Ezekiel 20:32

Ezekiel 20:32 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, 'Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’

Context of Ezekiel 20:32

30Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will you [exiles] defile yourselves in the same manner as your fathers? And will you prostitute yourselves before their loathsome and heinous things? 31When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be asked by you [for an oracle], O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you. What comes into your mind will never happen, when you say, ‘We will be like the [pagan] nations, like the tribes of the [Gentile] countries, serving [idols made of] wood and stone.’ 33“As I live,” says the Lord God, “most certainly with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be King over you. 34I will bring you out from the peoples and will gather you from the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out;

Ezekiel 20:32 word by word

וְהָֽעֹלָה֙ עַל־ר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם הָי֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִֽהְיֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹמְרִ֗ים נִֽהְיֶ֤ה כַגּוֹיִם֙ כְּמִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת לְשָׁרֵ֖ת עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And that which comethעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• into your mindרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• shall not be at all, that ye sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• We will beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• as the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• as the familiesמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
• of the countriesאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• to serveשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
• woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
• and stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68

Cross-references for Ezekiel 20:32

• Ezekiel 11:5Then the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “This is what you think, house of Israel, for I know your thoughts.
• Ezekiel 38:10‘Thus says the Lord God, “It will come about on that day that thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan,
• Psalms 139:2You know when I sit down and when I rise up [my entire life, everything I do]; You understand my thought from afar.
• Proverbs 19:21Many plans are in a man’s mind, But it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).
• Lamentations 3:37Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has authorized and commanded it?
• 1 Samuel 8:5and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us [and rule over us] like all the other nations.”
• Jeremiah 44:17But rather we will certainly perform every word of the vows we have made: to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven (Ishtar) and to pour out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves and our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for [then] we had plenty of food and were prosperous and saw no misfortune.
• Romans 12:2And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
• Deuteronomy 4:28And there you will serve [false and foreign] gods, the work of human hands, [lifeless images of] wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell [the offerings of food given to them].
• Deuteronomy 28:36The Lord will bring you and your king, whom you appoint over you, to a nation which you and your fathers have never known; there you will [be forced to] serve other gods, [lifeless gods of] wood and stone.
• Deuteronomy 29:17and you have seen their detestable acts and their [repulsive] idols of wood and stone, [lifeless images] of silver and gold, which they had with them),
• Isaiah 37:19and have cast the gods [of those peoples] into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.
• Daniel 5:4They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
• Revelation 9:20The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent even then of the works of their hands, so as to cease worshiping and paying homage to the demons and the idols of gold and of silver and of bronze and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;

Commentaries on Ezekiel 20:32

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32And that which cometh into your mind - Ye wish to be naturalized among idolaters, and make a part of such nations. But this shall not be at all; you shall be preserved as a distinct people. Ye shall not be permitted to mingle yourselves with the people of those countries: even they, idolaters as they are, will despise and reject you. Besides, I will change your place, restore your captivity; yet not in mercy, but in fury poured out; and reserve you for…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32-44Verses 32-44 God‘s future dealings with His people: (1) in judgment Ezekiel 20:32-38; (2) in mercy Ezekiel 20:39-44. Ezekiel 20:32 The inquirers had thought that if Jerusalem were taken, and the whole people became sojourners in a foreign land, they would cease to be a separate nation. In their love for idolatry some may have even desired this. But more probably they thought that this very consequence precluded the possibility of such a catastrophe. God…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-32Verses 27-32 The Jews persisted in rebellion after they settled in the land of Canaan. And these elders seem to have thought of uniting with the heathen. We make nothing by our profession if it be but a profession. There is nothing got by sinful compliances; and the carnal projects of hypocrites will stand them in no stead.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 32-38In the past, Israel rebelled against God. Because of this, God judged them in limited ways. As a result, they were scattered among other nations again. However, judgment was not the end of the story. Earlier events in Israel’s history showed that God does not forget his promises. God’s own honor required him to keep his covenant with his people, even when they sinned. Israel could never become like the surrounding nations who worship idols made of wood…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3232. We will be as the heathen--and so escape the odium to which we are exposed, of having a peculiar God and law of our own. "We shall live on better terms with them by having a similar worship. Besides, we get from God nothing but threats and calamities, whereas the heathen, Chaldeans, &c., get riches and power from their idols." How literally God's words here ("that ... shall not be at all") are fulfilled in the modern Jews! Though the Jews seemed so…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 20:32

• Idol
• Stones

In the dictionaries

• Defile
• Purge
• God
• Grace
• Leviticus
• Salvation
• inquire, inquiry

Commentaries on Ezekiel 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings