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 20:24
Because they had not executed my judgments,.... Had not done that which was right and just, as the Lord commanded them:
but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths; as their fathers had done:
and their eyes were after their fathers' idols; which they had learned to serve in Egypt, or brought with them from thence; these the eyes and the hearts of their children were after, as theirs find been; and they were more desirous, encouraged, and emboldened to serve them, because they were their fathers'; but this would not excuse their sin; yea, it was rather an aggravation of it, that they should follow them in such practices, for which they had been often reproved and punished.
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…
