The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:26 Explained

Ezekiel 20:26

KJV: 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.

YLT: And I defile them by their own gifts, By causing to pass away every opener of a womb, So that I make them desolate, So that they know that I am Jehovah.

Darby: and I defiled them by their own gifts, in that they devoted all that opened the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah.

ASV: 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 Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezekiel 20:26 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 20:26 mean?

And I pronounced unclean them because [of] their [ritual] gifts in that they caused to pass through the [fire] all - their firstborn that I might make them desolate to the end that - and they might know that I [am] Yahweh -
וָאֲטַמֵּ֤א אוֹתָם֙ בְּמַתְּנוֹתָ֔ם בְּהַעֲבִ֖יר כָּל־ פֶּ֣טֶר רָ֑חַם לְמַ֣עַן אֲשִׁמֵּ֔ם לְמַ֙עַן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽדְע֔וּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה ס

וָאֲטַמֵּ֤א  And  I  pronounced  unclean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
בְּמַתְּנוֹתָ֔ם  because  [of]  their  [ritual]  gifts 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַתָּנָה  
Sense: gift.
בְּהַעֲבִ֖יר  in  that  they  caused  to  pass  through  the  [fire] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
פֶּ֣טֶר  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּטֶר 
Sense: firstborn, firstling, that which separates or first opens.
רָ֑חַם  their  firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
לְמַ֣עַן  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
אֲשִׁמֵּ֔ם  I  might  make  them  desolate 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy.
לְמַ֙עַן֙  to  the  end  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  - 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵֽדְע֔וּ  and  they  might  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אֲנִ֥י  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation