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Jewish Publication Society Bible: Ezekiel 20

Book of ChroniclesHebrew Bible TranslationJewish Publication Society Bible

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This is a prophetic oracle from the Book of Ezekiel (chapter 20), part of the Hebrew Bible's prophetic tradition, delivered as a divine speech addressed to the elders of Israel during the Babylonian exile. God refuses to be consulted by the elders and instead delivers a sweeping historical indictment, tracing Israel's repeated cycle of rebellion across three generations: in Egypt, in the wilderness under the first generation, and in the wilderness under the second generation. A theologically distinctive and provocative claim appears in verses 25-26, where God states he deliberately gave Israel "statutes that were not good" as a form of punishment — including allowing child sacrifice — which is among the most theologically difficult passages in the Hebrew Bible. Despite each generation's failures, God repeatedly withholds full destruction not out of mercy for Israel but explicitly to protect his own reputation among the surrounding nations. The oracle closes with a forward-looking section promising a second exodus: God will forcibly gather the scattered Israelites, purge the rebels among them in a new wilderness trial, and restore the faithful remnant to the land to worship him on his holy mountain. The overall argument is that the coming judgment is not a repudiation of the covenant but its violent enforcement, with restoration contingent on Israel's shame and submission rather than its merit.

Jewish Publication Society Bible: Ezekiel 20

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