Ezekiel 36 · Verse 20

Ezekiel 36:20

And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.
Ezekiel 36:20, King James Version

Ezekiel 36:20 in other translations

BSBAnd wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’
WEBWhen they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, ‘These are the LORD’s people, and have left his land.’
ASVAnd when they came unto the nations, whither they went, they profaned my holy name; in that men said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and are gone forth out of his land.
YLTAnd one goeth in unto the nations whither they have gone, And they pollute My holy name by saying to them, The people of Jehovah are these, And from His land they have gone forth.
DARBYAnd when they came to the nations whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when it was said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and they are gone forth out of his land.
BBEAnd when they came among the nations, wherever they went, they made my holy name unclean, when it was said of them, These are the people of the Lord who have gone out from his land.
WebsterAnd when they entered among the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

What does Ezekiel 36:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. profaned my holy name, when they--the heathen said to them--the Israelites. These, &c.--The Israelites gave a handle of reproach to the heathen against God, who would naturally say, These who take usury, oppress, commit adultery, &c., and who, in such an abject plight, are "gone forth" as exiles "out of His land," are specimens of what Jehovah can or will effect, for His people, and show what kind of a God this so-called holy, omnipotent, covenant-keeping God must be! (Is 52:5; Ro 2:24).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 And when they entered unto the heathen - So bad were they, and so deeply fallen, that they profaned the Lord's name among the heathen; and, on their account, the true God was blasphemed. These, say they, are the people of Jehovah! O what an abominable people are these! and what a being must that God be who can have and own such for his people!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 36:16-24

The restoration of that people, being typical of our redemption by Christ, shows that the end aimed at in our salvation is the glory of God. The sin of a people defiles their land; renders it abominable to God, and uncomfortable to themselves. God's holy name is his great name; his holiness is his greatness, nor does any thing else make a man truly great.

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 36:16-24 →

Ezekiel 36:20 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.

וַיָּב֗וֹאvai.ya.Vo'and it cameH935
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַגּוֹיִם֙ha.go.Yimthe nationsH1471
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whereH834
בָּ֣אוּBa.'uthey wentH935
שָׁ֔םShamthereH8033
וַֽיְחַלְּל֖וּvay.cha.le.Luand they profanedH2490
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שֵׁ֣םshem[the] name ofH8034
קָדְשִׁ֑יkod.shiholiness myH6944
בֶּאֱמֹ֤רbe.'e.Morwhen saidH559
לָהֶם֙la.Hemof them
עַם\־'am-[are] [the] people ofH5971
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֵ֔לֶּה'E.lehtheseH428
וּמֵאַרְצ֖וֹu.me.'ar.Tzoand from land hisH776
יָצָֽאוּ\׃ya.Tza.'uthey have come outH3318

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

Cross references for Ezekiel 36:20

  • Isaiah 52:5

    Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

  • Romans 2:24

    For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

  • Jeremiah 33:24

    Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.

  • Daniel 3:15

    Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

  • Exodus 32:11-13

    And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

  • Joshua 7:9

    For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

  • Ezekiel 12:16

    But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

  • Numbers 14:15-16

    Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

  • 2 Kings 18:35

    Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

  • 2 Kings 19:10-12

    Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?

  • 2 Kings 18:30

    Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they profaned.The Jews, when thus scattered, appeared to them an abject and wretched company of people. They were recognized as the worshippers of Jehovah wherever they went; but they were looked upon as a viler and more worthless race than any of the idolaters among whom they were driven. Many would ascribe their wickedness to the tendency of their religion, which they abhorred, and not to their having acted inconsistently with it; and regard their miseries, not as the punishment of their sins, but as proofs of God's inability to protect them. This profanation of his holy name, Jehovah was determined to wipe away, by shewing mercy unto them.
Isa 52:5; Ro 2:24
These.
Ex 32:11-13; Nu 14:15,16; Jos 7:9; 2Ki 18:30,35; 19:10-12
Jer 33:24; Da 3:15

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

Context

  • Ezekiel 36:19

    And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

  • Ezekiel 36:20

    And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.

  • Ezekiel 36:21

    But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

Read all of Ezekiel 36

Ezekiel 36:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y entrados á las gentes á donde fueron, profanaron mi santo nombre, diciéndose de ellos: Estos son pueblo de Jehová, y de su tierra de él han salido.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils vinrent chez les nations où ils sont venus, et ils profanèrent mon saint nom, en ce qu’on disait d’eux: C’est ici le peuple de l’ Éternel, et ils sont sortis de son pays.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als sie zu den Nationen kamen, wohin sie kamen, da entweihten sie meinen heiligen Namen, indem man von ihnen sagte: Jehovas Volk sind diese, und aus seinem Lande sind sie gezogen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ingressi sunt ad gentes ad quas introierunt: et polluerunt nomen sanctum meum, cum diceretur de eis: Populus Domini iste est, et de terra ejus egressi sunt.