Ezekiel 20:38 · Bible study
Ezekiel 20:38 Commentary: Purified to Know Yahweh
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God purges rebels from Israel, bringing them out of exile but barring them from the land, so that all may know He is Yahweh.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God separates rebels from the faithful during the return from exile, denying them entrance to the land so that all Israel knows He is Yahweh.
- Key words: 'Purge out' (separate, sift, evokes covenant counting); 'rebels and transgressors' (all sin as rebellion against the King); 'know that I am Yahweh' (Ezekiel's signature phrase, linking revelation to divine action).
- Main debate: Whether this refers strictly to the return from Babylon or to an eschatological gathering and final judgment. Most commentators see a typological pattern: the historical event foreshadows the ultimate separation of true from false within God's people.
- Theological theme: Covenant holiness demands purification; God's name governs His actions; true knowledge of God comes through both discipline and deliverance.
- Best use: As a warning against presumption (outward covenant membership is not enough) and as assurance that God's discipline refines His people for worship on His holy mountain.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
WEB World English Bible 2000
I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who disobey me. I will bring them out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me; I will bring them forth out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And cleared out from you the rebels, And them transgressing against Me, From the land of their sojournings I bring them out, And unto the land of Israel they come not, And ye have known that I am Jehovah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me; I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And I will pick out from among you the transgressors, and the wicked, and will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y apartaré de entre vosotros los rebeldes, y los que se rebelaron contra mí: de la tierra de sus destierros los sacaré, y á la tierra de Israel no vendrán; y sabréis que yo soy Jehová.
E separarei dentre vós os rebeldes, e os que se transgrediram contra mim; da terra de suas peregrinações eu os tirarei, mas à terra de Israel não voltarão; e sabereis que eu sou o SENHOR.
Je séparerai de vous les rebelles et ceux qui me sont infidèles; je les tirerai du pays où ils sont étrangers, mais ils n’ iront pas au pays d’ Israël. Et vous saurez que je suis l’ Éternel.
und will die Abtrünnigen und so wider mich übertreten, unter euch ausfegen; ja, aus dem Lande, da ihr jetzt wohnt, will ich sie führen und ins Land Israel nicht kommen lassen, daß ihr lernen sollt, ich sei der HERR.
Daartoe zal Ik, die rebel zijn, en die tegen Mij overtreden, uit ulieden uitzuiveren; Ik zal hen uit het land hunner vreemdelingschappen uitvoeren, en zij zullen in het landschap Israels niet weder komen, en gij zult weten, dat Ik de HEERE ben.
e separerò da voi i ribelli e quelli che mi sono infedeli; io li trarrò fuori dal paese dove sono stranieri, ma non entreranno nel paese d’Israele, e voi conoscerete che io sono l’Eterno.
Ale z was wybiorę odpornych i występujących przeciwko mnie; z ziemi pielgrzymstwa ich wywiodę ich, wszakże do ziemi Izraelskiej nie wnijdą; i poznacie, żem Ja Pan.
И выделю из вас мятежников и непокорных Мне. Из земли пребывания их выведу их, но в землю Израилеву они не войдут, и узнаете, что Я Господь.
我必從你們中間 除淨 叛逆 和得罪 我的人，將他們 從所寄居 的地方 領出來，他們卻不得 入 以色列 地。你們就知道 我 是耶和華。
Clearing out from among you all those who are uncontrolled and who are sinning against me; I will take them out of the land where they are living, but they will not come into the land of Israel: and you will be certain that I am the Lord.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse describes God's disciplinary action within His covenant people. The 'purging' (Gill calls it 'singling out as goats from sheep'; Calvin reads it as God bringing rebels to light) separates the disobedient from the faithful during the return from exile. The rebels are brought out of the lands where they sojourn, fulfilling the gathering of v.34, but are prevented from entering the land of Israel, recalling the wilderness generation who perished outside Canaan (Numbers 14:28-30). This act, as Keil and Delitzsch note, is a judgment that purifies the community. The outcome, 'you will know that I am Yahweh,' is the common refrain in Ezekiel: God makes Himself known through both judgment and restoration. JFB highlights the Hebrew alliteration between barothi (purge) and berith (covenant), connecting the sifting to the covenant relationship. The verse thus serves as both a warning and a promise: God will not allow rebels to enjoy covenant blessings, but His discipline leads to a purified remnant and a deeper knowledge of His nature.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical return from Babylon: Context of Ezekiel 20 and the surrounding promises of gathering from the nations; most commentators see a literal fulfillment in the post-exilic restoration where not all returnees entered the land's full blessing.
- Eschatological judgment: Parallel with Zechariah 13:8-9 and the 'passing under the rod' as a messianic sifting; JFB and some Reformed interpreters see a final gathering and purification of Israel before the kingdom.
- Typological pattern for the Church: Calvin and Matthew Henry apply the principle to the Christian community: God disciplines His visible church, separating hypocrites from true believers, so that His name is known.
What is clear: God will separate rebellious members from His people, allowing them to leave their exile but not to share in the full inheritance of the covenant, so that Israel (and the watching world) acknowledges His identity as Yahweh.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of 'purge out', discipline or destruction? | God separates rebels from the community so they do not receive covenant blessings. | Calvin and Matthew Henry see it as a disciplinary purging that may still lead to repentance; Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown emphasize it as a final exclusion from the land, akin to the wilderness generation dying in the desert. |
| Identity of the rebels, specific historical group or all unbelieving Israelites? | They are the disobedient within the covenant community who reject God's authority. | Adam Clarke identifies them with Jews who reject Christ; other commentators (Keil & Delitzsch, Calvin) apply it to the exiles who clung to idolatry and assumed they could escape God's notice. |
| Fulfillment, immediate return from Babylon or eschatological? | The verse describes a real judgment that occurred in Israel's history and carries ongoing significance. | Some (Cambridge Bible) see a primary reference to the restoration under Zerubbabel; others (JFB, Keil) read it as a pattern for the final gathering of Israel and the separation at the end of the age. |
| 'You will know that I am Yahweh', knowledge through judgment or through mercy? | God's actions, both judgment and restoration, reveal His identity and character. | The immediate context emphasizes judgment on rebels (v.38), but the following verses (v.40-44) focus on the remnant's restoration and personal knowledge leading to repentance. Some stress the terrifying knowledge; others the gracious knowledge. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ezekiel 20 delivers the longest historical retrospect in the prophet's book. The elders of Israel come to inquire of the Lord, but God refuses to be consulted (v.3). Instead, He recounts Israel's repeated rebellions from Egypt to the exile, punctuated by His own restraint for the sake of His name. Verses 32-44 shift from past to future: God will not let Israel become like the nations, serving wood and stone (v.32). He will assert His kingship 'with a mighty hand and fury poured out', language that echoes the Exodus but now applies to the gathering from the nations, not liberation from Egypt.
The 'wilderness of the peoples' (v.35) may refer to the lands of exile themselves, where God will enter into judgment with His people 'face to face,' as He did with the wilderness generation. The 'passing under the rod' (v.37) is a shepherd's image: counting sheep and separating the healthy from the diseased. In this context, verse 38 names the outcome: the rebels are brought out of the lands where they sojourn, the literal Babylonian exile and the broader dispersion, but they will not enter the land of Israel. This recalls the fate of the exodus generation who died in the desert; only the faithful remnant (Caleb and Joshua) entered the Promised Land. For Ezekiel's original hearers in Babylon, this was both a warning (not all who return physically will enter the land's blessings) and a reassurance (God is purifying His people to restore a faithful community on His holy mountain, v.40).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Ezekiel 20:38. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The Septuagint reading, where available, supports the Masoretic tradition. Commentators cite no textual issues affecting interpretation.
Reception History
This verse has been read across Christian traditions as a warning that outward covenant membership does not guarantee entrance into God's rest. The Reformers (Calvin, Geneva Bible) applied it to the visible church: not all who claim the covenant are true believers; God will sift the rebellious in His own time. Matthew Henry used it to admonish those who 'profess and yet rebel.' In the history of interpretation, the 'wilderness of the peoples' has been seen as a type of the world where the church is tested, and the purging as a foreshadowing of the final separation of the righteous and the wicked. Jewish interpretation, preserved in the Targums, understood the rebels as those who continued in idolatry even after the return, thus being excluded from the land's full blessing. The verse continues to serve as a sobering reminder that holiness is required of God's people, and that His discipline, though painful, is the path to knowing Him.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God sees through every hiding place. Calvin notes that rebels think they can escape God's eyes in exile, but He drags them to light. No disguise or distance conceals us from the One who gathers from all lands.
- Freedom is not the same as restoration. The exiles are brought out, but the rebellious do not enter the land. Physical deliverance does not guarantee spiritual inheritance. As the wilderness generation learned, outward redemption must be matched by inward faithfulness.
- Knowing Yahweh requires both mercy and judgment. The refrain 'you will know that I am Yahweh' ties together the whole passage. We know Him through His grace to the remnant and His holiness that refuses to let sin stand.
Five-point outline
- God's sovereign gathering: 'I will bring them out', God takes the initiative, not human effort.
- Divine separation: 'I will purge out the rebels', God distinguishes the disobedient from the faithful.
- Judgment within redemption: They exit exile but do not enter the land; salvation history includes a sifting.
- Echo of the wilderness: As with Moses' generation (Numbers 14:30), the pattern repeats: discipline for unbelief.
- The knowledge of God: The verse ends with recognition, God's acts, whether in discipline or deliverance, reveal His character.
Illustration hooks
- Airport security: A passenger is pulled from a line, searched thoroughly, and then allowed to proceed, but not to board the connecting flight. The public scrutiny humiliates but also protects the other passengers. God's purging serves a similar purpose for the community.
- Restoring a house: After a flood, a family clears out water-damaged furniture, even items they loved. Some possessions are thrown away, not from cruelty, but because they would rot the whole house. The purging is necessary for the new life to come.
- Church discipline, not expulsion: A congregation lovingly confronts a member in ongoing sin. The goal is not to banish but to bring about repentance; if the person refuses correction, they are separated, not because the church hates them, but because it loves holiness.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean God can 'un-adopt' His people? The verse shows God disciplining covenant members, not nullifying His promises. The Reformed see it as sifting the visible church; others see it as judging those who claim faith but never had it. Either way, discipline confirms the covenant rather than cancels it.
- How does this apply to non-Israelites? The principle, that God knows His own and separates false from true, extends to all who call on His name. The New Testament echoes this in the parables of wheat and tares (Matthew 13) and the sheep and goats (Matthew 25).
- Is the 'knowledge of Yahweh' only for the faithful? The rebels also witness God's judgment; even those who are excluded come to recognize His sovereignty. But the knowing that brings life belongs to those who enter the land.
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in a passage where God refuses to answer Israel's elders and instead reviews their history of rebellion. He then declares that He will gather them from the nations, judge them in the wilderness, and separate out the rebels. The goal is not destruction for its own sake, but purification so that a faithful people may serve Him on His holy mountain. As you discuss, consider how God's discipline today serves the same purpose: making Himself known.
Discussion questions
- Read Ezekiel 20:32-38. What is the 'thought' that rises in the people's minds (v.32), and how does God respond to it?
- Why does God use the language of the Exodus (strong hand, outstretched arm) for the gathering out of exile, when the people are being judged?
- What does it mean to 'pass under the rod' (v.37)? How does that image connect to shepherding and covenant counting?
- The rebels are brought out of the lands where they sojourn but do not enter the land of Israel. What does this teach about the relationship between physical deliverance and spiritual inheritance?
- How does the fate of the wilderness generation (Numbers 14:28-30) inform our understanding of this judgment? In what ways does history repeat itself in the exile generation?
- The verse ends with 'Then you will know that I am Yahweh.' How do both judgment and mercy contribute to that knowledge? Can we really know God through discipline?
- How does this passage challenge or comfort you when you consider God's work in your own life, especially in seasons of sifting or correction?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 14:28 | Tell them, ‘As I live, says Yahweh, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you. |
| Numbers 14:30 | surely you shall not come into the land concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. |
| Psalms 9:16 | Yahweh has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah. |
| Psalms 95:11 | Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They won’t enter into my rest.” |
| Jeremiah 44:14 | so that none of the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will escape or be left to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for no one will return except those who will escape.’” |
| Ezekiel 6:7 | The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am Yahweh. |
| Ezekiel 11:21 | But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord Yahweh.” |
| Ezekiel 13:9 | “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who utter lying divinations. They will not be in the council of my people, neither will they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither will they enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.” |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke applies the prophecy directly to the Jewish people of his day: those who refuse to receive Jesus as the promised Savior will remain in dispersion and never return to their land, while believers will be gathered home. In this, both groups will come to know that Jehovah is God, the rebels through judgment and the faithful through fulfilled promise.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads God's promise to gather the exiles not as a gracious homecoming but as a summons to judgment. Though dispersed and hidden, they cannot escape God's eyes; he will drag them into the open. Then they will be barred from the land, as their fathers were, and learn that he is the Lord.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary emphasizes that the driving force behind all of Israel's history, past and future, is Jehovah's concern for his own name. Their restoration comes not because they deserve it, but so that God's name is honored among the nations, leading them to finally recognize him and loathe their own sin.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And I wil chuse out from among you the rebels, and them that transgresse against mee: I will bring them out of the land where they dwel, and they shall not enter into the lande of Israel, and you shall knowe that I am the Lord.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that not every Jew was rebellious; God singles out the rebels from among His people, separating them like chaff from wheat. This purging occurs just before the converted remnant enters the land, with the rebellious gathered and destroyed, excluded from the kingdom as an emblem of final judgment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads the phrase "purge out" as a deliberate wordplay on "covenant" that turns it into a threat. Even being brought back to the land of Israel does not guarantee spiritual restoration; only the remnant who are saved will enter that state of favor. The exile continues for those who think they can escape God's rule.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that God's judgment is not a physical gathering from Babylon but a spiritual severing of Israel from the heathen. The "desert of the nations" is a figure for the world where God will discipline them. He will make them pass under the shepherd's rod, bringing them into the covenant's discipline, not a new covenant.