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

30So say this to Israel's people. “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Will you continue to make yourselves unclean in the way that your ancestors did? You are not faithful to me. Instead, you worship disgusting idols. 31You make yourselves unclean when you offer sacrifices to your idols. You burn your sons in fire as offerings. You still continue to do that! So should I allow you to come to me for help? I promise you this, as surely as I live: I will not allow you to come to me! That is what the Almighty Lord says. You think, ‘We want to live like the people of other nations and clans. They worship idols that are made from wood and stone.’ But these thoughts will never happen. 33The Almighty Lord says, I promise you this, as surely as I live: I will use my great power and authority to rule you as your King. You will know how angry I am! 34I will bring you back from the nations where I sent you to live. I will bring you back from all those different places. I will use my great power to do this and you will know that I am very angry with you.

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 Lord's Spirit took hold of me. He said to me, ‘This is the Lord's message to the people: Tell them, “People of Israel, I know what you are saying. I know the thoughts that you have in your minds.
• Ezekiel 38:10This is what the Almighty Lord says: On that day you will have evil thoughts. You will decide to do a wicked thing.
• Psalms 139:2You know when I sit down, and you know when I get up. Even when you are far away, you understand what I am thinking about.
• Proverbs 19:21You may have lots of ideas about what you want to do. But it is the Lord's plans that are important.
• Lamentations 3:37The Lord causes things to happen. Nobody can cause things to happen without him.
• 1 Samuel 8:5They said to him, ‘You are old. Your sons do not live in the way that you have done. All the other nations have kings to lead them. So choose a king to rule over us, like they have.’
• Jeremiah 44:17So we will continue to do what we have promised to do. We will make sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven. We will pour out drink offerings to her. That is what our ancestors, our kings and our leaders did when we lived in Jerusalem and in the other towns of Judah. When we did that, we had plenty of food to eat. We enjoyed a good life and we had no troubles.
• Romans 12:2Do not become like the people who belong to this world. But let God completely change the way that you think, so that you live differently. Then you will understand what God wants you to do. You will know what is good. You will know what pleases God. You will know what is completely right.
• Deuteronomy 4:28Among those nations, you will worship gods that men have made from wood and stone. Those gods cannot see or hear or eat or smell anything.
• Deuteronomy 28:36When you choose a king for yourselves, the Lord will send you and him away to a foreign country. It will be a place that neither you nor your ancestors have ever heard about. There you will serve gods that people have made from stone and wood.
• Deuteronomy 29:17You saw the useless gods that people of other nations worship. They worship idols that they make from wood, stone, silver and gold.
• Isaiah 37:19They threw the gods of these nations into the fire. Those idols are not really gods. People used wood and stone to make them. So the Assyrians could destroy them.
• Daniel 5:4While they drank the wine, they praised their gods. Their gods were idols that were made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
• Revelation 9:20But all the people that the fire, the smoke and the sulphur did not kill continued to do bad things. They did not change how they lived. They worshipped things that they had made for themselves. They worshipped demons and idols that they made from gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood. Those idols cannot see anything or hear anything. They cannot walk anywhere. But the people continued to worship them.

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