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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Ezekiel 20:16 because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/ezekiel/20-16.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/16/26_Ezk_20_16.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Ezekiel 20:16 - Israel's Rebellion in Egypt" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/ezekiel/20-16.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/ezekiel/20-16.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/ezekiel/">Ezekiel</a> > <a href="/ezekiel/20.htm">Chapter 20</a> > Verse 16</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad16.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/ezekiel/20-15.htm" title="Ezekiel 20:15">◄</a> Ezekiel 20:16 <a href="/ezekiel/20-17.htm" title="Ezekiel 20:17">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/20.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/ezekiel/20.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/ezekiel/20.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/ezekiel/20.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/ezekiel/20.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/ezekiel/20.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/ezekiel/20.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they also profaned My Sabbaths, because their heart continually followed their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/ezekiel/20.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/ezekiel/20.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />because they rejected My judgments, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually walked after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/ezekiel/20.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My Sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their [worthless] idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/ezekiel/20.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />because they rejected my ordinances, profaned my Sabbaths, and did not follow my statutes. For their hearts went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />because they rejected My ordinances, profaned My Sabbaths, and did not follow My statutes. For their hearts went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/ezekiel/20.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />because they rejected mine ordinances, and walked not in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/ezekiel/20.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />I said this because they had not only ignored my laws and teachings, but had disgraced my Sabbath and worshiped idols. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/ezekiel/20.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />because they rejected my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/ezekiel/20.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />They rejected my rules, and they didn't live by my laws. They dishonored the days to worship me, because their hearts chased disgusting idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/ezekiel/20.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I made the vow because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, and profaned the Sabbath--they preferred to worship their idols. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/ezekiel/20.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />because they kept on rejecting my ordinances. They didn't live life consistent with my statutes, they profaned my Sabbaths, and their hearts followed their idols. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/ezekiel/20.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/ezekiel/20.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />I did this because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/ezekiel/20.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />because they rejected my ordinances, and didn't walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/ezekiel/20.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but profaned my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/ezekiel/20.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />because they rejected my ordinances, and didn’t walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/ezekiel/20.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Because they kicked against My judgments, "" And they have not walked in My statutes, "" And they have defiled My Sabbaths, "" For their heart is going after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/ezekiel/20.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Because against My judgments they did kick, And in My statutes they have not walked, And My sabbaths they have polluted, For after their idols their heart is going.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/ezekiel/20.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Because they rejected upon my judgments, and my laws they went not in them, and my Sabbaths they profaned: for their heart went after their blocks.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/ezekiel/20.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Because they cast off my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, and violated my sabbaths: for their heart went after idols. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/ezekiel/20.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />For they cast aside my judgments, and they did not walk in my precepts, and they violated my Sabbaths. For their heart went after idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/ezekiel/20.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Their hearts followed after their idols so closely that they did not live by my statutes, but rejected my ordinances and desecrated my sabbaths.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/ezekiel/20.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />because they rejected my ordinances and did not observe my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/ezekiel/20.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Because they despised my judgments and polluted my sabbaths exceedingly; for their hearts went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/ezekiel/20.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Because they rejected my judgments and they have severely defiled my Sabbaths, and their heart goes after their idols<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/ezekiel/20.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />because they rejected Mine ordinances, and walked not in My statutes, and profaned My sabbaths--for their heart went after their idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/ezekiel/20.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />because they rejected mine ordinances, and walked not in my commandments, but profaned my sabbaths, and went after the imaginations of their hearts.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vET3Gmwku4s?start=5188" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Israel's Rebellion in Egypt</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">15</span>Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands— <span class="reftext">16</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3282.htm" title="3282: ya·‘an (Adv) -- From an unused root meaning to pay attention; properly, heed; by implication, purpose; used adverbially to indicate the reason or cause.">because</a> <a href="/hebrew/3988.htm" title="3988: mā·’ā·sū (V-Qal-Perf-3cp) -- To spurn, to disappear. A primitive root; to spurn; also to disappear.">they kept rejecting</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: wə·’eṯ- (Conj-w:: DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/4941.htm" title="4941: bə·miš·pā·ṭay (Prep-b:: N-mpc:: 1cs) -- Judgment. ">My ordinances,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">refusing</a> <a href="/hebrew/1980.htm" title="1980: hā·lə·ḵū (V-Qal-Perf-3cp) -- To go, come, walk. Akin to yalak; a primitive root; to walk.">to walk</a> <a href="/hebrew/ḇā·hem (Prep:: 3mp) -- ">in</a> <a href="/hebrew/2708.htm" title="2708: ḥuq·qō·w·ṯay (N-fpc:: 1cs) -- Something prescribed, an enactment, statute. Feminine of choq, and meaning substantially the same.">My statutes,</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: wə·’eṯ- (Conj-w:: DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self.">and</a> <a href="/hebrew/2490.htm" title="2490: ḥil·lê·lū (V-Piel-Perf-3cp) -- A primitive root; properly, to bore, i.e. to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane, to break, to begin; denom. to play.">profaning</a> <a href="/hebrew/7676.htm" title="7676: šab·bə·ṯō·w·ṯay (N-cpc:: 1cs) -- Sabbath. Intensive from shabath; intermission, i.e the Sabbath.">My Sabbaths;</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">for</a> <a href="/hebrew/3820.htm" title="3820: lib·bām (N-msc:: 3mp) -- A form of lebab; the heart; also used very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything.">their hearts</a> <a href="/hebrew/1980.htm" title="1980: hō·lêḵ (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- To go, come, walk. Akin to yalak; a primitive root; to walk.">continually went</a> <a href="/hebrew/310.htm" title="310: ’a·ḥă·rê (Prep) -- The hind or following part. From 'achar; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after.">after</a> <a href="/hebrew/1544.htm" title="1544: ḡil·lū·lê·hem (N-mpc:: 3mp) -- An idol. Or gillul; from galal; properly, a log; by implication, an idol.">their idols.</a> </span><span class="reftext">17</span>Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or bring them to an end in the wilderness.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/78-40.htm">Psalm 78:40-41</a></span><br />How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! / Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/numbers/14-22.htm">Numbers 14:22-23</a></span><br />not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times— / not one will ever see the land that I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have treated Me with contempt will see it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/32-51.htm">Deuteronomy 32:51-52</a></span><br />For at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence. / Although you shall see from a distance the land that I am giving the Israelites, you shall not enter it.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/3-16.htm">Hebrews 3:16-19</a></span><br />For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? / And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? / And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/95-10.htm">Psalm 95:10-11</a></span><br />For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.” / So I swore on oath in My anger, “They shall never enter My rest.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/63-10.htm">Isaiah 63:10</a></span><br />But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/numbers/20-12.htm">Numbers 20:12</a></span><br />But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/9-23.htm">Deuteronomy 9:23-24</a></span><br />And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him. / You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/4-1.htm">Hebrews 4:1-2</a></span><br />Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it. / For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/106-24.htm">Psalm 106:24-26</a></span><br />They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. / They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD. / So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/7-23.htm">Jeremiah 7:23-24</a></span><br />but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you. / Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nehemiah/9-16.htm">Nehemiah 9:16-17</a></span><br />But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments. / They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/7-39.htm">Acts 7:39-42</a></span><br />But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. / They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ / At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/10-5.htm">1 Corinthians 10:5-6</a></span><br />Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. / These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/1-26.htm">Deuteronomy 1:26-27</a></span><br />But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. / You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.</p><p class="hdg">they</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Ezekiel 20:13,14</a></b></br> But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which <i>if</i> a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/20-8.htm">Ezekiel 20:8</a></b></br> But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/14-3.htm">Ezekiel 14:3,4</a></b></br> Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/23-8.htm">Ezekiel 23:8</a></b></br> Neither left she her whoredoms <i>brought</i> from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezekiel/1-4.htm">Continually</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-11.htm">Decrees</a> <a href="/psalms/106-38.htm">Desecrated</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Despised</a> <a href="/ezekiel/11-21.htm">Devoted</a> <a href="/ezekiel/13-3.htm">Follow</a> <a href="/ezekiel/18-9.htm">Guided</a> <a href="/ezekiel/18-31.htm">Heart</a> <a href="/ezekiel/14-5.htm">Hearts</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-8.htm">Idols</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Judgments</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-19.htm">Kick</a> <a href="/ezekiel/11-20.htm">Laws</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-11.htm">Orders</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Ordinances</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-14.htm">Polluted</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-14.htm">Profaned</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Rejected</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-12.htm">Respect</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-11.htm">Rules</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Sabbaths</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Statutes</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-7.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Walk</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-13.htm">Walked</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/ezekiel/31-4.htm">Continually</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-19.htm">Decrees</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-24.htm">Desecrated</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-24.htm">Despised</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-26.htm">Devoted</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Follow</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Guided</a> <a href="/ezekiel/21-6.htm">Heart</a> <a href="/ezekiel/21-15.htm">Hearts</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Idols</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Judgments</a> <a href="/acts/9-5.htm">Kick</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Laws</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Orders</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Ordinances</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-21.htm">Polluted</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-21.htm">Profaned</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-24.htm">Rejected</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-24.htm">Respect</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Rules</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-20.htm">Sabbaths</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Statutes</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-22.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-18.htm">Walk</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-21.htm">Walked</a><div class="vheading2">Ezekiel 20</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/20-1.htm">God refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel</a></span><br><span class="reftext">4. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/20-4.htm">He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/20-19.htm">in the desert</a></span><br><span class="reftext">27. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/20-27.htm">and in the land</a></span><br><span class="reftext">33. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/20-33.htm">He promises to gather them by the Gospel</a></span><br><span class="reftext">45. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/20-45.htm">Under the name of a forest he shows the destruction of Jerusalem</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/ezekiel/20.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/ezekiel/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/ezekiel/20.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>because they kept rejecting My ordinances</b><br>This phrase highlights the Israelites' persistent disobedience to God's laws. The ordinances refer to the specific commands given by God to His people, which were meant to guide their moral and spiritual conduct. This rejection is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, where Israel often turned away from God's commands, as seen in passages like <a href="/judges/2-11.htm">Judges 2:11-13</a>. The rejection of divine ordinances signifies a deeper spiritual rebellion and a refusal to acknowledge God's authority.<p><b>refusing to walk in My statutes</b><br>Walking in God's statutes implies living according to His decrees and commands. The refusal to do so indicates a deliberate choice to ignore God's guidance. This phrase echoes the covenantal relationship established at Sinai, where the Israelites agreed to follow God's laws (<a href="/exodus/19-5.htm">Exodus 19:5-8</a>). The failure to walk in these statutes often led to divine judgment, as seen in the Babylonian exile, which serves as a historical backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecies.<p><b>and profaning My Sabbaths</b><br>The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel (<a href="/exodus/31-13.htm">Exodus 31:13</a>). Profaning the Sabbath meant treating it as ordinary, thus disregarding its sanctity and the rest it symbolized. This violation was not just a legal infraction but a spiritual one, reflecting a lack of reverence for God. <a href="/nehemiah/13-17.htm">Nehemiah 13:17-18</a> also addresses the issue of Sabbath desecration, showing its importance in maintaining a holy relationship with God.<p><b>for their hearts continually went after their idols</b><br>Idolatry was a significant issue for Israel, often leading them away from exclusive worship of Yahweh. The heart, in biblical terms, represents the center of will and desire. The continual pursuit of idols indicates a deep-seated spiritual adultery, as seen in <a href="/hosea/4-12.htm">Hosea 4:12</a>. This idolatry was not just physical but also spiritual, as it involved placing trust and devotion in something other than God. The prophets frequently warned against this, as it led to the nation's downfall and exile.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/e/ezekiel.htm">Ezekiel</a></b><br>A prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/i/israelites.htm">Israelites</a></b><br>The people of God who were in rebellion against Him, leading to their exile.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/b/babylonian_exile.htm">Babylonian Exile</a></b><br>The period when the Israelites were taken captive by Babylon as a consequence of their disobedience.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/g/god's_ordinances_and_statutes.htm">God's Ordinances and Statutes</a></b><br>The laws and commands given by God to guide the Israelites in righteous living.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/i/idolatry.htm">Idolatry</a></b><br>The worship of idols, which was a significant sin among the Israelites, leading them away from God.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_obedience.htm">The Importance of Obedience</a></b><br>God's ordinances and statutes are given for our benefit and protection. Disobedience leads to spiritual and sometimes physical consequences.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_sacredness_of_the_sabbath.htm">The Sacredness of the Sabbath</a></b><br>Observing the Sabbath is a sign of our covenant with God and a reminder of His creation and redemption.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/guarding_our_hearts_against_idolatry.htm">Guarding Our Hearts Against Idolatry</a></b><br>Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can be anything that takes precedence over God in our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_rebellion.htm">The Consequences of Rebellion</a></b><br>The Israelites' exile serves as a warning of the consequences of turning away from God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_call_to_repentance.htm">The Call to Repentance</a></b><br>Despite their rebellion, God continually calls His people to return to Him, offering forgiveness and restoration.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_ezekiel_20.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 20</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_the_sabbath_on_saturday_or_sunday.htm">Is the Sabbath on Saturday or Sunday?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/keep_the_sabbath_or_not.htm">Should we keep the Sabbath? (Exodus 20:8 vs. Colossians 2:16)</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_ezekiel_20_25_align_with_god's_justice.htm">Ezekiel 20:25 mentions God giving Israel 'statutes that were not good'; how does this align with the concept of a just and unchanging God elsewhere in Scripture?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_is_the_sabbath_sign_rarely_mentioned.htm">In Ezekiel 20:12-13, the Sabbath is presented as a sign between God and Israel. Why is this sign rarely mentioned in other biblical narratives of the same events?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/ezekiel/20.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 16.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Their heart went after their idols.</span> The words may point generally to the fact that the idolatrous tendencies of the people, though suppressed, were not really eradicated. The history of Baal-peor (<a href="/numbers/25-3.htm">Numbers 25:3-9</a>) shows how ready they were to pass into act, and <a href="/amos/5-25.htm">Amos 5:25, 26</a> implies a tradition of other like acts during the whole period of the wanderings in the wilderness. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">because</span><br /><span class="heb">יַ֜עַן</span> <span class="translit">(ya·‘an)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3282.htm">Strong's 3282: </a> </span><span class="str2">Heed, purpose, to indicate the reason, cause</span><br /><br /><span class="word">they kept rejecting</span><br /><span class="heb">מָאָ֗סוּ</span> <span class="translit">(mā·’ā·sū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3988.htm">Strong's 3988: </a> </span><span class="str2">To spurn, to disappear</span><br /><br /><span class="word">My ordinances,</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּמִשְׁפָּטַ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(bə·miš·pā·ṭay)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4941.htm">Strong's 4941: </a> </span><span class="str2">A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style</span><br /><br /><span class="word">profaning</span><br /><span class="heb">חִלֵּ֑לוּ</span> <span class="translit">(ḥil·lê·lū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2490.htm">Strong's 2490: </a> </span><span class="str2">To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play</span><br /><br /><span class="word">My Sabbaths,</span><br /><span class="heb">שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֖י</span> <span class="translit">(šab·bə·ṯō·w·ṯay)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - common plural construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7676.htm">Strong's 7676: </a> </span><span class="str2">Intermission, the Sabbath</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and refusing</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to walk</span><br /><span class="heb">הָלְכ֣וּ</span> <span class="translit">(hā·lə·ḵū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1980.htm">Strong's 1980: </a> </span><span class="str2">To go, come, walk</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in My statutes.</span><br /><span class="heb">חֻקּוֹתַי֙</span> <span class="translit">(ḥuq·qō·w·ṯay)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2708.htm">Strong's 2708: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something prescribed, an enactment, statute</span><br /><br /><span class="word">For</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּ֛י</span> <span class="translit">(kî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their hearts</span><br /><span class="heb">לִבָּ֥ם</span> <span class="translit">(lib·bām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3820.htm">Strong's 3820: </a> </span><span class="str2">The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre</span><br /><br /><span class="word">continually went</span><br /><span class="heb">הֹלֵֽךְ׃</span> <span class="translit">(hō·lêḵ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1980.htm">Strong's 1980: </a> </span><span class="str2">To go, come, walk</span><br /><br /><span class="word">after</span><br /><span class="heb">אַחֲרֵ֥י</span> <span class="translit">(’a·ḥă·rê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_310.htm">Strong's 310: </a> </span><span class="str2">The hind or following part</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their idols.</span><br /><span class="heb">גִלּוּלֵיהֶ֖ם</span> <span class="translit">(ḡil·lū·lê·hem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1544.htm">Strong's 1544: </a> </span><span class="str2">A log, an idol</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/ezekiel/20-16.htm">Ezekiel 20:16 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/ezekiel/20-16.htm">OT Prophets: Ezekiel 20:16 Because they rejected my ordinances and didn't (Ezek. Eze Ezk) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/ezekiel/20-15.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ezekiel 20:15"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 20:15" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/ezekiel/20-17.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ezekiel 20:17"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 20:17" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>