Ezekiel 20 · Verse 35

Ezekiel 20:35

And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
Ezekiel 20:35, King James Version

Ezekiel 20:35 in other translations

BSBAnd I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
WEBI will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
ASVand I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face.
YLTAnd I have brought you in unto the wilderness of the peoples, And have been judged with you there face to face.
DARBYand I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face.
BBEAnd I will take you into the waste land of the peoples, and there I will take up the cause with you face to face.
WebsterAnd I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

What does Ezekiel 20:35 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
35. wilderness of the people--rather, "peoples," the various peoples among whom they were to be scattered, and about whom God saith (Eze 20:34), "I will bring you out." In contrast to the literal "wilderness of Egypt" (Eze 20:36), "the wilderness of the peoples" is their spiritual wilderness period of trial, discipline, and purification while exiled among the nations. As the state when they are "brought into the wilderness of the peoples" and that when they were among the peoples "from" which God was to "bring them out" (Eze 20:34) are distinguished, the wilderness state probably answers partially to the transition period of discipline from the first decree for their restoration by Cyrus to the time of their complete settlement in their land, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. But the full and final fulfilment is future; the wilderness state will comprise not only the transition period of their restoration, but the beginning of their occupancy of Palestine, a time in which they shall endure the sorest of all their chastisements, to "purge out the rebels" (Eze 20:38; Da 12:1); and then the remnant (Zec 13:8, 9; 14:2, 3) shall "all serve God in the land" (Eze 20:40). Thus the wilderness period does not denote locality, but their state intervening between their rejection and future restoration. plead--bring the matter in debate between us to an issue. Image is from a plaintiff in a law court meeting the defendant "face to face." Appropriate, as God in His dealings acts not arbitrarily, but in most righteous justice (Jr 2:9; Mi 6:2).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the people - I will bring you out of your captivity, and bring you into your own land which you will find to be a wilderness, the consequence of your crimes. There will I plead with you - There I will be your king, and rule you with a sovereign rule; and the dispensations of my justice and mercy shall either end you or mend you.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 20:33-44

The wicked Israelites, notwithstanding they follow the sinful ways of other nations, shall not mingle with them in their prosperity, but shall be separated from them for destruction. There is no shaking off God's dominion; and those who will not yield to the power of his grace, shall sink under the power of his wrath. But not one of God's jewels shall be lost in the lumber of this world. He will bring the jews to…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 20:33-44 →

Ezekiel 20:35 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהֵבֵאתִ֣יve.he.ve.Tiand I will bringH935
אֶתְכֶ֔ם'et.Khem<obj.> youH853
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
מִדְבַּ֖רmid.Bar[the] wilderness ofH4057
הָֽעַמִּ֑יםha.'a.Mimthe peoplesH5971
וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּ֤יve.nish.pa.Tiand I will enter into judgmentH8199
אִתְּכֶם֙'i.te.Khemwith youH854
שָׁ֔םShamthereH8033
פָּנִ֖יםpa.NimfaceH6440
אֶל\־'el-toH413
פָּנִֽים\׃pa.NimfaceH6440

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 20:35

  • Hosea 2:14

    Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

  • Ezekiel 17:20

    And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.

  • Revelation 12:14

    And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

  • Jeremiah 2:35

    Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

  • Ezekiel 19:13

    And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

  • Ezekiel 20:36

    Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.

  • Ezekiel 38:22

    And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

  • Micah 6:1-2

    Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

  • Jeremiah 2:9

    Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children’s children will I plead.

  • Hosea 4:1

    Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

  • Micah 4:10

    Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

  • Ezekiel 38:8

    After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will.
36; 19:13; 38:8; Ho 2:14; Mic 4:10; 7:13-15; Re 12:14
and there.
17:20; 38:22; Jer 2:9,35; 25:31; Ho 4:1; Mic 6:1,2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 20:34

    And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.

  • Ezekiel 20:35

    And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

  • Ezekiel 20:36

    Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.

Read all of Ezekiel 20

Ezekiel 20:35 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y os he de traer al desierto de pueblos, y allí litigaré con vosotros cara á cara.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et si je ne vous introduis dans le désert des peuples, et là n’entre en jugement avec vous face à face!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ich werde euch in die Wüste der Völker bringen und daselbst mit euch rechten von Angesicht zu Angesicht;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et adducam vos in desertum populorum, et judicabor vobiscum ibi facie ad faciem.