The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:21 Explained

Ezekiel 20:21

KJV: Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a 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.

YLT: And -- the sons rebel against Me, In My statutes they have not walked, And My judgments they have not observed -- to do them, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them. My sabbaths they have polluted, And I say to pour out My fury upon them, To complete Mine anger against them in the wilderness.

Darby: And the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept mine ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live by them; they profaned my sabbaths: and I said I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish mine anger against them in the wilderness.

ASV: But the children rebelled against me; they walked not in my statutes, neither kept mine ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them; they profaned my sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Notwithstanding the children  rebelled  against me: they walked  not in my statutes,  neither kept  my judgments  to do  them, which [if] a 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. 

What does Ezekiel 20:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

However, they also rebelled against the Lord, as their fathers had done, so He resolved to punish them in the wilderness.

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 20:21 mean?

And Notwithstanding rebelled against Me the sons in My statutes not they did walk and My judgments not were careful to observe - which [if] does - a man and he shall live by them - My Sabbaths But they profaned and I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness
וַיַּמְרוּ־ בִ֣י הַבָּנִ֗ים בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֣י לֹֽא־ הָ֠לָכוּ וְאֶת־ מִשְׁפָּטַ֨י לֹא־ שָׁמְר֜וּ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת אוֹתָ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֩ יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה אוֹתָ֤ם הָֽאָדָם֙ וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֔ם אֶת־ שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֖י חִלֵּ֑לוּ וָאֹמַ֞ר לִשְׁפֹּ֧ךְ חֲמָתִ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם לְכַלּ֥וֹת אַפִּ֛י בָּ֖ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר

וַיַּמְרוּ־  And  Notwithstanding  rebelled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָרָה  
Sense: to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against.
בִ֣י  against  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַבָּנִ֗ים  the  sons 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֣י  in  My  statutes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֻקָּה  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.
הָ֠לָכוּ  they  did  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
מִשְׁפָּטַ֨י  My  judgments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
שָׁמְר֜וּ  were  careful 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת  to  observe 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אוֹתָ֗ם  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲשֶׁר֩  which  [if] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה  does 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אוֹתָ֤ם  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָֽאָדָם֙  a  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וָחַ֣י  and  he  shall  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
בָּהֶ֔ם  by  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שַׁבְּתוֹתַ֖י  My  Sabbaths 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, first person common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
חִלֵּ֑לוּ  But  they  profaned 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
וָאֹמַ֞ר  and  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִשְׁפֹּ֧ךְ  I  would  pour  out 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
חֲמָתִ֣י  My  fury 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לְכַלּ֥וֹת  and  fulfill 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
אַפִּ֛י  My  anger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
בָּ֖ם  against  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.