Ezekiel 20:44

Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses the house of Israel through Ezekiel immediately after commanding them to remember and loathe their past defilements. He declares that His future dealings with them will function as the occasion for their recognition of His identity.

The words — The Hebrew וִֽידַעְתֶּם (vi.da'.Tem) means "and you will know," paired with לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמִ֑י (le.Ma.'an she.M/i) meaning "for the sake of my name." These terms frame the verse's claim that God's actions are directed toward establishing His reputation rather than responding to human conduct.

The thread — The phrase "for the sake of my name" appears in Ezekiel 20:9 as the stated reason for withholding judgment. The "you will know" formula recurs in Ezekiel 24:24 to mark prophetic signs, while Psalms 115:1 redirects glory to God's name for the same motive.

Why it lands — The text states that Israel's knowledge of Yahweh will result from His deliberate intervention, explicitly excluding their wicked ways as the basis for that action. It requires the reader to accept that divine discipline is designed to vindicate God's name before His people.

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

וִֽידַעְתֶּם֙vi./da'.Temand/ you will know כִּֽי־ki-that אֲנִ֣י'a.NiI יְהוָ֔הYah.weh[am] Yahweh בַּעֲשׂוֹתִ֥יba./'a.so.T/iwhen/ do/ I אִתְּכֶ֖ם'i.te./Khemwith/ you לְמַ֣עַןle.Ma.'anfor [the] sake of שְׁמִ֑יshe.M/iname/ my לֹא֩lo'not כְדַרְכֵיכֶ֨םkhe./dar.khei./Khemaccording to/ ways/ your הָרָעִ֜יםha./ra.'Im<the>/ wicked וְכַעֲלִילֽוֹתֵיכֶ֤םve./kha./'a.li.lo.tei./Khemand/ according to/ practices/ your הַנִּשְׁחָתוֹת֙ha./nish.cha.tOt<the>/ corrupt בֵּ֣יתbeitO house of יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsrael נְאֻ֖םne.'Um[the] utterance of אֲדֹנָ֥י'a.do.Nai[the] Lord יְהוִֽה׃ פYah.wehYahweh

King James Version

And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 24:24 ‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’
Psalms 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness.
Ezekiel 20:9 But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
Ezekiel 20:14 But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
Ezekiel 20:22 But I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
Ezekiel 36:21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had gone.
Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
1 Timothy 1:16 But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
Psalms 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.
Ezekiel 20:38 And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.