Ezekiel 20:36 kjv
Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 20:36 nkjv
Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you," says the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 20:36 niv
As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 20:36 esv
As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 20:36 nlt
I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 20 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 20:35 | "I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face." | Foreshadows the same judgment |
| Exod 32:7-14 | The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, for your people... have corrupted themselves." | Rebellion of first generation in wilderness |
| Num 14:28-35 | "...your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. Your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years..." | God's judgment on the wilderness generation |
| Deut 1:34-36 | "The Lord heard your words... and swore, 'Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land...'" | Recalls God's wrath on first generation |
| Ps 78:12-40 | Describes God's mighty acts and Israel's subsequent rebellion in the wilderness. | Historical pattern of rebellion |
| Jer 31:31-33 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." | A New Covenant follows the purification |
| Isa 1:18 | "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet..." | God invites to judicial "reasoning" |
| Joel 3:2 | "I will gather all the nations... and there I will enter into judgment with them..." | God entering judgment with His people |
| Mal 3:2-3 | "...who can endure the day of his coming? For he is like a refiner's fire..." | Metaphor of purification by fire |
| Zech 13:9 | "I will put this third into the fire and refine them as one refines silver..." | Remnant purified through fiery trial |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God..." | Judgment begins with God's people |
| Heb 12:5-11 | "It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons..." | God's discipline as a Father's love |
| Amos 2:10 | "Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness..." | God's leading, often through trials |
| Neh 9:16-17 | "...our fathers acted proudly, stiffened their neck... but you are a God ready to forgive..." | Acknowledges the past rebellion |
| Lev 26:33-34 | "I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you..." | Consequence of covenant disobedience |
| Jer 2:2-3 | "I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness..." | A time of early covenant devotion |
| Ezek 34:17 | "As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep..." | God's future judgment and separation |
| Matt 3:10 | "Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." | Principle of divine judgment for fruitfulness |
| John 15:2 | "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes..." | Purification for fruitfulness |
| Rom 11:25-27 | Explains God's ongoing plan for Israel's partial hardening and ultimate restoration. | Future restoration of Israel |
| Rev 15:4 | "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed." | God's judgments revealing His holiness |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 36 Meaning
Ezekiel 20:36 declares God's intent to bring the current generation of exiles into a severe period of judgment and purification, mirroring His dealings with their ancestors after the Exodus. This is not an act of gentle persuasion but a judicial confrontation (shaphat) where God brings charges against His people. He will refine them through hardship, just as He tested and judged the previous rebellious generation in the physical wilderness, with the aim of separating the faithful from the unfaithful, preparing them for a renewed covenant relationship.
Ezekiel 20 36 Context
Ezekiel chapter 20 addresses the elders of Israel who came to inquire of the Lord. The chapter immediately launches into a divine indictment, tracing Israel's continuous rebellion and idolatry from Egypt through the wilderness, the entry into the Promised Land, and leading up to their present Babylonian exile. God systematically recounts their past failures, emphasizing His unwavering faithfulness despite their repeated unfaithfulness. Verse 36 specifically concludes God's historical review by stating a decisive future action. It signifies that the God who judged their fathers in the wilderness due to their idolatry and stiff-neckedness is the same God who will judge them (the exiles) for similar reasons, but with the ultimate purpose of purifying them for a future restoration. This "wilderness of the peoples" (mentioned in Ezek 20:35) or this "pleading" points to a period of intense divine scrutiny and purification that must precede true spiritual renewal.
Ezekiel 20 36 Word analysis
- As I pleaded / so will I plead:
- The Hebrew word here is shâphaṭ (שָׁפַט), typically translated as "to judge," "to govern," or "to contend." It implies a legal or judicial process rather than simply "pleading" in the sense of begging or entreating. God is not appealing to them; He is initiating a divine lawsuit, a formal declaration of His case against them. This emphasizes His role as divine Judge.
- This parallel structure highlights God's consistency and unchanging character in dealing with His covenant people across generations.
- with your fathers:
- Refers to the generation of Israelites who were brought out of Egypt and journeyed through the wilderness under Moses. This generation famously rebelled against God at Kadesh Barnea (Num 14) and was consequently sentenced to die in the wilderness.
- in the wilderness:
- The Hebrew midbâr (מִדְבָּר) refers to the arid, uncultivated, sparsely populated region that lay between Egypt and Canaan.
- It symbolizes a place of testing, discipline, provision, but also of severe judgment due to rebellion and unbelief for the first generation. It was a crucible where the covenant relationship was either forged or broken.
- of the land of Egypt:
- Specifies the immediate historical context of the wilderness experience—the journey out of Egyptian bondage, which marked the beginning of Israel as a nation and its covenant with God. The wilderness from Egypt, immediately after liberation, became the site of foundational trials.
- so will I plead with you:
- This refers directly to Ezekiel's contemporary audience, the exiles in Babylon, and implies their descendants. It foretells a similar period of divine judicial scrutiny and intense discipline for their current idolatry and unfaithfulness. This "wilderness" for them will not necessarily be a physical desert, but a period of dispersion, hardship, and divine sifting among the nations ("wilderness of the peoples," Ezek 20:35), aimed at their purification.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness... so will I plead with you": This parallelism underscores the historical continuity of God's justice and His unchangeable character. He is the same God who dealt with their ancestors and will deal with them according to the same covenant principles. It signals a divinely orchestrated repeat of the wilderness experience, not as geography, but as a crucible of judgment and purification for His people.
- "in the wilderness of the land of Egypt": This phrase specifically links the coming judgment to the foundational period of Israel's national life, when the initial covenant was established and the initial failures and subsequent judgments occurred. It draws a powerful typological connection, showing that the current exile is not a new or arbitrary punishment but a reiteration of divine justice that has been evident throughout their history, designed to refine His people from their idols and unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 20 36 Bonus section
The concept of shâphaṭ in Ezekiel 20 is significant as it challenges a superficial understanding of God's role. It means more than "judging" in a modern legal sense; it encompasses the roles of a ruler, an arbiter, a bringer of justice, and a defender of rights. When God "pleads" or "judges," it is a sovereign act to rectify a situation, to bring about what is just and right according to His covenant. For Israel, this means a thorough exposure and elimination of their idolatry and moral corruption. The "wilderness" here becomes a powerful metaphor for any place or period of severe testing where individuals or a nation are isolated from their usual supports and confronted directly by God's truth and His will. It is where their true loyalty and faithfulness are revealed.
Ezekiel 20 36 Commentary
Ezekiel 20:36 reveals a stern yet ultimately redemptive promise from God. He declares His intention to bring the exiled Israelites through a judicial process (shâphaṭ) reminiscent of their ancestors' ordeal in the wilderness following the Exodus. This is not mere "pleading" but an active divine judgment. Just as the generation that left Egypt faced death and judgment in the desert due to their idolatry and rebellion, so too will the exiles endure a similar "wilderness" experience – a period of severe testing and sifting, possibly referring to their dispersion among the gentile nations (Ezek 20:35). The purpose is not their utter destruction, but a covenantal purging to remove the rebellious and idolatrous elements, preparing a purified remnant to return to the land and genuinely serve Him. This process highlights God's consistent justice and His steadfast commitment to purify His people, even if it requires severe discipline, in order to fulfill His covenant promises.