Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 20:10-26
The history of the struggle between the sins of Israel, by which they endeavoured to ruin themselves, and the mercies of God, by which he endeavoured to save them and make them happy, is here continued: and the instances of that struggle in these verses have reference to what passed between God and them in the wilderness, in which God honoured himself and they shamed themselves. The story of Israel in the wilderness is referred to in the New Testament (1 Co. 10 and Heb. 3), as well as often in the Old, for warning to us Christians; and therefore we are particularly concerned in these verses. Observe,
I. The great things God did for them, which he puts them in mind of, not as grudging them hi…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezekiel 20:23
It was to that generation the threat of dispersion was proclaimed (Deu 28:64; compare Eze 29:4).
Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 20:22
I withdrew mine hand - I had just lifted it up to crush them as in a moment; for they also were idolatrous, and walked in the steps of their fathers.
John Gill on Ezekiel 20:23
I lifted up mine hand also to them in the wilderness,.... Swore unto them, as in Ezekiel 20:5;
that I would scatter them among the Heathen, and disperse them through the countries; after they came to be settled in the land of Canaan, they sinning against the Lord; which was fulfilled in the times of the Babylonish captivity, and in their destruction by the Romans; but was threatened and foretold while they were in the wilderness, Leviticus 26:33; with this compare Psalm 106:26.
John Calvin on Ezekiel 20:21-24
Ezekiel 20:21-24
21. Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
21. Et rebelles fuerunt [275] me filii: in decretis meis non ambulaverunt, et judicia mea non servarunt, ut ea facerent: quae qui fecerit homo rivet in ipsis: sabbatha mea profanarunt: et dixi [276] effundere iracundiam meam, [277] super eos ad complendum iram meam in ipsis in deserto.
22. Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be…
