Ezekiel 20:11
New International Version
I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.

New Living Translation
There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.

English Standard Version
I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.

Berean Standard Bible
And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.

King James Bible
And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

New King James Version
And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’

New American Standard Bible
I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them.

NASB 1995
“I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live.

NASB 1977
“And I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live.

Legacy Standard Bible
I gave them My statutes and made them know My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them.

Amplified Bible
I gave them My statutes and explained My ordinances to them, which, if a man keeps, he will live.

Christian Standard Bible
Then I gave them my statutes and explained my ordinances to them—the person who does them will live by them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then I gave them My statutes and explained My ordinances to them—the person who does them will live by them.

American Standard Version
And I gave them my statutes, and showed them mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live in them.

Contemporary English Version
I gave them my laws and teachings, so they would know how to live right.

English Revised Version
And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I gave them my laws and made my rules known to them. If people obey them they will live.

Good News Translation
I gave them my commands and taught them my laws, which bring life to anyone who obeys them.

International Standard Version
where I gave them my statutes and revealed my ordinances to them, which if a person observes, he'll live by them.

Majority Standard Bible
And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances?for the man who does these things will live by them.

NET Bible
I gave them my statutes and revealed my regulations to them. The one who carries them out will live by them!

New Heart English Bible
I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man doeth, he shall even live in them.

World English Bible
I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he will live in them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I give My statutes to them, "" And I caused them to know My judgments, "" Which the man who does—lives by them.

Young's Literal Translation
And I give to them My statutes, And my judgments I caused them to know, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I shall give to them my laws, and my judgments I caused them to know, which a man shall do them and he lived in them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I gave them my statutes, and I shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I gave them my precepts, and I revealed to them my judgments, which, if a man does them, he shall live by them.

New American Bible
Then I gave them my statutes and made known to them my ordinances, so that everyone who keeps them has life through them.

New Revised Standard Version
I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I gave them my commandments and showed them my judgments, which if a man do he shall live by them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I have given them my commands, and my judgments I have made known to them, so that if a son of man does them, he lives by them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I gave them My statutes, and taught them Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I gave them my commandments, and made known to them mine ordinances, all which if a man shall do, he shall even live in them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel's Rebellion in Egypt
10So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. 11And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances— for the man who does these things will live by them. 12I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 4:1
Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:32-33
So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left. / You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Leviticus 18:5
Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

Nehemiah 9:29
You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.

Romans 10:5
For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”

Galatians 3:12
The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”

Psalm 19:7-11
The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. / The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. / The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. ...

Deuteronomy 30:15-16
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, as well as death and disaster. / For I am commanding you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and increase, and the LORD your God may bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.

Matthew 19:17
“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

Romans 7:10
So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death.

Leviticus 26:3-4
If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments, / I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.

Deuteronomy 6:24-25
And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes and to fear the LORD our God, that we may always be prosperous and preserved, as we are to this day. / And if we are careful to observe every one of these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us, then that will be our righteousness.”

James 1:25
But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

John 12:50
And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.”


Treasury of Scripture

And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

I gave

Deuteronomy 4:8
And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Nehemiah 9:13,14
Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: …

Psalm 147:19,20
He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel…

shewed them [heb] made them to know

Ezekiel 20:13,21
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them…

Leviticus 18:5
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

Deuteronomy 20:15,16
Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations…

Jump to Previous
Caused Clear Decrees Informed Judgments Keeps Live Obeys Observance Observes Orders Ordinances Rules Shewed Showed Statutes Taught
Jump to Next
Caused Clear Decrees Informed Judgments Keeps Live Obeys Observance Observes Orders Ordinances Rules Shewed Showed Statutes Taught
Ezekiel 20
1. God refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel
4. He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt
19. in the desert
27. and in the land
33. He promises to gather them by the Gospel
45. Under the name of a forest he shows the destruction of Jerusalem














And I gave them
This phrase highlights the divine initiative and generosity of God. The Hebrew root for "gave" is "נָתַן" (natan), which implies a gift or bestowal. In the context of the Israelites, this signifies God's gracious act of providing His laws as a covenant gift. Historically, this reflects the moment at Mount Sinai when God delivered the Law to Moses, establishing a unique relationship with His chosen people.

My statutes
The term "statutes" comes from the Hebrew "חֻקִּים" (chuqqim), which refers to decrees or laws that are meant to be observed. These are divine prescriptions that set Israel apart from other nations. The statutes are not merely legalistic commands but are intended to guide the people in a life that reflects God's holiness and righteousness.

and made known to them
This phrase underscores the revelatory aspect of God's communication. The Hebrew root "יָדַע" (yada) means to know or to make known, indicating that God actively revealed His will to the Israelites. This revelation is an act of divine love, ensuring that His people are not left in ignorance but are fully informed of His expectations.

My ordinances
The word "ordinances" is translated from the Hebrew "מִשְׁפָּטִים" (mishpatim), which refers to judgments or legal decisions. These are the practical applications of God's statutes, providing justice and order within the community. The ordinances are a reflection of God's character, emphasizing fairness, equity, and moral integrity.

which if a man keeps
This conditional phrase introduces the concept of human responsibility. The Hebrew root "שָׁמַר" (shamar) means to keep, guard, or observe. It implies diligent attention and faithful adherence to God's commands. The phrase suggests that obedience is not automatic but requires intentional effort and commitment from each individual.

he will live by them
The promise of life is central to this phrase. The Hebrew word "חָיָה" (chayah) means to live or to have life. In the biblical context, this is not merely physical survival but encompasses a life of blessing, prosperity, and spiritual fulfillment. The statutes and ordinances are designed to lead to a flourishing life under God's covenant, highlighting the connection between obedience and divine blessing.

(11) He shall even live in them.--Comp. Deuteronomy 30:15-20. It becomes plain, on a careful perusal of this passage, that what was required was not a mere outward, technical, and perfunctory keeping of certain definite precepts, but a living and loving obedience to God's will from the heart. The same fundamental principle of life underlies the Old Testament as the New; yet the former is justly regarded, and frequently spoken of in the New Testament, as a covenant of works, because the people were not yet sufficiently educated spiritually to be able to receive the principle of faith, and were therefore placed under a law of many definite precepts, that by keeping these with glad alacrity they might show their readiness and desire to do the Lord's will. It is in this sense that a man should live by doing the statutes of the law, and not on the ground of his thereby earning for himself salvation. But even thus, they failed miserably under the test.

Verse 11. - I gave them my statutes, etc. Ezekiel recognizes, almost in the very language of Deuteronomy 30:16-20, as fully as the writers of Psalm 19. and 119. recognized, the excellence of the Law. A man who kept that Law in its fulness would have life in its fullest and highest sense. He was beginning, however, to recognize, as Jeremiah had (lone (Jeremiah 31:31), the powerlessness of the Law to give that life without the aid of something higher. The "new covenant" was already dawning on the mind of the scholar as on that of the master.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And I gave
וָאֶתֵּ֤ן (wā·’et·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

them
לָהֶם֙ (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

My statutes
חֻקּוֹתַ֔י (ḥuq·qō·w·ṯay)
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2708: Something prescribed, an enactment, statute

and made known
הוֹדַ֣עְתִּי (hō·w·ḏa‘·tî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

to them
אוֹתָ֑ם (’ō·w·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

My ordinances—
מִשְׁפָּטַ֖י (miš·pā·ṭay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

for the man
הָאָדָ֖ם (hā·’ā·ḏām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

who
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

does [these things]
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה (ya·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

will live
וָחַ֥י (wā·ḥay)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2425: To live, to revive

by them.
בָּהֶֽם׃ (bā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 20:11 I gave them my statutes and showed (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
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