English Standard Version
Ezekiel 20:32
32"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.'
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.
- 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.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)“You say, ‘We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen.
Context of Ezekiel 20:32
30"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? 31When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. "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.' 33"As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. 34I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out.
Read all of Ezekiel 20Ezekiel 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 11:5And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me, "Say, Thus says the Lord: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind.
- Ezekiel 38:10"Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme
- Psalms 139:2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
- Proverbs 19:21Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
- Lamentations 3:37Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?
- 1 Samuel 8:5and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations."
- Jeremiah 44:17But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.
- Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
- Deuteronomy 4:28And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
- Deuteronomy 28:36"The Lord will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone.
- Deuteronomy 29:17And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them.
- Isaiah 37:19and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.
- Daniel 5:4They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
- Revelation 9:20The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or 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
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries