New King James Version
Ezekiel 20:39
39“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.
Ezekiel 20:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.
Context of Ezekiel 20:39
37“I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols. 40For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, together with all your holy things. 41I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.
Read all of Ezekiel 20Ezekiel 20:39 word by word
וְאַתֶּ֨ם בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֗ה אִ֤ישׁ גִּלּוּלָיו֙ לְכ֣וּ עֲבֹ֔דוּ וְאַחַ֕ר אִם־אֵינְכֶ֖ם שֹׁמְעִ֣ים אֵלָ֑י וְאֶת־שֵׁ֤ם קָדְשִׁי֙ לֹ֣א תְחַלְּלוּ־ע֔וֹד בְּמַתְּנֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם וּבְגִלּוּלֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- As for you, O houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- ye, serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
- ye every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- his idolsגִּלּוּלgillûl gillûl · idolH1544
- and hereafterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- if ye will not hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- unto me: but polluteחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
- ye my holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- no more with your giftsמַתָּנָהmattânâh · giftH4979
Cross-references for Ezekiel 20:39
- Ezekiel 20:25“Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live;
- Judges 10:14“Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”
- 2 Kings 3:13Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
- Psalms 81:12So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.
- Hosea 4:17“Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone.
- Amos 4:4“Come to Bethel and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.
- Romans 1:24Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
- 2 Thessalonians 2:11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
- Ezekiel 23:37For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.
- Proverbs 21:27The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!
- Isaiah 1:13Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
- Isaiah 66:3“He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,
- Jeremiah 7:9Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know,
- Zephaniah 1:4“I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests—
- Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
- Revelation 3:15“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 20:39
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Go ye, serve ye every one his idols - Thus, God gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they could not live, by thus permitting them to take their own way, serve their gods, and follow the maxims and rites of that abominable worship.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. 33-44Verses 33-44 The wicked Israelites, notwithstanding they follow the sinful ways of other nations, shall not mingle with them in their prosperity, but shall be separated from them for destruction. There is no shaking off God's dominion; and those who will not yield to the power of his grace, shall sink under the power of his wrath. But not one of God's jewels shall be lost in the lumber of this world. He will bring the jews to the land of Israel again; and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39-44The people of Israel might continue to worship idols for a time. However, in the end, they would worship God in spirit and in truth on his holy mountain (see Ezekiel 40–48, where the purified worship of God is restored in the temple). Jesus also spoke about worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:21–24). God chose Israel to be a holy nation. His purpose in choosing them would not fail. In the end, his plan would stand. The people would become…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. Equivalent to, "I would rather have you open idolaters than hypocrites, fancying you can worship Me and yet at the same time serve idols" (Am 5:21, 22, 25, 26; compare 1Ki 18:21; 2Ki 17:41; Mt 6:24; Re 3:15, 16). Go ye, serve--This is not a command to serve idols, but a judicial declaration of God's giving up of the half-idol, half-Jehovah worshippers to utter idolatry, if they will not serve Jehovah alone (Psa 81:12; Re 22:11). hereafter also--God…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 20:39
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries