The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:28 Explained

Ezekiel 20:28

KJV: For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.

YLT: And I bring them in unto the land, That I did lift up My hand to give to them, And they see every high hill, and every thick tree, And they sacrifice there their sacrifices, And give there the provocation of their offering, And make there their sweet fragrance, And they pour out there their libations.

Darby: When I had brought them into the land which I had lifted up my hand to give unto them, then they saw every high hill and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; and there they placed their sweet savour, and there poured out their drink-offerings.

ASV: For when I had brought them into the land, which I sware to give unto them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their sweet savor, and they poured out there their drink-offerings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[For] when I had brought  them into the land,  [for] the which I lifted up  mine hand  to give  it to them, then they saw  every high  hill,  and all the thick  trees,  and they offered  there their sacrifices,  and there they presented  the provocation  of their offering:  there also they made  their sweet  savour,  and poured out  there their drink offerings. 

What does Ezekiel 20:28 Mean?

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 20:28 mean?

And when I brought them into the land [concerning] which I had raised in an oath - My hand to give - them and they saw all the hills high and all the trees thick and they offered there their sacrifices and there provoked Me with their offerings And they sent up there aroma their sweet and poured out their drink offerings
וָאֲבִיאֵם֙ אֶל־ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־ יָדִ֔י לָתֵ֥ת אוֹתָ֖הּ לָהֶ֑ם וַיִּרְאוּ֩ כָל־ גִּבְעָ֨ה רָמָ֜ה וְכָל־ עֵ֣ץ עָבֹ֗ת וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־ שָׁ֤ם זִבְחֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּתְּנוּ־ שָׁם֙ כַּ֣עַס קָרְבָּנָ֔ם וַיָּשִׂ֣ימוּ שָׁ֗ם רֵ֚יחַ נִיח֣וֹחֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּסִּ֥יכוּ נִסְכֵּיהֶֽם

וָאֲבִיאֵם֙  And  when  I  brought  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר  [concerning]  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙  I  had  raised  in  an  oath 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
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.
יָדִ֔י  My  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לָתֵ֥ת  to  give 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אוֹתָ֖הּ  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וַיִּרְאוּ֩  and  they  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
גִּבְעָ֨ה  the  hills 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
רָמָ֜ה  high 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֣ץ  the  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
עָבֹ֗ת  thick 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָבֹות  
Sense: having interwoven foliage, leafy, dense with foliage.
וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־  and  they  offered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
זִבְחֵיהֶם֙  their  sacrifices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
כַּ֣עַס  provoked  Me 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כַּעַס 
Sense: anger, vexation, provocation, grief.
קָרְבָּנָ֔ם  with  their  offerings 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרְבָּן 
Sense: offering, oblation.
וַיָּשִׂ֣ימוּ  And  they  sent  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
רֵ֚יחַ  aroma 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֵיחַ  
Sense: scent, fragrance, aroma, odour.
נִיח֣וֹחֵיהֶ֔ם  their  sweet 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נִיחֹחַ  
Sense: soothing, quieting, tranquillising.
וַיַּסִּ֥יכוּ  and  poured  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָסַךְ 
Sense: to pour out, pour, offer, cast.
נִסְכֵּיהֶֽם  their  drink  offerings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶסֶךְ 
Sense: drink offering, libation, molten image, something poured out.