Ezekiel 20:23 Study Bible: Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

◄ Ezekiel 20:23 ►

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.

Study Bible

However, with an uplifted hand
This phrase signifies a solemn oath or promise made by God. In biblical times, raising one's hand was a gesture associated with making a vow or oath, indicating the seriousness and binding nature of the declaration. This imagery is used throughout Scripture to emphasize the certainty and authority of God's promises and judgments (e.g., Exodus 6:8, Deuteronomy 32:40).

I swore to them in the wilderness
The wilderness refers to the period of Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, a time marked by rebellion and disobedience. This setting is crucial as it highlights the context of Israel's repeated failures to trust and obey God despite His continuous provision and guidance. The wilderness experience is a recurring theme in Scripture, symbolizing both testing and divine discipline (Numbers 14:26-35).

that I would scatter them among the nations
This phrase predicts the dispersion of the Israelites due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry. The scattering among the nations is a fulfillment of the covenant curses outlined in Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:64, where God warned Israel of the consequences of breaking His covenant. Historically, this prophecy was realized through the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, where the Israelites were forcibly removed from their land.

and disperse them throughout the lands
The dispersion throughout various lands underscores the extent of Israel's punishment, emphasizing the loss of national identity and unity. This scattering served as both a judgment and a means of preserving a remnant that would eventually return and restore the nation. Theologically, this dispersion foreshadows the New Testament concept of the Church being scattered throughout the world, tasked with spreading the Gospel (Acts 8:1-4). Additionally, it points to the ultimate regathering and restoration of Israel as prophesied in passages like Ezekiel 36:24 and Isaiah 11:11-12.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were often rebellious and disobedient, leading to their punishment and exile.

3. Wilderness
The period of Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, marked by testing and rebellion.

4. Nations
Refers to the foreign lands where the Israelites would be scattered due to their disobedience.

5. God's Oath
The solemn promise made by God, emphasizing the seriousness of His intentions and the certainty of His actions.

Teaching Points

The Seriousness of God's Promises
God's promises, whether of blessing or judgment, are certain and should be taken seriously. His oath with an uplifted hand signifies the gravity of His words.

Consequences of Disobedience
The scattering of the Israelites serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. Disobedience leads to separation and loss.

God's Sovereignty in Judgment
God's ability to scatter His people among the nations demonstrates His sovereignty over all nations and His control over history.

Hope for Restoration
While the focus here is on judgment, the broader biblical account includes promises of restoration for those who repent and return to God.

Reflecting on Our Own Lives
We should examine areas of disobedience in our lives and seek repentance, understanding that God's discipline is meant to bring us back to Him.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the context of the wilderness journey help us understand the significance of God's oath in Ezekiel 20:23?

2. In what ways do the themes of scattering and gathering appear throughout the Bible, and what do they teach us about God's character?

3. How can we apply the lessons of Israel's disobedience and God's judgment to our personal walk with God today?

4. What role does repentance play in the account of judgment and restoration found in the prophetic books?

5. How can we ensure that we are taking God's promises seriously in our daily lives, both His promises of blessing and of discipline?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Leviticus 26:33
This verse also speaks of God scattering the Israelites among the nations as a consequence of their disobedience, reinforcing the theme of divine judgment.

Deuteronomy 28:64
Similar to Ezekiel 20:23, this passage warns of dispersion among the nations as a result of not obeying God's commandments.

Jeremiah 9:16
Another prophetic warning about scattering, highlighting the consistency of God's message through different prophets.

Psalm 106:26-27
Reflects on the Israelites' rebellion in the wilderness and God's response, providing a historical context for Ezekiel's message.

Nehemiah 1:8-9
Nehemiah recalls God's promise to scatter and gather His people, showing the possibility of restoration after judgment.

Sermons

Unacceptable Prayer	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 20:1-32
God, and Israel in the Wilderness	W. Jones	Ezekiel 20:10-26
The Memory of the Wilderness of the Wanderings	J.R. Thomson	Ezekiel 20:18-26

People

Ezekiel, Israelites, Jacob, Teman

Places

Babylon, Bamah, Egypt, Negeb

Topics

Countries, Desert, Disperse, Driving, Further, Heathen, Lands, Lifted, Moreover, Nations, Oath, Scatter, Spread, Sware, Swore, Wandering, Waste, Wilderness

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 20:1-44

7520 dispersion, the

Library

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be Moral.
1. Because all the reasons of this commandment are moral and perpetual; and God has bound us to the obedience of this commandment with more forcible reasons than to any of the rest--First, because he foresaw that irreligious men would either more carelessly neglect, or more boldly break this commandment than any other; secondly, because that in the practice of this commandment the keeping of all the other consists; which makes God so often complain that all his worship is neglected or overthrown, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Manner of Covenanting.
Previous to an examination of the manner of engaging in the exercise of Covenanting, the consideration of God's procedure towards his people while performing the service seems to claim regard. Of the manner in which the great Supreme as God acts, as well as of Himself, our knowledge is limited. Yet though even of the effects on creatures of His doings we know little, we have reason to rejoice that, in His word He has informed us, and in His providence illustrated by that word, he has given us to …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Tithing
There are few subjects on which the Lord's own people are more astray than on the subject of giving. They profess to take the Bible as their own rule of faith and practice, and yet in the matter of Christian finance, the vast majority have utterly ignored its plain teachings and have tried every substitute the carnal mind could devise; therefore it is no wonder that the majority of Christian enterprises in the world today are handicapped and crippled through the lack of funds. Is our giving to be …
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Covenanting Sanctioned by the Divine Example.
God's procedure when imitable forms a peculiar argument for duty. That is made known for many reasons; among which must stand this,--that it may be observed and followed as an example. That, being perfect, is a safe and necessary pattern to follow. The law of God proclaims what he wills men as well as angels to do. The purposes of God show what he has resolved to have accomplished. The constitutions of his moral subjects intimate that he has provided that his will shall be voluntarily accomplished …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it …
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

The Covenant of Works
Q-12: I proceed to the next question, WHAT SPECIAL ACT OF PROVIDENCE DID GOD EXERCISE TOWARDS MAN IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN HE WAS CREATED? A: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge upon pain of death. For this, consult with Gen 2:16, 17: And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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