CINXE.COM

<!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 20:32 When you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,' what you have in mind will never come to pass.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/ezekiel/20-32.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/13/26_Ezk_20_32.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Ezekiel 20:32 - Israel's Rebellion in the Land" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="When you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,' what you have in mind will never come to pass." /><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/20-32.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/20-32.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 32</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="/ad12.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/20-31.htm" title="Ezekiel 20:31">◄</a> Ezekiel 20:32 <a href="/ezekiel/20-33.htm" title="Ezekiel 20:33">►</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 />&#8220&#8217You say, &#8220We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.&#8221 But what you have in mind will never happen.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/ezekiel/20.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/ezekiel/20.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />“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.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/ezekiel/20.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/ezekiel/20.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />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.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/ezekiel/20.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />And whatever comes into your mind certainly will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, serving wood and stone.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/ezekiel/20.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220What comes into your mind will not come about, when you say: &#8216We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.&#8217<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/ezekiel/20.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“And what comes into your mind will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And what comes upon your spirit will not happen, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to minister to wood and stone.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/ezekiel/20.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />What comes into your mind will never happen, when you say, ‘We will be like the [pagan] nations, like the tribes of the [Gentile] countries, serving [idols made of] wood and stone.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/ezekiel/20.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />“ ‘When you say, “Let’s be like the nations, like the clans of other countries, serving wood and stone,” what you have in mind will never happen.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />When you say, &#8216Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of other countries, worshiping wood and stone,&#8217 what you have in mind will never happen.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/ezekiel/20.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/ezekiel/20.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />They may think they can be like other nations and get away with worshiping idols made of wood and stone. But that will never happen! <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/ezekiel/20.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all; in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/ezekiel/20.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />What you have in mind will never happen. You think that you want to be like other nations, like the different people in other countries. You want to serve wood and stone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/ezekiel/20.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />You have made up your minds that you want to be like the other nations, like the people who live in other countries and worship trees and rocks. But that will never be. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/ezekiel/20.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />The thing that you're imagining is never going to happen, since you're thinking, "We'll be like the nations, like the clans of other lands who serve gods made from wood and stone."'"<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/ezekiel/20.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />"'What you plan will never happen. You say, "We will be like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/ezekiel/20.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />and that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, in that you say, 'We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/ezekiel/20.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />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.<div class="vheading2"><b>Majority Text Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/ezekiel/20.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/ezekiel/20.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“‘“That which comes into your mind will not be at all, in that you say, ‘We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.’ <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/ezekiel/20.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And that which is going up on your mind, "" It is not at all—in that you are saying: We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, "" To serve wood and stone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/ezekiel/20.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And that which is going up on your mind, It is not at all -- in that ye are saying: We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, To serve wood and stone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/ezekiel/20.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And the things were coming up upon your spirit which will not be which ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands to serve wood and stone.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/ezekiel/20.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Neither shall the thought of your mind come to pass, by which you say: We will be as the Gentiles, and as the families of the earth, to worship stocks and stones. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/ezekiel/20.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And the plan of your mind will not occur, saying: ‘We will be like the Gentiles, and like the families of the earth, so that we worship what is wood and stone.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/ezekiel/20.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />What has entered your mind shall never happen: You are thinking, “We shall be like the nations, like the peoples of foreign lands, serving wood and stone.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/ezekiel/20.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />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.”<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/ezekiel/20.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And that which is in your mind shall not come to pass at all, for you say, We will be like the Gentiles and like the families of the earth, to serve wood and stones.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/ezekiel/20.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And that which is in your mind shall not happen, because you say, ‘We shall be like the nations and like the generations of the Earth, and we shall serve trees and stones”<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/ezekiel/20.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all; in that ye say: We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/ezekiel/20.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And it shall not be as ye say, We will be as the nations, and as the tribes of the earth, to worship stocks and stones.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/ezekiel/20-32.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=5394" 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 the Land</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">31</span>When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you! <span class="reftext">32</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.">When</a> <a href="/hebrew/859.htm" title="859: ’at·tem (Pro-2mp) -- You (masc. sing.). ">you</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: ’ō·mə·rîm (V-Qal-Prtcpl-mp) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">say,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: nih·yeh (V-Qal-Imperf-1cp) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">‘Let us be</a> <a href="/hebrew/1471.htm" title="1471: ḵag·gō·w·yim (Prep-k, Art:: N-mp) -- Rarely goy; apparently from the same root as gevah; a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts.">like the nations,</a> <a href="/hebrew/4940.htm" title="4940: kə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ (Prep-k:: N-fpc) -- From shaphah; a family, i.e. Circle of relatives; figuratively, a class, a species or sort; by extens. A tribe or people.">like the peoples</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: hā·’ă·rā·ṣō·wṯ (Art:: N-fp) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">of the lands,</a> <a href="/hebrew/8334.htm" title="8334: lə·šā·rêṯ (Prep-l:: V-Piel-Inf) -- To minister, serve. A primitive root; to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively, to contribute to.">serving</a> <a href="/hebrew/6086.htm" title="6086: ‘êṣ (N-ms) -- Tree, trees, wood. From atsah; a tree; hence, wood.">wood</a> <a href="/hebrew/68.htm" title="68: wā·’ā·ḇen (Conj-w:: N-fs) -- A stone. From the root of banah through the meaning to build; a stone.">and stone,’</a> <a href="/hebrew/5927.htm" title="5927: wə·hā·‘ō·lāh (Conj-w, Art:: V-Qal-Prtcpl-fs) -- A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively or actively; used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative."></a> <a href="/hebrew/5921.htm" title="5921: ‘al- (Prep) -- Properly, the same as al used as a preposition; above, over, upon, or against in a great variety of applications.">what you have in</a> <a href="/hebrew/7307.htm" title="7307: rū·ḥă·ḵem (N-msc:: 2mp) -- Breath, wind, spirit. From ruwach; wind; by resemblance breath.">mind</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: hā·yōw (V-Qal-InfAbs) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass."></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.">will never</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: ṯih·yeh (V-Qal-Imperf-3fs) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">come to pass.</a> </span><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="/jeremiah/44-17.htm">Jeremiah 44:17-19</a></span><br />Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster. / But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine.” / “Moreover,” said the women, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ knowledge that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/29-18.htm">Deuteronomy 29:18-20</a></span><br />Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit, / because when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. / The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/30-1.htm">Isaiah 30:1-2</a></span><br />“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. / They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/8-19.htm">1 Samuel 8:19-20</a></span><br />Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. / Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/2-5.htm">Hosea 2:5-8</a></span><br />For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’ / Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her path with thorns; I will enclose her with a wall, so she cannot find her way. / She will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will return to my first husband, for then I was better off than now.’ ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/17-15.htm">2 Kings 17:15</a></span><br />They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/2-12.htm">Judges 2:12-13</a></span><br />Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/106-35.htm">Psalm 106:35-39</a></span><br />but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. / They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/65-2.htm">Isaiah 65:2-3</a></span><br />All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, / to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/2-25.htm">Jeremiah 2:25</a></span><br />You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/1-21.htm">Romans 1:21-25</a></span><br />For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/6-16.htm">2 Corinthians 6:16-17</a></span><br />What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” / “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/4-8.htm">Galatians 4:8-9</a></span><br />Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. / But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/4-3.htm">1 Peter 4:3-4</a></span><br />For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry. / Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/7-39.htm">Acts 7:39-41</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.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, that you say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.</p><p class="hdg">that which</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/11-5.htm">Ezekiel 11:5</a></b></br> And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, <i>every one of</i> them.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/38-10.htm">Ezekiel 38:10</a></b></br> Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, <i>that</i> at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/139-2.htm">Psalm 139:2</a></b></br> Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.</p><p class="hdg">We will</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_samuel/8-5.htm">1 Samuel 8:5</a></b></br> And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/44-17.htm">Jeremiah 44:17,29</a></b></br> But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for <i>then</i> had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/romans/12-2.htm">Romans 12:2</a></b></br> And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what <i>is</i> that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.</p><p class="hdg">to serve</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/4-28.htm">Deuteronomy 4:28</a></b></br> And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/28-36.htm">Deuteronomy 28:36,64</a></b></br> The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/29-17.htm">Deuteronomy 29:17</a></b></br> And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which <i>were</i> among them:)</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezekiel/20-23.htm">Countries</a> <a href="/jeremiah/33-24.htm">Families</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-23.htm">Heathen</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-15.htm">Lands</a> <a href="/ezekiel/16-60.htm">Mind</a> <a href="/ezekiel/13-17.htm">Minds</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-23.htm">Nations</a> <a href="/ezekiel/11-17.htm">Peoples</a> <a href="/ezekiel/17-14.htm">Servants</a> <a href="/jeremiah/51-39.htm">Serve</a> <a href="/jeremiah/44-3.htm">Serving</a> <a href="/ezekiel/16-40.htm">Stone</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-20.htm">Thought</a> <a href="/jeremiah/25-24.htm">Tribes</a> <a href="/ezekiel/4-17.htm">Want</a> <a href="/ezekiel/15-6.htm">Wood</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-12.htm">World</a> <a href="/ezekiel/18-15.htm">Worship</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/ezekiel/20-34.htm">Countries</a> <a href="/ezekiel/45-15.htm">Families</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-41.htm">Heathen</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-34.htm">Lands</a> <a href="/ezekiel/22-12.htm">Mind</a> <a href="/ezekiel/24-25.htm">Minds</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-34.htm">Nations</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-34.htm">Peoples</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-16.htm">Servants</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-39.htm">Serve</a> <a href="/ezekiel/27-7.htm">Serving</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-47.htm">Stone</a> <a href="/ezekiel/38-10.htm">Thought</a> <a href="/ezekiel/37-19.htm">Tribes</a> <a href="/ezekiel/34-5.htm">Want</a> <a href="/ezekiel/21-10.htm">Wood</a> <a href="/ezekiel/32-18.htm">World</a> <a href="/ezekiel/46-2.htm">Worship</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>When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations,</b><br>This phrase reflects Israel's desire to assimilate with surrounding nations, abandoning their unique identity as God's chosen people. Historically, Israel was set apart to be a holy nation (<a href="/exodus/19-5.htm">Exodus 19:5-6</a>), distinct from others who worshipped false gods. The desire to be like other nations often led to idolatry and disobedience, as seen in <a href="/1_samuel/8-5.htm">1 Samuel 8:5</a> when Israel demanded a king to be like other nations.<p><b>like the peoples of the lands,</b><br>The "peoples of the lands" refers to the surrounding pagan nations, such as the Canaanites, Philistines, and Babylonians, who practiced idolatry and other customs contrary to God's laws. This phrase highlights the cultural and religious influences that tempted Israel away from their covenant with God. The allure of these practices often led to Israel's downfall, as seen in <a href="/judges/2-11.htm">Judges 2:11-13</a>.<p><b>serving wood and stone,’</b><br>"Wood and stone" symbolize the idols worshipped by the nations. These materials were commonly used to craft images of deities, which were powerless and lifeless (<a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9-20</a>). The worship of such idols was strictly forbidden in the Ten Commandments (<a href="/exodus/20-3.htm">Exodus 20:3-5</a>). This idolatry represents a rejection of the living God in favor of man-made objects, a recurring issue in Israel's history.<p><b>what you have in mind will never come to pass.</b><br>This statement is a divine declaration of the futility of Israel's plans to assimilate and worship idols. God's sovereignty ensures that His purposes for Israel will prevail, despite their rebellion. This echoes the prophetic assurance found in <a href="/isaiah/46-9.htm">Isaiah 46:9-10</a>, where God declares His plans will stand. It also foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises through Jesus Christ, who establishes a new covenant and restores the relationship between God and His people (<a href="/hebrews/8-6.htm">Hebrews 8:6-13</a>).<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 are in exile due to their disobedience and idolatry.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/b/babylon.htm">Babylon</a></b><br>The place of exile for the Israelites, representing a land of foreign gods and practices.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/n/nations/peoples_of_the_lands.htm">Nations/Peoples of the Lands</a></b><br>Refers to the surrounding pagan nations whose practices the Israelites were tempted to adopt.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/i/idolatry.htm">Idolatry</a></b><br>The act of worshiping idols, which is a central issue addressed in this passage.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_danger_of_conformity.htm">The Danger of Conformity</a></b><br>The Israelites' desire to be like other nations reflects a temptation to conform to worldly standards. Believers today must guard against the allure of cultural assimilation that contradicts God's commands.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_futility_of_idolatry.htm">The Futility of Idolatry</a></b><br>Serving "wood and stone" is ultimately futile. Idolatry, in any form, cannot fulfill the deep spiritual needs that only God can satisfy.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_and_faithfulness.htm">God's Sovereignty and Faithfulness</a></b><br>Despite the Israelites' intentions, God declares that their plans to adopt pagan practices will not succeed. This underscores God's control and His commitment to His covenant people.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_call_to_holiness.htm">The Call to Holiness</a></b><br>Believers are called to be set apart, living lives that reflect God's holiness rather than the practices of the world.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/trust_in_god's_plan.htm">Trust in God's Plan</a></b><br>Even when tempted to follow the ways of the world, believers can trust that God's plans are for their ultimate good and His glory.<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/how_does_ezekiel_36_align_with_other_prophecies.htm">How do claims in Ezekiel 36 about Israel's future prosperity reconcile with other biblical passages that predict ongoing hardship for the same people?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_ezekiel_20_40-44_withstand_skepticism.htm">How does the promise of eventual restoration in Ezekiel 20:40-44 stand up to skepticism when some prophecies appear to have remained unfulfilled from a historical standpoint?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/who_are_gog_and_magog,_and_why_no_evidence.htm">(Revelation 20:7-8) Who are Gog and Magog historically, and why is there no clear archeological evidence of such an end-times battle?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_of_ezekiel_37_12-14's_fulfillment.htm">Is there any historical or archaeological evidence that Ezekiel 37:12-14 was fulfilled by actual physical resurrections in Israel's past?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/ezekiel/20.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(32) <span class= "bld">As the heathen</span>.--The desire to be "like the nations that are round about," had long been a ruling ambition with the Israelites, as shown in their original desire for a king (<a href="/1_samuel/8-5.htm" title="And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.">1Samuel 8:5</a>; <a href="/1_samuel/8-20.htm" title="That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.">1Samuel 8:20</a>), and this desire, as shown in the text, had been one chief reason for their tendency to idolatry.<p>The second part of this prophecy extends from <a href="/ezekiel/20-33.htm" title="As I live, said the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:">Ezekiel 20:33</a> to <a href="/ezekiel/20-44.htm" title="And you shall know that I am the LORD when I have worked with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O you house of Israel, said the Lord GOD.">Ezekiel 20:44</a>, where the chapter closes in the Hebrew, and it would have been better if the same division had been observed in the English, as the fresh prophecy of <a href="/context/ezekiel/20-45.htm" title="Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,">Ezekiel 20:45-49</a> is more closely connected with the following chapter. The object of this concluding part of the prophecy is to declare the mingled severity and goodness with which God is about to deal with His people to wean them from their sins, and prepare them to receive His abundant blessing. . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/ezekiel/20.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 32.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">That which cometh into your mind,</span> etc. The prophet reads tide secret thoughts of the inquirers. If the temple were destroyed, they thought, then the one restraint on the idolatries they loved would be removed. They would be no longer a separate people, and would be free to adopt the cultus of the heathen among whom they lived. If that was not Jehovah's purpose for them, then there must be no destruction of the temple, no dispersion among the nations. They come to Ezekiel to know which of the two alternatives he, as the prophet of Jehovah, has in store, and his answer is that he is bound to nether. They could not abdicate their high position, and would remain under the burden of its responsibilities. Scattered though they might be among the heathen, yet even there the "mighty hand and the stretched-out arm" (we note the phrases as from <a href="/deuteronomy/4-34.htm">Deuteronomy 4:34</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/5-15.htm">Deuteronomy 5:15</a>) would hunt them down, and punish them for their iniquities. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/ezekiel/20-32.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">When</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·šer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - relative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_834.htm">Strong's 834: </a> </span><span class="str2">Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that</span><br /><br /><span class="word">you</span><br /><span class="heb">אַתֶּ֣ם</span> <span class="translit">(’at·tem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - second person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_859.htm">Strong's 859: </a> </span><span class="str2">Thou and thee, ye and you</span><br /><br /><span class="word">say:</span><br /><span class="heb">אֹמְרִ֗ים</span> <span class="translit">(’ō·mə·rîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">“Let us be</span><br /><span class="heb">נִֽהְיֶ֤ה</span> <span class="translit">(nih·yeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like the nations,</span><br /><span class="heb">כַגּוֹיִם֙</span> <span class="translit">(ḵag·gō·w·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1471.htm">Strong's 1471: </a> </span><span class="str2">A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like the peoples</span><br /><span class="heb">כְּמִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(kə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k | Noun - feminine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4940.htm">Strong's 4940: </a> </span><span class="str2">A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of the lands,</span><br /><span class="heb">הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(hā·’ă·rā·ṣō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earth, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">serving</span><br /><span class="heb">לְשָׁרֵ֖ת</span> <span class="translit">(lə·šā·rêṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8334.htm">Strong's 8334: </a> </span><span class="str2">To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute to</span><br /><br /><span class="word">wood</span><br /><span class="heb">עֵ֥ץ</span> <span class="translit">(‘êṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6086.htm">Strong's 6086: </a> </span><span class="str2">Tree, trees, wood</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and stone,”</span><br /><span class="heb">וָאָֽבֶן׃</span> <span class="translit">(wā·’ā·ḇen)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_68.htm">Strong's 68: </a> </span><span class="str2">A stone</span><br /><br /><span class="word">what you have in</span><br /><span class="heb">עַל־</span> <span class="translit">(‘al-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5921.htm">Strong's 5921: </a> </span><span class="str2">Above, over, upon, against</span><br /><br /><span class="word">mind</span><br /><span class="heb">ר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם</span> <span class="translit">(rū·ḥă·ḵem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7307.htm">Strong's 7307: </a> </span><span class="str2">Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit</span><br /><br /><span class="word">will never</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹ֣א</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">happen.</span><br /><span class="heb">תִֽהְיֶ֑ה</span> <span class="translit">(ṯih·yeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/ezekiel/20-32.htm">Ezekiel 20:32 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/ezekiel/20-32.htm">OT Prophets: Ezekiel 20:32 And that which comes into your mind (Ezek. Eze Ezk) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/ezekiel/20-31.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ezekiel 20:31"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 20:31" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/ezekiel/20-33.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ezekiel 20:33"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 20:33" /></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>