God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 7:20
20They were proud of their beautiful jewels and used them to make disgusting and detestable statues ⌞of false gods⌟. That is why I will make their jewels disgusting.
Ezekiel 7:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.
- New International Version (NIV)They took pride in their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols. They made it into vile images; therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘As for the beauty of his ornaments, He set it in majesty; But they made from it The images of their abominations— Their detestable things; Therefore I have made it Like refuse to them.
Context of Ezekiel 7:20
18They will put on sackcloth, and horror will cover them. All their faces will be covered with shame, and every head will be shaved. 19They will throw their silver and gold into the streets like garbage. Their silver and gold won’t be able to rescue them on the day of the Lord’s anger. It will no longer satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs. Their silver and gold caused them to fall into sin. They were proud of their beautiful jewels and used them to make disgusting and detestable statues ⌞of false gods⌟. That is why I will make their jewels disgusting. 21I will hand their jewels over to foreigners as loot and to the most evil people on earth as prizes. These foreigners will dishonor the people of Israel. 22I will turn my face away from the people of Israel, and foreigners will dishonor my treasured place. Robbers will go in and dishonor it.
Read all of Ezekiel 7Ezekiel 7:20 word by word
וּצְבִ֤י עֶדְיוֹ֙ לְגָא֣וֹן שָׂמָ֔הוּ וְצַלְמֵ֧י תוֹעֲבֹתָ֛ם שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶ֖ם עָ֣שׂוּ ב֑וֹ עַל־כֵּ֛ן נְתַתִּ֥יו לָהֶ֖ם לְנִדָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- As for the beautyצְבִיtsebîy · beautyH6643
- of his ornamentעֲדִי‛ădîy · ornamentH5716
- he setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- it in majestyגָּאוֹןgâ'ôn · prideH1347
- but they madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- the imagesצֶ֫לֶםtselem · imageH6754
- of their abominationsתּוֹעֵבַהtô‛êbah tô‛êbah · abominationH8441
- of their detestable thingsשִׁקּוּץshiqqûts shiqqûts · abominationH8251
- therein: therefore have I setנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- it farנִדָּהniddâh · impurityH5079
Cross-references for Ezekiel 7:20
- Ezekiel 24:21‘Tell the nation of Israel, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I’m going to dishonor my holy place. You brag that my holy place gives you strength. It’s the thing you love the most. It’s your hearts’ desire. So the sons and daughters that you left behind will die in battle.
- 1 Chronicles 29:1Then King David said to the whole assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. Yet, the work is important because this palace is not for a person but for the Lord God.
- 2 Chronicles 2:9They’ll prepare plenty of lumber for me, because the temple I want to build will be large and astonishing.
- Ezra 3:12But many of the priests, Levites, and the heads of the families who were old enough to have seen the first temple with their own eyes began to sob when they saw the foundation of this temple. Many others shouted for joy.
- Psalms 48:2Its beautiful peak is the joy of the whole earth. Mount Zion is on the northern ridge. It is the city of the great king.
- Psalms 50:2God shines from Zion, the perfection of beauty.
- Psalms 87:2The Lord loves the city of Zion more than any other place in Jacob.
- Isaiah 64:11Our holy and beautiful temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned to the ground. All that we valued has been ruined.
- Haggai 2:3Ask them, ‘Is there anyone among the faithful few who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?’
- Ezekiel 5:11“As I live, declares the Almighty Lord, because you have dishonored my holy worship place with all your disgusting and detestable things, I will have you killed. I will not have compassion for you or feel sorry for you.
- Ezekiel 8:7Then he took me to the entrance of the courtyard. As I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.
- 2 Kings 21:4He built altars in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, “I will put my name in Jerusalem.”
- 2 Kings 23:11He removed the horses that Judah’s kings had dedicated to the sun god at the entrance of the Lord’s temple. They were in the temple courtyard near the room of the eunuch Nathan Melech. He also burned the chariots of the sun god,
- 2 Kings 12:2Joash did what the Lord considered right, as long as the priest Jehoiada instructed him.
- 2 Chronicles 33:4He built altars in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, “My name will be in Jerusalem forever.”
- 2 Chronicles 36:14All the officials, the priests, and the people became increasingly unfaithful and followed all the disgusting practices of the nations. Although the Lord had made the temple in Jerusalem holy, they made the temple unclean.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 7:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20As for the beauty of his ornament - Their beautiful temple was their highest ornament, and God made it majestic by his presence. But they have even taken its riches to make their idols, which they have brought into the very courts of the Lord's house; and therefore God hath set it - the temple, from him - given it up to pillage. Some say it means, "They took their ornaments, which were their pride, and made them into images to worship."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Or, And “the beauty of his ornament, he” (the people) turned “it” to pride. Have I set it far from them - Rather, as in the margin - therefore have I made it their defilement and their disgrace.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Sooner or later, sin will cause sorrow; and those who will not repent of their sin, may justly be left to pine away in it. There are many whose wealth is their snare and ruin; and the gaining the world is the losing of their souls. Riches profit not in the day of wrath. The wealth of this world has not that in it which will answer the desires of the soul, or be any satisfaction to it in a day of distress. God's temple shall stand them in no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-22Their once valuable objects became contaminated because they were used to make offensive idols and images. God would give his treasured land, the home of his sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12:5, 11), to harsh and ruthless pagans. Israel repeatedly failed to distinguish between true and false worship places, continued pagan worship at high places, and even brought idols into the temple (Ezekiel 8). Therefore, God would destroy the pagan worship centers in the land…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. beauty of his ornament--the temple of Jehovah, the especial glory of the Jews, as a bride glories in her ornaments (the very imagery used by God as to the temple, Eze 16:10, 11). Compare Eze 24:21: "My sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes." images ... therein--namely, in the temple (Eze 8:3-17). set it far from them--God had "set" the temple (their "beauty of ornament") "for His majesty"; but they had set up…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 7
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries