Ezekiel 20:26

And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord addresses Ezekiel as the messenger to the house of Israel, explaining His past judicial action against their ancestors. He declares that He pronounced them unclean through their own idolatrous practices to execute devastation upon them.

The words — The Hebrew verb אֲטַמֵּא ('a.taMe') means "I made unclean" or "I pronounced unclean," paired with בְּמַתְנוֹתָם (be.ma.te.no.TaM), "by their gifts." The phrase בְּהַעֲבִיר פֶּטֶר רָחָם (be.ha.'a.Vir pe.Ter ra.cham) literally describes "when making pass through" the "every firstborn of a womb."

The thread — The verse parallels the prohibition against child sacrifice in Leviticus 18:21 and the judicial purpose of slaughter in Ezekiel 6:7. It also engages the same theological tension regarding divine agency in straying found in Isaiah 63:17.

Why it lands — The text states that God used their own idolatrous offerings as the means of their defilement and devastation. It demands recognition that divine judgment operates through human rebellion to establish His sovereignty, not to endorse the practice itself.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָאֲטַמֵּ֤אva./'a.ta.Me'and/ I made unclean אוֹתָם֙'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them בְּמַתְּנוֹתָ֔םbe./ma.te.no.Ta/mby/ gifts/ their בְּהַעֲבִ֖ירbe./ha.'a.Virwhen/ made pass through כָּל־kol-every פֶּ֣טֶרPe.terfirstborn of רָ֑חַםRa.chama womb לְמַ֣עַןle.Ma.'anso that אֲשִׁמֵּ֔ם'a.shi.Me/mI may make appalled/ them לְמַ֙עַן֙le.Ma.'anso that אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthis יֵֽדְע֔וּye.de.'Uthey may know אֲשֶׁ֖ר'a.Sherthat אֲנִ֥י'a.NiI יְהוָֽה׃ סYah.weh[am] Yahweh

King James Version

And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.

Cross-references

Leviticus 18:21 You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
Isaiah 63:17 Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
Ezekiel 6:7 The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.
2 Kings 17:17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
Ezekiel 16:20 You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough?
Ezekiel 20:31 When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!
Exodus 13:12 you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.
2 Kings 21:6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
2 Chronicles 28:3 Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
2 Chronicles 33:6 He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.