶ֥ם (etḵem): Again, "you."
- שָׁם֙ (šām): An adverb meaning "there."
- בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר (əṯbəmiḏbɑr): The preposition בְּ (bə-) meaning "in," "with," or "through," combined with the noun מִדְבָּר (miḏbār), meaning "wilderness," "desert," "plain." This signifies "in the wilderness."
- כְּרִ֣יב (ḵərîḇ): The form here is actually קְרִיב (qərîḇ), from the root ק.ר.ב (q.r.ḇ) meaning "to draw near," "to approach," "to encounter." It implies intimacy, or in this context, a close, personal engagement or confrontation.
- פָּנִ֥ים (pāním): The common noun for "faces," but idiomatically meaning "face to face."
Words/Phrases Group Analysis:
- "into the wilderness of the peoples" (מִתּוֹךְ הָעַמִּים וּבְתוֹךְ שְׁמָמ֥וֹת): This is a striking combination. Israel is already in the wilderness of exile. This phrase suggests a broader context of being scattered amongst all nations ("peoples") and being placed in a spiritual or experiential wilderness ("desolations"). It's not just a geographical location but a state of being in a godless, empty expanse.
- "there I will contend with you face to face" (וּשְׁפַטְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶ֥ם שָׁם֙ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר קְרִיב֙ פָּנִ֥ים): The Hebrew verb for "contend" (שפט) can mean to judge, to plead, or to settle a dispute. "Face to face" (קריב פנים) implies direct, unmediated encounter, revealing God's intimacy and His rigorous judgment. It's a severe reckoning. This highlights the personal and direct nature of God's interaction with His people during their period of trial.
Ezekiel 20 35 Bonus Section
The concept of being brought into a "wilderness of peoples" carries echoes of God’s earlier dealings with Israel. In the wilderness of Sinai, after their deliverance from Egypt, they repeatedly rebelled, and God dealt with them there (Num 14, Deut 8). This "new wilderness" experience is a reiteration and expansion of that theme, highlighting the severity of their persistent sin even after repeated deliverance. The direct, personal encounter (face to face) by God can be a terrifying prospect for those under His judgment, as seen in Moses’ encounter (Ex 33:20). However, for His chosen people, this wrestling can ultimately lead to refinement and renewed covenant commitment, as reflected in Hosea’s description of being led into the wilderness to speak tenderly to His people (Hos 2:14-15). The "desolations" aspect underscores the loss and emptiness that sin brings, a spiritual barrenness that only God's presence can ultimately fill.
Ezekiel 20 35 Commentary
God’s plan is to bring Israel, not back to the wilderness of Sinai or any physical desert for mere relocation, but into a wilderness that represents being scattered among all nations and experiencing a profound spiritual desolation. This desolation is the consequence of their sins. It is in this state of being far from Him and exposed among the ungodly that God will deal with them. The "face to face" contention signifies a direct and undeniable accountability for their transgressions. It is a severe purging process, where God will remove the rebellious from their midst through His judgments, making it clear who belongs to Him and who does not. This judgment is a form of discipline intended to lead to ultimate repentance and restoration, albeit through painful means.