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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 20:1 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/ezekiel/20-1.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/19/26_Ezk_20_01.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Ezekiel 20:1 - Israel's Rebellion in Egypt" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me." /><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/20-1.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/20-1.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 1</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="/ad1.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/19-14.htm" title="Ezekiel 19:14">◄</a> Ezekiel 20:1 <a href="/ezekiel/20-2.htm" title="Ezekiel 20:2">►</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">Verse<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"><a href="/niv/ezekiel/20.htm">New International Version</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me. <a href="/nlt/ezekiel/20.htm">New Living Translation</a> On August 14, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the LORD. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply. <a href="/esv/ezekiel/20.htm">English Standard Version</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/bsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me. <a href="/kjv/ezekiel/20.htm">King James Bible</a> And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/nkjv/ezekiel/20.htm">New King James Version</a> It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/nasb_/ezekiel/20.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat before me. <a href="/nasb/ezekiel/20.htm">NASB 1995</a> Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/nasb77/ezekiel/20.htm">NASB 1977 </a> Now it came about in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/lsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> Now it happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, that some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh and sat before me. <a href="/amp/ezekiel/20.htm">Amplified Bible</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month [after the beginning of the exile in Babylon], certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD and sat down before me. <a href="/csb/ezekiel/20.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of Israel’s elders came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me. <a href="/hcsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of Israel&#8217s elders came to consult the LORD, and they sat down in front of me. <a href="/asv/ezekiel/20.htm">American Standard Version</a> And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me. <a href="/cev/ezekiel/20.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> Seven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, some of Israel's leaders came to me on the tenth day of the fifth month. They sat down and asked for a message from the LORD. <a href="/erv/ezekiel/20.htm">English Revised Version</a> And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/gwt/ezekiel/20.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> On the tenth day of the fifth month in the seventh year, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask for the LORD's help. They sat in front of me. <a href="/gnt/ezekiel/20.htm">Good News Translation</a> It was the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of our exile. Some of the leaders of the Israelite community came to consult me about the LORD's will, and they sat down in front of me. <a href="/isv/ezekiel/20.htm">International Standard Version</a> On the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, men came from the elders of Israel to seek the LORD. They sat down in front of me. <a href="/net/ezekiel/20.htm">NET Bible</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to seek the LORD, and they sat down in front of me. <a href="/nheb/ezekiel/20.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> It happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/wbt/ezekiel/20.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.<div class="vheading2">Majority Text Translations</div><a href="/msb/ezekiel/20.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me. <a href="/web/ezekiel/20.htm">World English Bible</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me. <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/ezekiel/20.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> And it comes to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], on the tenth of the month, men from [the] elderly of Israel have come in to seek YHWH, and they sit before me; <a href="/ylt/ezekiel/20.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> And it cometh to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth month, in the tenth of the month, come in have certain of the elders of Israel to seek Jehovah, and they sit before me; <a href="/slt/ezekiel/20.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> And it will be in the seventh year, in the fifth, in the tenth to the month, men from the old men of Israel came to seek Jehovah, and they sat before my face.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/ezekiel/20.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month: there came men of the ancients of Israel to inquire of the Lord, and they sat before me. <a href="/cpdv/ezekiel/20.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> And it happened that, in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, men from the elders of Israel arrived, so that they might inquire of the Lord, and they sat before me. <a href="/nabre/ezekiel/20.htm">New American Bible</a> In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consult the LORD and sat down before me. <a href="/nrsvce/ezekiel/20.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain elders of Israel came to consult the LORD, and sat down before me.<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/ezekiel/20.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> AND it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came in to inquire of the LORD and sat down before me. <a href="/hpbt/ezekiel/20.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> And it was in the seventh year, in the tenth day of the fifth month, men of the Elders of Israel came to inquire from LORD JEHOVAH, and they sat before me<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/ezekiel/20.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. <a href="/sep/ezekiel/20.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> And it came to pass in the seventh year, on the fifteenth day of the month, there came men of the elders of the house of Israel to enquire of the Lord, and they sat before me. <a href="/parallel/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vET3Gmwku4s?start=4994" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/20.htm">Israel's Rebellion in Egypt</a> 1<a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: way·hî (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- 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/7637.htm" title="7637: haš·šə·ḇî·‘îṯ (Art:: Number-ofs) -- Seventh (an ord. number). Or shbi iy; ordinal from shib'iym. seventh.">In the seventh</a> <a href="/hebrew/8141.htm" title="8141: baš·šā·nāh (Prep-b, Art:: N-fs) -- A year. (in plura or shanah; from shanah; a year.">year,</a> <a href="/hebrew/6218.htm" title="6218: be·‘ā·śō·wr (Prep-b, Art:: N-ms) -- A ten, decade. Or masor; from eser; ten; by abbrev. Ten strings, and so a decachord.">on the tenth</a> <a href="/hebrew/2320.htm" title="2320: la·ḥō·ḏeš (Prep-l, Art:: N-ms) -- New moon, a month. From chadash; the new moon; by implication, a month.">day</a> <a href="/hebrew/2549.htm" title="2549: ba·ḥă·mi·šî (Prep-b, Art:: Number-oms) -- Fifth. Or chamishshiy; ord. From chamesh; fifth; also a fifth.">of the fifth month,</a> <a href="/hebrew/2205.htm" title="2205: miz·ziq·nê (Prep-m:: Adj-mpc) -- Old. From zaqen; old.">some of the elders</a> <a href="/hebrew/3478.htm" title="3478: yiś·rā·’êl (N-proper-ms) -- From sarah and 'el; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also of his posterity.">of Israel</a> <a href="/hebrew/935.htm" title="935: bā·’ū (V-Qal-Perf-3cp) -- To come in, come, go in, go. A primitive root; to go or come.">came</a> <a href="/hebrew/582.htm" title="582: ’ă·nā·šîm (N-mp) -- Man, mankind. From 'anash; properly, a mortal; hence, a man in general."></a> <a href="/hebrew/1875.htm" title="1875: liḏ·rōš (Prep-l:: V-Qal-Inf) -- A primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow; by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worship.">to inquire</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.">of the LORD,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3427.htm" title="3427: way·yê·šə·ḇū (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp) -- A primitive root; properly, to sit down; by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry.">and they sat down</a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: lə·p̄ā·nāy (Prep-l:: N-mpc:: 1cs) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition.">before me.</a> 2Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/ezekiel/14-1.htm">Ezekiel 14:1</a> Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me. <a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Ezekiel 8:1</a> In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me. <a href="/ezekiel/33-30.htm">Ezekiel 33:30-33</a> As for you, son of man, your people are talking about you near the city walls and in the doorways of their houses. One speaks to another, each saying to his brother, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD!’ / So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain. / Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice. ... <a href="/ezekiel/2-1.htm">Ezekiel 2:1-2</a> “Son of man,” He said to me, “stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” / And as He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me. <a href="/ezekiel/3-16.htm">Ezekiel 3:16-21</a> At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. / If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. ... <a href="/jeremiah/21-1.htm">Jeremiah 21:1-2</a> This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said, / “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.” <a href="/jeremiah/37-3.htm">Jeremiah 37:3</a> Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!” <a href="/jeremiah/42-1.htm">Jeremiah 42:1-3</a> Then all the commanders of the forces, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached / Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes. / Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.” <a href="/2_kings/22-13.htm">2 Kings 22:13</a> “Go and inquire of the LORD for me, for the people, and for all Judah concerning the words in this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book by doing all that is written about us.” <a href="/isaiah/58-2.htm">Isaiah 58:2</a> For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.” <a href="/zechariah/7-2.htm">Zechariah 7:2-3</a> Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, along with their men, to plead before the LORD / by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, as well as the prophets, “Should I weep and fast in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?” <a href="/matthew/15-8.htm">Matthew 15:8-9</a> ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’” <a href="/matthew/23-27.htm">Matthew 23:27-28</a> Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. <a href="/mark/7-6.htm">Mark 7:6-7</a> Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ <a href="/luke/11-39.htm">Luke 11:39-44</a> Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. / You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well? / But give as alms the things that are within you, and behold, everything will be clean for you. ...</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.A.<a href="/ezekiel/20-27.htm">Ezekiel 20:27</a> Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.<a href="/ezekiel/1-2.htm">Ezekiel 1:2</a> In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,<a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Ezekiel 8:1</a> And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.<a href="/ezekiel/24-1.htm">Ezekiel 24:1</a> Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,that certain<a href="/ezekiel/14-1.htm">Ezekiel 14:1-3</a> Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me… <a href="/ezekiel/33-30.htm">Ezekiel 33:30-33</a> Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD… <a href="/1_kings/14-2.htm">1 Kings 14:2-6</a> And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people… and eat<a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Ezekiel 8:1</a> And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.<a href="/luke/2-46.htm">Luke 2:46</a> And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.<a href="/luke/8-35.htm">Luke 8:35</a> Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezekiel/14-10.htm">Directions</a> <a href="/ezekiel/14-1.htm">Elders</a> <a href="/ezekiel/14-7.htm">Enquire</a> <a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Fifth</a> <a href="/ezekiel/14-1.htm">Front</a> <a href="/ezekiel/14-7.htm">Inquire</a> <a href="/ezekiel/19-9.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Month</a> <a href="/ezekiel/18-20.htm">Responsible</a> <a href="/ezekiel/14-1.htm">Sat</a> <a href="/ezekiel/8-14.htm">Seated</a> <a href="/ezekiel/7-26.htm">Seek</a> <a href="/jeremiah/52-28.htm">Seventh</a> <a href="/ezekiel/14-1.htm">Sit</a> <a href="/jeremiah/52-12.htm">Tenth</a> <a href="/ezra/4-24.htm">Year</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/ezekiel/20-3.htm">Directions</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-3.htm">Elders</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-3.htm">Enquire</a> <a href="/ezekiel/33-21.htm">Fifth</a> <a href="/ezekiel/40-12.htm">Front</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-3.htm">Inquire</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-3.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/ezekiel/24-1.htm">Month</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-3.htm">Responsible</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-41.htm">Sat</a> <a href="/ezekiel/33-31.htm">Seated</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-3.htm">Seek</a> <a href="/ezekiel/29-17.htm">Seventh</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-41.htm">Sit</a> <a href="/ezekiel/24-1.htm">Tenth</a> <a href="/leviticus/25-29.htm">Year</a><div class="vheading2">Ezekiel 20</div>1. <a href="/ezekiel/20-1.htm">God refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel</a> 4. <a href="/ezekiel/20-4.htm">He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt</a> 19. <a href="/ezekiel/20-19.htm">in the desert</a> 27. <a href="/ezekiel/20-27.htm">and in the land</a> 33. <a href="/ezekiel/20-33.htm">He promises to gather them by the Gospel</a> 45. <a href="/ezekiel/20-45.htm">Under the name of a forest he shows the destruction of Jerusalem</a> </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>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <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> </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>In the seventh year This phrase refers to the seventh year of King Jehoiachin's exile, which places the event around 591 BC. This period was marked by political instability and spiritual decline in Judah, as the Babylonian exile had begun. The seventh year is significant as it represents a time of completion and divine intervention in biblical numerology.on the tenth day of the fifth month The fifth month in the Hebrew calendar is Av, which corresponds to July-August in the Gregorian calendar. The tenth day of Av is historically significant as it follows the ninth of Av, a day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second Temples. This timing underscores the somber context of the elders' inquiry.some of the elders of Israel The elders were leaders and representatives of the Jewish community in exile. Their role was to guide and make decisions for the people. Their coming to Ezekiel indicates a recognition of his prophetic authority and a desire for divine guidance during a time of crisis.came to inquire of the LORD This phrase suggests that the elders sought a prophetic word or divine insight regarding their situation. In the Old Testament, inquiring of the LORD often involved seeking guidance, understanding, or a decision from God, as seen in <a href="/1_samuel/23-2.htm">1 Samuel 23:2</a> and <a href="/2_samuel/2.htm">2 Samuel 2:1</a>.and they sat down before me Sitting before a prophet was a customary posture of respect and readiness to receive a message from God. This act signifies their acknowledgment of Ezekiel's role as a mediator between God and His people. It also reflects a moment of anticipation and solemnity, as they awaited the LORD's response through His prophet.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <a href="/topical/e/ezekiel.htm">Ezekiel</a> A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel is the central figure through whom God communicates His messages to the Israelites. 2. <a href="/topical/e/elders_of_israel.htm">Elders of Israel</a> Leaders or representatives of the Israelite community who come to seek guidance or a word from the LORD through the prophet Ezekiel. 3. <a href="/topical/b/babylonian_exile.htm">Babylonian Exile</a> The historical context in which the Israelites are living in captivity in Babylon, having been exiled from their homeland due to their disobedience to God. 4. <a href="/topical/t/the_lord.htm">The LORD (Yahweh)</a> The covenant God of Israel, who is being inquired of by the elders through His prophet. 5. <a href="/topical/t/the_seventh_year,_fifth_month,_tenth_day.htm">The Seventh Year, Fifth Month, Tenth Day</a> A specific time marker indicating when this event took place, emphasizing the historical and prophetic timeline.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><a href="/topical/s/sincere_inquiry_of_god.htm">Sincere Inquiry of God</a> When seeking God, it is crucial to approach Him with sincerity and a genuine heart. The elders' inquiry was not genuine, as their hearts were still set on idolatry. <a href="/topical/g/god's_omniscience.htm">God's Omniscience</a> God knows the hearts and intentions of those who seek Him. We cannot hide our true motives from Him, as seen in His response to the elders. <a href="/topical/r/repentance_before_inquiry.htm">Repentance Before Inquiry</a> Before seeking guidance from God, we must first repent of any known sin. The elders' failure to do so serves as a warning. <a href="/topical/h/historical_context_and_prophetic_timelines.htm">Historical Context and Prophetic Timelines</a> Understanding the historical and prophetic context of Scripture helps us grasp the full meaning of God's messages and their relevance to us today. <a href="/topical/l/leadership_and_responsibility.htm">Leadership and Responsibility</a> The elders, as leaders, had a responsibility to lead the people in righteousness. Their failure highlights the importance of godly leadership.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_ezekiel_20.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 20</a> <a href="/q/bible's_view_on_disrespect.htm">What are the Bible's teachings on disrespect?</a> <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 href="/q/how_to_verify_ezekiel_34_2's_leaders.htm">Ezekiel 34:2 - How can we verify historically or archaeologically that corrupt leaders were truly the 'shepherds' described here?</a> <a href="/q/father's_past_actions'_effects.htm">What are the consequences of a father's past actions?</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>(1) Came to enquire.--It does not appear that the elders actually proposed their enquiry. It doubtless had relation not to personal affairs, but to the welfare of the nation, and in this prophecy the Lord meets their unspoken question.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/ezekiel/20.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 1. - A new date is given, and includes what follows to <a href="/ezekiel/23-49.htm">Ezekiel 23:49</a>. The last note of time was in <a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Ezekiel 8:1</a>, and eleven months and five days had passed, during which the prophecies of the intervening chapters had been written or spoken. We may note further that it was two years one month and five days after the prophet's call to his work (ch. 1.), and two years and five months before the Chaldeans besieged Jerusalem (<a href="/ezekiel/24-1.htm">Ezekiel 24:1</a>). The immediate occasion here, as in <a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Ezekiel 8:1</a>, was that some of the elders of Israel bad come to the prophet to inquire what message of the Lord he had to give them in the present crisis. Whether any stress is to be laid on the fact that here the elders are said to be "of Israel," and in <a href="/ezekiel/8-1.htm">Ezekiel 8:1</a> "of Judah," is doubtful (see note on Ezekiel 14:1). Ezekiel seems to use the two words as interchangeable. Here, however, it is stated more definitely that they came to inquire, probably in the hope that he would tell them, as other prophets were doing, that the time of their deliverance, and of that of Jerusalem, was at hand. Passing into the prophetic state, Ezekiel delivers the discourse that follows. <a href="/commentaries/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>In the seventh הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ית (haš·šə·ḇî·‘îṯ) Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7637.htm">Strong's 7637: </a> Seventh (an ordinal number) year, בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה (baš·šā·nāh) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_8141.htm">Strong's 8141: </a> A year on the tenth בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר (be·‘ā·śō·wr) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6218.htm">Strong's 6218: </a> Ten, by abbreviated form ten strings, a decachord day לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ (la·ḥō·ḏeš) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2320.htm">Strong's 2320: </a> The new moon, a month of the fifth month, בַּֽחֲמִשִׁי֙ (ba·ḥă·mi·šî) Preposition-b, Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2549.htm">Strong's 2549: </a> Fifth, a fifth some of the elders מִזִּקְנֵ֥י (miz·ziq·nê) Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine plural construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2205.htm">Strong's 2205: </a> Old of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3478.htm">Strong's 3478: </a> Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc came בָּ֧אוּ (bā·’ū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_935.htm">Strong's 935: </a> To come in, come, go in, go to inquire לִדְרֹ֣שׁ (liḏ·rōš) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1875.htm">Strong's 1875: </a> To tread, frequent, to follow, to seek, ask, to worship of the LORD, יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel and they sat down וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ (way·yê·šə·ḇū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3427.htm">Strong's 3427: </a> To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry before me. לְפָנָֽי׃ (lə·p̄ā·nāy) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6440.htm">Strong's 6440: </a> The face <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/ezekiel/20-1.htm">Ezekiel 20:1 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-1.htm">OT Prophets: Ezekiel 20:1 It happened in the seventh year (Ezek. Eze Ezk) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/ezekiel/19-14.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ezekiel 19:14"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 19:14" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/ezekiel/20-2.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ezekiel 20:2"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 20:2" /></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>