Ezekiel 36:20 kjv
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
Ezekiel 36:20 nkjv
When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name?when they said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.'
Ezekiel 36:20 niv
And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, 'These are the LORD's people, and yet they had to leave his land.'
Ezekiel 36:20 esv
But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.'
Ezekiel 36:20 nlt
But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said, 'These are the people of the LORD, but he couldn't keep them safe in his own land!'
Ezekiel 36 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 20:31 | You offer your gifts, your children being passed through fire; you continually defile yourself. | Foreshadows the defilement |
| Leviticus 18:21 | You shall not give any of your children to Molech, nor profane the name of your God. | Prohibition against child sacrifice |
| Isaiah 48:11 | For my own sake, for my own sake, I will act; for how can I bear to let my name be profaned? | God's zeal for His name |
| Jeremiah 14:7 | Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for your name's sake! | Plea for God's action based on His name |
| Romans 2:24 | For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. | Gentile's perspective on Israel |
| 1 Corinthians 6:20 | For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. | Glorifying God through our actions |
| 1 Peter 4:16 | yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name. | Glorifying God in suffering |
| Revelation 13:5 | And authority was given it to continue for forty-two months. | Period of Gentile domination |
| Deuteronomy 28:64 | And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other. | Predicted scattering into exile |
| Psalm 79:9 | Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins. | Plea for deliverance for God's name |
| Isaiah 43:25 | I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and your sins I will not remember. | God's forgiveness for His own sake |
| Ezekiel 39:25 | "Thus says the Lord GOD: It is time to act, for I have dealt with them." | God's ultimate action |
| Lamentations 5:16 | The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned! | Consequence of sin |
| Nehemiah 9:2 | And the descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. | Confession of national sin |
| Hosea 4:6 | my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you. | Rejection due to lack of knowledge |
| Ezekiel 14:8 | And I will set my face against them and make them a sign and a proverb, and I will cut them off from the midst of my people. | Israel as a byword |
| Jeremiah 29:18 | I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. | Israel as a curse |
| Leviticus 26:33 | And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw the sword after you. | Further description of scattering |
| Ezekiel 22:4 | You have become a reproach to your neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those around you. | Israel's reputation |
| Psalm 115:1 | Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory! | Giving glory to God |
Ezekiel 36 verses
Ezekiel 36 20 Meaning
When Israel, my people, went into exile, they profaned my holy name. They brought this upon themselves by their actions and attitudes toward me.
Ezekiel 36 20 Context
Ezekiel 36 is a prophecy concerning the restoration of Israel and the land of Israel. It follows prophecies of judgment. In this chapter, God declares His intention to restore His people and cleanse the land, primarily motivated by His concern for His own name. The people of Israel had been taken into Babylonian exile because of their disobedience and idolatry. This exile was a source of shame and profanity to God's name among the surrounding nations, who attributed Israel's downfall to their own gods being unable to protect them. Verse 20 specifically addresses the reason why God scattered them: because their actions caused His name to be profaned among the nations.
Ezekiel 36 20 Word Analysis
- And: Conjunction linking clauses.
- when: Temporal conjunction, marking a specific time.
- I: Refers to God.
- had: Past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another past action (the scattering).
- caused: Indicates agency or result.
- my: Possessive pronoun, referring to God.
- holy: Set apart, sacred, divine.
- name: Represents God's reputation, character, presence, and authority.
- to: Preposition indicating direction or destination.
- be: Linking verb.
- profaned: Treated with irreverence, defiled, desecrated, made common.
- among: Indicating presence within a group.
- them (referring to the nations): Plural pronoun.
- in: Preposition of place or manner.
- that: Demonstrative pronoun or conjunction, introducing a clause.
- you: Plural pronoun, referring to the people of Israel.
- went: Past tense of "go."
- into: Preposition indicating movement into.
- exile: Forced removal from one's homeland, captivity.
- and: Conjunction.
- they: Pronoun for the people of Israel.
- your: Possessive pronoun, referring to Israel.
- heathen (used in some translations for "nations"): Non-Israelites, gentiles.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "my holy name to be profaned": This phrase highlights the profound impact of Israel's actions on God's reputation. Profaning God's name signifies a serious offense, making His sacred character seem less significant or even evil in the eyes of others.
- "when I had caused you to go into exile... and they profaned my holy name": This establishes a cause-and-effect relationship. God's judgment (exile) was directly linked to how the nations perceived His name because of Israel's conduct.
Ezekiel 36 20 Bonus Section
The concept of God's "name" in Scripture is multifaceted. It represents His entire being, His character, His reputation, His power, and His presence. When Israel "profaned" His name, they failed to live as His representatives, thus diminishing the testimony of who God truly is to the world. The exile was a harsh lesson, emphasizing that their identity as God's people was inextricably linked to reflecting His holiness. The prophet emphasizes that God's concern for His name is a central motivation in His dealings with humanity, underpinning His judgments and His plans for restoration. The nations' incorrect assumption that their gods were superior or that God had failed His people fueled the profaning of His name. God's redemptive actions described in Ezekiel 36 are designed to "sanctify" His name, demonstrating His power and faithfulness to all peoples.
Ezekiel 36 20 Commentary
This verse explains God's perspective on Israel's exile. The primary reason for their scattering was not merely their sin, but the resultant blasphemy of God's name among the gentile nations. When God's chosen people failed to live according to His commands, it led other peoples to believe that their God was weak or ineffective. This perception was a deep affront to God, who is intrinsically holy and whose reputation must be upheld. The exile, therefore, served a dual purpose: it was a judgment for Israel's sin and a means by which God would ultimately vindicate His name. The act of profaning His name was the direct catalyst for the disciplinary action of exile, ensuring that His holiness would be recognized, even through their chastisement.