Ezekiel 20:41 kjv
I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
Ezekiel 20:41 nkjv
I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.
Ezekiel 20:41 niv
I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations.
Ezekiel 20:41 esv
As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations.
Ezekiel 20:41 nlt
When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch.
Ezekiel 20 41 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 30:3-5 | ...the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples... | God's promise to regather His scattered people |
| Jer 23:3 | Then I myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the countries... | Divine initiative in gathering |
| Jer 29:14 | I will be found by you...and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations... | Restoration and return from exile |
| Jer 32:37 | Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I have driven them... | God's agency in gathering |
| Isa 11:12 | He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel... | Messiah's role in global gathering |
| Isa 43:5-6 | Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east... | Assurance of bringing back scattered Israel |
| Ezek 11:17 | Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples... | Similar promise within Ezekiel |
| Amos 9:14-15 | I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities... | Prophecy of future physical restoration |
| Gen 8:21 | When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground..." | Early mention of acceptable aroma to God |
| Exod 29:18 | ...It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. | Sacrificial language: pleasing aroma |
| Lev 1:9 | ...and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. | Core ritual for acceptable sacrifice |
| Eph 5:2 | ...as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | NT understanding: Christ's ultimate sacrifice |
| Phil 4:18 | I have received...from Epaphroditus gifts, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. | NT application: spiritual offering accepted |
| Heb 13:16 | Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. | NT application: sacrifices of praise & service |
| Rom 12:1 | ...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God... | NT application: living as a spiritual offering |
| Ezek 36:23 | I will vindicate the holiness of My great name... and the nations will know that I am the LORD... | Vindicating God's name before nations |
| Ezek 38:16 | So that the nations may know me when through you, O Gog, I vindicate My holiness before their eyes. | Future display of God's holiness |
| Isa 5:16 | ...the LORD of hosts is exalted in judgment, and the Holy God shows Himself holy in righteousness. | God's holiness displayed through His acts |
| Isa 49:6 | I will make you as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth. | Israel's purpose as a witness |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | ...that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. | Church as spiritual Israel proclaiming God |
| Rom 15:9-12 | ...that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy... "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" | Gentiles witnessing God's mercy and glory |
| Ps 67:2 | That Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations. | Global desire for God's renown |
| John 17:4,6 | "I glorified You on earth... I have manifested Your name to the people." | Jesus' mission to reveal God's glory |
| Exod 6:6-7 | I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians... | Original Exodus: God's sovereign deliverance |
| Ezek 20:34 | I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered... | Echo from earlier in the chapter |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 41 Meaning
Ezekiel 20:41 prophesies God's future restoration of Israel. Despite their historical rebellion and subsequent dispersion among nations, God promises to regather them from exile. This return will not be based on their merit but on God's initiative, resulting in their transformation into an "acceptable" or "pleasing aroma" to Him, signifying a renewed covenant relationship. Crucially, through this act of redemption, God's holiness and power will be publicly displayed and magnified "in them" for all the Gentile nations to witness, demonstrating His sovereign authority and redemptive character.
Ezekiel 20 41 Context
Ezekiel chapter 20 presents a review of Israel's history of rebellion and idolatry from the Exodus to the exile, consistently highlighting God's faithfulness despite their unfaithfulness. The preceding verses (Ezek 20:33-38) depict God's powerful judgment, bringing the scattered exiles back under a new covenant where He purifies and culls out the rebels, just as He did in the wilderness. Verse 40 speaks of a future time of pure worship on God's holy mountain, with all of Israel serving Him. Therefore, verse 41 elaborates on the nature of this future restoration and the outcome of this purification process: not only will they return, but their return will be acceptable to God, and it will serve to glorify Him before the nations. This historical backdrop frames the future promise as an act of God's enduring grace, fulfilling His divine purpose rather than merely rewarding Israel's past behavior.
Ezekiel 20 41 Word analysis
- As a sweet aroma (בְּרֵ֣יחַ נִיחֹ֔חַ - bə·rê·aḥ nî·ḥō·ḥa): This phrase literally means "fragrance of rest" or "pleasing aroma." It is a technical term used in the Law (Lev 1:9, Exod 29:18) to describe the acceptability of sacrifices and offerings to God, signifying His pleasure and the reconciliation achieved through the offering. Here, it signifies that Israel, once brought back and purified by God, will themselves be received as an acceptable offering, not for their merit, but through God's redemptive work.
- I will accept you: The Hebrew doesn't have a separate explicit verb "accept" here. The acceptance is implied by them becoming "a sweet aroma." Their condition, once restored by God, will make them pleasing to Him, removing the stench of their previous idolatry and rebellion. This is a divine declaration of renewed favor and communion.
- when I bring you out: This emphasizes divine initiative. Just as God brought Israel out of Egypt (Exod 6:6), He will sovereignly effect their return from all the subsequent places of exile. Their redemption is not by their strength but by His power.
- from the peoples: Refers to the Gentile nations among whom Israel was scattered. It highlights their widespread dispersion as a consequence of their sin and God's judgment.
- and gather you: Reinforces the act of physical reunion and repatriation. This reversal of scattering is a core theme in prophetic promises of restoration (Jer 32:37, Deut 30:3).
- from the countries where you have been scattered: Further clarifies the extent and global nature of their dispersion and the completeness of the promised gathering. This scattering was a covenant curse for disobedience (Lev 26:33, Deut 28:64).
- and I will manifest My holiness: (וְנִקְדַּ֥שְׁתִּי בָכֶ֖ם - wə·niq·ḏaš·tî bā·ḵem) The Hebrew is in the Niphal stem (passive/reflexive), meaning "I will be sanctified/shown to be holy in you." God's own holiness, which was previously defamed by Israel's unholy actions among the nations, will now be clearly demonstrated through His righteous and redemptive acts toward His people. It's not their holiness, but His holiness revealed through them.
- in you: This preposition highlights that God's holiness will be made evident in and through His restored people, indicating their transformed character and status will be the vessel for His glory.
- in the sight of the nations: This global audience underscores the ultimate purpose of Israel's restoration: to be a witness to God's unique power, justice, and mercy to all humankind (Ezek 36:23). God's reputation, defiled by their exile, will be vindicated before the world.
Ezekiel 20 41 Bonus section
This verse anticipates a future, holistic redemption for Israel, often understood as pointing beyond the mere return from Babylonian exile to an eschatological gathering tied to the Messiah. The concept of Israel becoming a "sweet aroma" is radical, given their historical track record of rebellion documented in the very chapter. This highlights the unconditional nature of God's grace and His commitment to His covenant name, even when His people fail. The "holy mountain" mentioned in the preceding verse (Ezek 20:40) ties this future acceptance to a perfected system of worship centered in a rebuilt, glorified Jerusalem, indicative of a final, spiritual dwelling place for God's redeemed people. This also indirectly polemicizes against any pagan deity that claimed to be the ultimate sovereign; Yahweh alone could scatter and then perfectly restore His people for His own glory.
Ezekiel 20 41 Commentary
Ezekiel 20:41 reveals a pivotal shift in God's interaction with Israel: from judgment and scattering to a gracious and sovereign act of restoration. This restoration, initiated entirely by God's power ("I will bring you out and gather you"), transcends a mere physical return; it transforms their very status from a despised, defiled people into an "acceptable" or "sweet aroma" to Him, akin to a pleasing sacrificial offering. This speaks of spiritual renewal and a renewed covenant relationship, a reconciliation rooted in divine grace rather than human merit. The ultimate goal of this profound redemption is the vindication and manifestation of God's holiness not only to Israel but demonstrably "in the sight of the nations." Israel's transformation thus serves a cosmic purpose, reversing their historical shame and showcasing the unparalleled redemptive power and righteous character of Yahweh to a watching world, proving His sovereignty over all creation.