Ezekiel 20:7 Study Bible: I said to them, 'Cast away every man the abominations of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.'

◄ Ezekiel 20:7 ►

And I said to them: 'Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'

Study Bible

And I said to them
This phrase indicates a direct communication from God to the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which conveys not just speaking but a declaration or command. This emphasizes the authority and seriousness of God's message. Historically, this reflects God's ongoing dialogue with His people, often through prophets, to guide and correct them.

Each of you
This phrase personalizes the command, indicating that the responsibility lies with every individual. The Hebrew word "אִישׁ" (ish) for "each" or "man" underscores the personal accountability expected from every member of the community. This highlights the biblical principle that faith and obedience are personal commitments.

must throw away
The Hebrew root "שָׁלַךְ" (shalach) means to cast away or discard. This action is not passive but requires decisive and deliberate effort. The historical context here is the Israelites' need to separate themselves from the corrupting influences of their past in Egypt, symbolizing a complete break from sin.

the abominations
The term "abominations" comes from the Hebrew "תּוֹעֵבָה" (to'evah), which refers to things that are detestable or loathsome, particularly in a religious or moral sense. In the context of ancient Israel, this often referred to practices or objects associated with idolatry and pagan worship, which were strictly forbidden by God.

before his eyes
This phrase suggests that the abominations were not hidden but openly visible and perhaps even accepted in their daily lives. The Hebrew "עֵינַיִם" (einaim) for "eyes" implies awareness and perception, indicating that the Israelites were knowingly engaging with these detestable practices.

do not defile yourselves
The Hebrew root "טָמֵא" (tame) means to become unclean or impure. This command is a call to holiness, urging the Israelites to maintain spiritual and moral purity. The historical context is the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where purity was essential for worship and community life.

with the idols of Egypt
The "idols" or "גִּלּוּלִים" (gillulim) in Hebrew, refer to the false gods worshiped in Egypt. This phrase serves as a reminder of the Israelites' past bondage and the spiritual corruption they were to leave behind. Archaeologically, Egypt was known for its pantheon of gods, and this command underscores the need for Israel to reject these influences.

I am the LORD your God
This declaration, "אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" (Ani Yahweh Eloheichem), reaffirms God's identity and His covenant relationship with Israel. "LORD" (Yahweh) is the personal name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature. This phrase is a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and the exclusive worship He demands from His people. It serves as both a reassurance of His presence and a call to loyalty and obedience.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The people of God who were in bondage in Egypt and later exiled in Babylon due to their disobedience.

3. Egypt
The land where the Israelites were enslaved and where they adopted idolatrous practices.

4. Idols of Egypt
Representations of false gods that the Israelites were tempted to worship, contrary to God's commandments.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who demands exclusive worship and obedience from His people.

Teaching Points

Rejecting Idolatry
Just as the Israelites were called to reject the idols of Egypt, Christians today must identify and reject modern forms of idolatry, whether they be material possessions, relationships, or ideologies that take precedence over God.

Holiness and Separation
God calls His people to be holy and separate from the world. This involves making conscious choices to live according to His standards and not conform to societal norms that contradict His Word.

Recognizing God's Sovereignty
The declaration "I am the LORD your God" is a reminder of God's sovereignty and authority over our lives. Acknowledging this truth should lead to a life of obedience and worship.

The Danger of Compromise
The Israelites' struggle with idolatry serves as a warning against compromising our faith. Small compromises can lead to significant spiritual decline.

Covenant Relationship
Understanding our relationship with God as a covenant relationship helps us appreciate the depth of His commitment to us and our responsibility to remain faithful to Him.

Bible Study Questions

1. What are some modern-day "idols" that can distract us from our relationship with God, and how can we actively "throw them away"?

2. How does understanding the historical context of Israel's idolatry in Egypt help us apply this passage to our lives today?

3. In what ways can we ensure that God remains the central focus of our lives amidst the distractions of the world?

4. How does the call to holiness in Ezekiel 20:7 relate to the New Testament teachings on being set apart for God?

5. Reflect on a time when you felt tempted to compromise your faith. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience in light of this passage?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 20:3-4
The commandment against idolatry, emphasizing God's demand for exclusive worship.

Leviticus 18:3
Instructions to the Israelites not to follow the practices of Egypt or Canaan, reinforcing the call to holiness.

Joshua 24:14
Joshua's exhortation to the Israelites to serve the LORD and put away foreign gods.

2 Corinthians 6:16-17
Paul's teaching on separating from idolatry and being a temple of the living God.

1 John 5:21
A New Testament reminder to keep away from idols, highlighting the timelessness of this command.

Sermons

Unacceptable Prayer	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 20:1-32
God, and Israel in Egypt	W. Jones	Ezekiel 20:5-9
The Memory of the Great Deliverance	J.R. Thomson	Ezekiel 20:5-9

People

Ezekiel, Israelites, Jacob, Teman

Places

Babylon, Bamah, Egypt, Negeb

Topics

Abominations, Cast, Defile, Defiled, Detestable, Disgusting, Egypt, Feast, Idols, Images, Unclean, Vile, Yourselves

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 20:1-44

7348 defilement

Library

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be Moral.
1. Because all the reasons of this commandment are moral and perpetual; and God has bound us to the obedience of this commandment with more forcible reasons than to any of the rest--First, because he foresaw that irreligious men would either more carelessly neglect, or more boldly break this commandment than any other; secondly, because that in the practice of this commandment the keeping of all the other consists; which makes God so often complain that all his worship is neglected or overthrown, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Manner of Covenanting.
Previous to an examination of the manner of engaging in the exercise of Covenanting, the consideration of God's procedure towards his people while performing the service seems to claim regard. Of the manner in which the great Supreme as God acts, as well as of Himself, our knowledge is limited. Yet though even of the effects on creatures of His doings we know little, we have reason to rejoice that, in His word He has informed us, and in His providence illustrated by that word, he has given us to …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Tithing
There are few subjects on which the Lord's own people are more astray than on the subject of giving. They profess to take the Bible as their own rule of faith and practice, and yet in the matter of Christian finance, the vast majority have utterly ignored its plain teachings and have tried every substitute the carnal mind could devise; therefore it is no wonder that the majority of Christian enterprises in the world today are handicapped and crippled through the lack of funds. Is our giving to be …
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Covenanting Sanctioned by the Divine Example.
God's procedure when imitable forms a peculiar argument for duty. That is made known for many reasons; among which must stand this,--that it may be observed and followed as an example. That, being perfect, is a safe and necessary pattern to follow. The law of God proclaims what he wills men as well as angels to do. The purposes of God show what he has resolved to have accomplished. The constitutions of his moral subjects intimate that he has provided that his will shall be voluntarily accomplished …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it …
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

The Covenant of Works
Q-12: I proceed to the next question, WHAT SPECIAL ACT OF PROVIDENCE DID GOD EXERCISE TOWARDS MAN IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN HE WAS CREATED? A: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge upon pain of death. For this, consult with Gen 2:16, 17: And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links

Ezekiel 20:7 NIV
Ezekiel 20:7 NLT
Ezekiel 20:7 ESV
Ezekiel 20:7 NASB
Ezekiel 20:7 KJV

Ezekiel 20:7 Commentaries

Bible Hub