Ezekiel 20 · Verse 4

Ezekiel 20:4

Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
Ezekiel 20:4, King James Version

Ezekiel 20:4 in other translations

BSBWill you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Confront them with the abominations of their fathers
WEB“Will you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers.
ASVWilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers;
YLTDost thou judge them? Dost thou judge, son of man? The abominations of their fathers cause them to know,
DARBYWilt thou judge them, wilt thou judge, son of man? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers,
BBEWill you be their judge, O son of man, will you be their judge? make clear to them the disgusting ways of their fathers,
WebsterWilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

What does Ezekiel 20:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. Wilt thou judge? ... judge--The emphatical repetition expresses, "Wilt thou not judge? yes, judge them. There is a loud call for immediate judgment." The Hebrew interrogative here is a command, not a prohibition [Maurer]. Instead of spending time in teaching them, tell them of the abomination of their fathers, of which their own are the complement and counterpart, and which call for judgment.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Wilt thou judge them - If thou wilt enter into any discussion with them, show them the abomination of their fathers. The whole chapter is a consecutive history of the unfaithfulness ingratitude, rebellion, and idolatry of the Jews, from the earliest times to that day; and vindicates the sentence which God had pronounced against them, and which he was about to execute more fully in delivering them and the city into the hands of the Chaldeans.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 20:1-9

The elders of Israel are reminded of the idolatry in Egypt. (Ezek 20:1-9) In the wilderness. (Ezek 20:10-26) In Canaan. (Ezek 20:27-32) God promises to pardon and restore them. (Ezek 20:33-44) Prophecy against Jerusalem. (Ezek 20:45-49) Verses 1-9 . Those hearts are wretchedly hardened which ask God leave to go on in sin, and that even when suffering for it; see Ezek 20:32. God is justly angry with those who are…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 20:1-9 →

Ezekiel 20:4 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.

הֲתִשְׁפֹּ֣טha.tish.Pot¿ will you judgeH8199
אֹתָ֔ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
הֲתִשְׁפּ֖וֹטha.tish.Pot¿ will you judgeH8199
בֶּן\־ben-O son ofH1121
אָדָ֑ם'a.DamhumankindH120
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
תּוֹעֲבֹ֥תto.'a.Vot[the] abominations ofH8441
אֲבוֹתָ֖ם'a.vo.Tamancestors theirH1
הוֹדִיעֵֽם\׃ho.di.'Emmake known to themH3045

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

Cross references for Ezekiel 20:4

  • Ezekiel 22:2

    Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.

  • Ezekiel 23:36

    The Lord said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;

  • Luke 11:47-51

    Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; …

  • Ezekiel 14:14

    Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.

  • Luke 13:33-35

    Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 7:16

    Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

  • Matthew 23:29-37

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. …

  • Jeremiah 11:14

    Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.

  • Isaiah 5:3

    And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

  • Ezekiel 14:20

    Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:2

    Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

  • Jeremiah 15:1

    Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
judge them. or, plead for them.
14:14,20; 22:2; 23:36,45; Isa 5:3; Jer 7:16; 11:14; 14:11-14; 15:1
1Co 6:2
cause.
16:2,3; Mt 23:29-37; Lu 11:47-51; 13:33-35; Ac 7:51,52

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

Context

  • Ezekiel 20:3

    Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.

  • Ezekiel 20:4

    Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

  • Ezekiel 20:5

    And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God;

Read all of Ezekiel 20

Ezekiel 20:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿Quieres tú juzgarlos? ¿los quieres juzgar tú, hijo del hombre? Notifícales las abominaciones de sus padres;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les jugeras-tu, les jugeras-tu, fils d’homme? Fais-leur connaître les abominations de leurs pères,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Willst du sie richten? willst du richten, Menschensohn? Tue ihnen kund die Greuel ihrer Väter
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si judicas eos, si judicas, fili hominis, abominationes patrum eorum ostende eis.