Ezekiel 20:23
New International Version
Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries,

New Living Translation
But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations

English Standard Version
Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,

Berean Standard Bible
However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

King James Bible
I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

New King James Version
Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries,

New American Standard Bible
Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands,

NASB 1995
“Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands,

NASB 1977
“Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands,

Legacy Standard Bible
Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands

Amplified Bible
Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the [Gentile] nations and disperse them among the countries,

Christian Standard Bible
However, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
However, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.

American Standard Version
Moreover I sware unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

Contemporary English Version
So I solemnly swore that I would scatter the people of Israel across the nations,

English Revised Version
Moreover I lifted up mine hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I raised my hand and swore an oath to them in the desert. I promised to scatter them among the nations and force them into other countries.

Good News Translation
So I made another vow in the desert. I vowed that I would scatter them all over the world.

International Standard Version
"Futhermore, I solemnly swore in the wilderness to disperse them among the nations and scatter them to other lands

Majority Standard Bible
However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

NET Bible
I also swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

New Heart English Bible
Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

Webster's Bible Translation
I lifted up my hand to them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

World English Bible
Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I also, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, "" To scatter them among nations, "" And to spread them through lands.

Young's Literal Translation
I also, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, To scatter them among nations, And to spread them through lands.

Smith's Literal Translation
Also I lifted up my hand to them in the desert, to scatter them in the nations, to disperse them is the lands.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Again I lifted up my hand upon them in the wilderness, to disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries :

Catholic Public Domain Version
Again, I lifted up my hand against them, in the wilderness, so that I would disperse them among the nations, and scatter them among the lands.

New American Bible
Nevertheless I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them in other lands,

New Revised Standard Version
Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them through the countries;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But I lifted my hands to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles, and I shall scatter them in the lands
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I lifted up My hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles, and disperse them in the countries;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel's Rebellion in the Wilderness
22But I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. 24For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:64
Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.

Leviticus 26:33
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.

Jeremiah 16:13
So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’

Psalm 106:26-27
So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness, / to disperse their offspring among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.

Nehemiah 1:8
Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

Deuteronomy 4:27
Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.

Jeremiah 9:16
I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

Jeremiah 44:12
And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have resolved to go to the land of Egypt to reside there; they will meet their end. They will all fall by the sword or be consumed by famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine; and they will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and reproach.

2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 25:21
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.

Acts 7:42-43
But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? / You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’

Luke 21:24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Matthew 24:31
And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

James 1:1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.

1 Peter 1:1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen


Treasury of Scripture

I lifted up my hand to them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

lifted

Ezekiel 20:15
Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;

Deuteronomy 32:40
For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.

Revelation 10:5,6
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, …

that I.

Leviticus 26:33
And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

Deuteronomy 28:64-68
And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone…

Deuteronomy 32:26,27
I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: …

Jump to Previous
Countries Desert Disperse Driving Further Hand Heathen Lifted Moreover Nations Oath Scatter Spread Sware Swore Uplifted Wandering Waste Wilderness
Jump to Next
Countries Desert Disperse Driving Further Hand Heathen Lifted Moreover Nations Oath Scatter Spread Sware Swore Uplifted Wandering Waste Wilderness
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














Also with uplifted hand
The phrase "uplifted hand" is a powerful image often used in the Bible to signify a solemn oath or promise. In Hebrew, the word for "hand" is "yad," which can symbolize power, authority, and action. The uplifted hand here indicates God's serious and binding commitment to His word. This imagery is reminiscent of a judge swearing an oath, underscoring the gravity of God's declarations. In the wilderness, God’s uplifted hand was a sign of His authority and the certainty of His promises, both of blessing and judgment.

I swore to them in the wilderness
The wilderness represents a place of testing and revelation for the Israelites. It was in the wilderness that God revealed His laws and covenant to His people. The Hebrew word for "swore" is "shaba," which means to make a solemn oath. This emphasizes the seriousness of God's commitment to His covenant, even when it involves judgment. The wilderness period was a formative time for Israel, where they experienced both God's provision and His discipline.

that I would scatter them among the nations
The scattering among the nations is a reference to the exile, a consequence of Israel's disobedience. The Hebrew word for "scatter" is "pazar," which conveys the idea of dispersing or spreading out. This scattering was both a physical and spiritual consequence, as the Israelites were removed from their land and the presence of God in the temple. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled during the Babylonian exile, a pivotal event in Jewish history that reshaped their identity and faith.

and disperse them throughout the lands
The word "disperse" in Hebrew is "zarah," which means to winnow or scatter. This further emphasizes the thoroughness of God's judgment. The dispersion throughout the lands signifies not just a physical relocation but also a spiritual and cultural dislocation. It highlights the severity of Israel's unfaithfulness and the extent of God's disciplinary measures. Yet, even in dispersion, there is a redemptive purpose, as God uses these circumstances to purify and eventually restore His people.

(23) I would scatter them among the heathen.--This threatening was not designed to be fulfilled in that immediate generation, as abundantly appears from Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:27, Deut. 27:64, and the other passages in which it is given, especially Deuteronomy 29, 30. It was given to that generation as representing the nation, but was only to be carried out when, by a long course of obdurate sin, it should be shown to be imperatively required. The threat had now been already realised in part, and was on the eve of being fully accomplished. It was important that the people should be made to understand that this had been the Divine warning from the beginning, and that in its fulfilment they were only receiving that punishment which had always been designed for such sin as they had committed.

Verse 23. - That I would scatter them among the heathen. The words seem to refer to the generation that had grown up in the wilderness, and, so taken, do not correspond with the history of the conquest of Canaan. What Ezekiel contemplates, however, as the resolve of Jehovah, is the commutation of the sentence of destruction for that of the dispersion of the people, leaving the time and manner of that dispersion to be determined by his own will. Possibly even in the time of the judges, with its many conquests and long periods of oppression, there were instances of such dispersion, and these, with others that would naturally accompany an invasion like that of Shishak (2 Chronicles 12:2-9), not to speak of frequent attacks from Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines, Edomites, and Syrians, may have seemed to the prophet the working out, step by step, of the dispersion which culminated in the deportation of the ten tribes by Shalmaneser, and of Judah and Benjamin by Nebuchadnezzar. Traces of such dispersions before Ezekiel's time meet us in Psalm 78:59-64; Isaiah 11:11, 12; Zephaniah 3:10, 20.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
However,
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

with an uplifted hand I swore
נָשָׂ֧אתִי (nā·śā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

to them
לָהֶ֖ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

in the wilderness
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

that I would scatter
לְהָפִ֤יץ (lə·hā·p̄îṣ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6327: To be dispersed or scattered

them
אֹתָם֙ (’ō·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

among the nations
בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם (bag·gō·w·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

and disperse
וּלְזָר֥וֹת (ū·lə·zā·rō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2219: To toss about, to diffuse, winnow

them
אוֹתָ֖ם (’ō·w·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

throughout the lands.
בָּאֲרָצֽוֹת׃ (bā·’ă·rā·ṣō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 776: Earth, land


Links
Ezekiel 20:23 NIV
Ezekiel 20:23 NLT
Ezekiel 20:23 ESV
Ezekiel 20:23 NASB
Ezekiel 20:23 KJV

Ezekiel 20:23 BibleApps.com
Ezekiel 20:23 Biblia Paralela
Ezekiel 20:23 Chinese Bible
Ezekiel 20:23 French Bible
Ezekiel 20:23 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Ezekiel 20:23 Moreover I swore to them (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 20:22
Top of Page
Top of Page