Ezekiel 20 39

Ezekiel 20:39 kjv

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

Ezekiel 20:39 nkjv

"As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the Lord GOD: "Go, serve every one of you his idols?and hereafter?if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.

Ezekiel 20:39 niv

"?'As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.

Ezekiel 20:39 esv

"As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

Ezekiel 20:39 nlt

"As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.

Ezekiel 20 verses

Ezekiel 20 39 Meaning

Ezekiel 20:39 conveys God's exasperated permission for the "house of Israel" to persist in their idolatry, delivered with stark irony, as a prelude to a future divine intervention. This future action will lead them to abandon their false worship, obey Him fully, and consequently cease profaning His holy name through their misguided offerings and idols. It signifies a divine ultimatum that sets the stage for eventual spiritual restoration, driven by God's commitment to His own holiness rather than Israel's merit.

Ezekiel 20 39 Context

Ezekiel 20:39 is delivered within a profound discourse where God, through the prophet Ezekiel, recounts Israel's long history of rebellion and idolatry from the Exodus to their current exilic state. Chapter 20 specifically opens with the elders of Israel approaching Ezekiel for a word from the Lord (v. 1), which God initially refuses to give directly due to their continued sin. Instead, He uses this occasion to remind them that their disobedience and syncretism have been a consistent pattern, forcing Him repeatedly to restrain His full wrath "for the sake of My name" (vv. 9, 14, 22) among the nations. This verse thus emerges as a culmination of divine exasperation after chronicling their persistent profanation of His holiness, yet it remarkably pivots to a future promise. It sets the stage for a dramatic shift in God's redemptive plan, where, after allowing the consequences of their choices to play out, He Himself will act to bring about a fundamental transformation.

Historically, the prophecy is delivered during the Babylonian exile (circa 593-571 BC). Israel was steeped in a pervasive spiritual illness where they blended the worship of YHWH with pagan practices. Despite facing judgment and displacement, many clung to false gods. The "gifts" mentioned refer to their offerings, which, if made to idols, were abominable, or if offered to YHWH in a syncretistic manner, still deeply profaned His holy name. The prophet confronts their stubborn infidelity directly, exposing the hollowness of their false worship while simultaneously holding out a vision of future, divinely-empowered fidelity.

Ezekiel 20 39 Word analysis

• As for you, O house of Israel (אַתֶּם בֵּית-יִשְׂרָאֵל, atem beit Yisra'el): This is a direct, emphatic address to the collective nation of Israel, underscoring their identity as God's chosen, yet consistently rebellious, people. It signifies the corporate responsibility for their actions and sets a confrontational tone for the following statement.
• declares the Sovereign LORD (נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, neum Adonai YHWH): This authoritative formula ("declaration of the Lord GOD") emphasizes the divine origin and certainty of the prophecy. "Adonai YHWH" ("Lord GOD") stresses God's absolute mastery and self-existent covenant faithfulness. It indicates that the following statement is not mere human opinion but an unchangeable divine decree.
• go and serve (לְכוּ וְעִבְדוּ, lekkhu ve'ivdu): These are imperative verbs, but in this context, they convey sarcasm and indictment, not genuine permission. It's a statement of exasperated challenge, similar to saying, "Since you insist on doing it, then go ahead," highlighting the futility and ultimate offense of their actions. It reveals God's allowing them to pursue their chosen path to its logical, bitter end.
• your idols (גִּלּוּלֵיכֶם, gilluleykhem): This is a pejorative Hebrew term for idols, often translated as "dung-gods" or "filthy things." It reflects God's profound contempt and disgust for these false deities, emphasizing their utter worthlessness and repugnance.
• each and every one of you: This phrase emphasizes the pervasive nature of the idolatry, making it clear that this was not just a few individuals but a widespread, national failing affecting the entire population. It underlines the collective culpability of Israel.
• But after that (וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן, ve'acharei-khen): This crucial temporal and logical conjunction marks a dramatic turning point. It signals a divinely determined moment in the future when God will initiate a radical change, moving from apparent concession to decisive action.
• you will surely listen to Me (תִּשְׁמְעוּ לִי, tishme'u li): This is a promise of future, genuine obedience. "Listening" in a biblical sense implies not merely hearing, but understanding and actively submitting to God's commands. This future obedience will be enabled by God Himself, indicating a transformed heart.
• and no longer profane (וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ, ve'lo t'chall'lu): This signifies a complete cessation of their disrespectful and defiling actions toward God. To "profane" (חָלַל, halal) is to treat something sacred as common, stripping it of its holiness and bringing dishonor to it.
• My holy name (שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי, shem kodshi): This refers to God's divine character, His reputation, and His unique, awe-inspiring being. Profaning His name means to misrepresent Him or diminish His holiness through idolatrous worship, insincere offerings, or disobedient actions.
• with your gifts and your idols: These are the specific means by which Israel profaned God's name. "Gifts" (מַתְּנוֹתֵיכֶם, matt'noteikhem) refer to their offerings, which, when directed toward false gods or offered with a divided heart to YHWH alongside idols, became a means of dishonoring God. This pairing highlights the entire system of their corrupted worship.

Words-group analysis:

• "go and serve your idols, each and every one of you": This phrase functions as a stinging indictment rather than a genuine command. God is expressing His withdrawal of tolerance or direct intervention, effectively allowing Israel to reap the consequences of their deliberate choice for false worship. It highlights the deeply ingrained nature of their idolatry and God's sovereign decision to allow them to experience the emptiness of it.
• "But after that, you will surely listen to Me and no longer profane My holy name": This signifies a powerful theological pivot. Despite Israel's ingrained rebellion, God's ultimate plan is for their transformation and genuine restoration of His honor. It foretells a future where, by divine enablement, His people will abandon all false worship, obey Him truly, and thereby cease to diminish the glory of His sacred name. This points towards the New Covenant promised elsewhere, where God directly empowers obedience.

Ezekiel 20 39 Bonus section

• The profound paradox in Ezekiel 20:39 – God seemingly permitting sin while promising ultimate future obedience – underscores a foundational biblical tension between human free will and divine sovereignty. It illustrates that even within the framework of human choices that incur judgment, God's overarching plan for the glorification of His name will ultimately prevail through a supernaturally enabled transformation of His people.
• The title "Sovereign LORD" (Adonai YHWH) used here is crucial. It asserts God's ultimate authority and unshakeable power, particularly important when Israel is seemingly entrenched in rebellion. It signals that the promised future change will not arise from Israel's own strength or moral reform, but exclusively from the omnipotent will and faithful initiative of the Master of all.
• The connection between "gifts" and "idols" reveals the comprehensive nature of their spiritual apostasy. It implies that their very acts of religious devotion, if misdirected or impure, contributed directly to the profaning of God's holy name. It highlights that true worship involves exclusive allegiance and right motivations, extending beyond mere external rituals.

Ezekiel 20 39 Commentary

Ezekiel 20:39 is a verse laden with prophetic judgment and grace, reflecting the complex relationship between God and Israel. God's declaration, "go and serve your idols," is a poignant expression of divine exasperation. It is not an actual command for Israel to persist in their sin but a cutting irony that exposes the depths of their unfaithfulness and highlights that their true allegiance has consistently been with "dung-gods." By appearing to "permit" their sin, God implicitly announces the cessation of His overt protection and foretells the consequences of their chosen path. This provocative statement underscores the futility and offensive nature of idolatry.

However, the immediate transition with "But after that" marks a profound shift towards hope and divine initiative. God promises a future when He will intervene sovereignly to change the hearts of His people. This transformation will lead to genuine obedience ("you will surely listen to Me") and the complete cessation of their defiling practices. The core motivation for this future action is not Israel's merit, but God's unyielding commitment to His "holy name," which has been continuously profaned by their syncretistic "gifts and idols." He acts to vindicate His own character and ensure His holiness is acknowledged. This verse thus articulates a paradox: divine allowance of immediate judgment ultimately gives way to divine enablement of future redemption. It teaches that while God may permit sin's consequences to unfold, His ultimate purpose is to bring His people to true repentance, exclusive worship, and reverent honoring of His sacred Name, driven entirely by His sovereign grace.