Ezekiel 20:28-29
For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings. (I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called Bamah to this day.)
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text highlights a chilling irony: God brought them into a land he swore to give them, a sign of his faithfulness, but their immediate response was to desecrate it. They saw "high hills" and "leafy trees" not as signs of God's gift, but as ready-made altars for their own corrupt worship, turning sacred spaces into places of provocation.
After God graciously brought the Israelites into the land He promised them, they immediately turned to idolatrous practices. Instead of worshiping God in the way He commanded, they began offering sacrifices on every high hill and under every leafy tree, adopting the corrupt practices of the Canaanites. This marked a profound betrayal of God's faithfulness and a blatant rejection of His law.
God brings His people into the land He swore to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. What do they do?
This verse highlights a profound betrayal. After God's faithfulness in bringing Israel into the Promised Land, a place secured by His oath and delivered through His power, their immediate response is not worship but immediate defection. Instead of honoring God in the land He provided, they sought out existing pagan worship sites—'every high hill' and 'any leafy tree'. This wasn't just a minor slip; it was a deliberate turning away from God's intended worship, showing a deep-seated rebellion that characterized their relationship with Him, even after experiencing His profound grace.
Why did high hills and leafy trees become such focal points for Israel's worship?
The 'high hills' and 'leafy trees' were not neutral locations; they were established centers for Canaanite pagan worship. By choosing these spots, Israel wasn't just selecting picturesque scenery. They were actively adopting the religious practices of the land's inhabitants, merging their worship of God with the very idolatry God had commanded them to eradicate. This syncretism is described as 'the provocation of their offering'—their sacrifices and rituals, intended perhaps to honor God, instead became an offense because of the location and the corrupted practice associated with it. It was an insult to God that defiled His holy land with the stench of paganism.
Ezekiel lists several types of offerings. What does this detailed description reveal about Israel's spiritual condition?
The verse enumerates different forms of worship: sacrifices, offerings, sweet savor (incense), and drink offerings. The fact that all of these, which were specific components of Israelite worship prescribed by God, were offered in these pagan locations underscores the total corruption of their spiritual practice. They didn't just commit one sin; they perverted the entire system of worship God had instituted. What was meant to be a 'sweet savor' to God (Leviticus 1:9) became an abomination when offered in defiance of His commands and in the wrong place. This shows that religious error isn't usually a single mistake but a pervasive deviation that affects all aspects of one's devotion.
Understand the original words
bāmāh · Hebrew Noun
A place of worship, usually situated on elevated ground, used for sacrifice. While often used for Yahweh worship, they were frequently associated with Canaanite idolatry and were condemned by the prophets as illegitimate worship.
kaʿaś · Hebrew Noun
A gesture of insult or anger towards God; in a religious context, it refers to acts of idolatry that provoke God's righteous jealousy and judgment.
rēaḥ nîḥōaḥ · Hebrew Phrase
A term used for sacrifices or incense that produce a smell acceptable to God, though in prophetic literature, it ironically highlights the hypocrisy of people offering "pleasing" things while living in active rebellion.
nesek · Hebrew Noun
Ezekiel's sharp words here point to a deep-seated betrayal. God brought Israel into a land flowing with promise, a sign of His faithfulness. Yet, almost immediately, they turned their eyes not to Him, but to the natural landscape – hills and trees – adopting the very pagan practices of the Canaanites He had warned them against. This wasn't just a minor slip; it was a persistent, deliberate rejection of God's specific commands, a 'provocation' offered in the land He swore to give them.
c. 1406 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, led by Joshua, cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of Canaan.
c. 1400-722 BC
Widespread Worship at High Places
Throughout the period of the Judges and the early monarchy, many Israelites, contrary to God's specific instructions, engaged in worship at localized 'high places' and in groves, often adopting Canaanite practices.
c. 970-931 BC
Solomon's Temple Built
King Solomon completes the central sanctuary in Jerusalem, intended to be the sole place of proper Israelite worship. However, even Solomon later participated in idolatry.
c. 750-700 BC
Prophetic Denunciation of High Places
Prophets like Amos and Hosea vehemently condemn the corrupt worship found at the high places, highlighting its association with revelry, sensuality, and false conceptions of deity.
This passage sets the stage for why the Israelites' actions in Ezekiel were so wrong, directly commanding them to destroy the high places and altars of the nations they were replacing, rather than adopting their worship practices.
Jeremiah 2:20Similar to Ezekiel's condemnation, Jeremiah also speaks of Israel's unfaithfulness by comparing their worship on high hills and under green trees to foreign practices, highlighting the long-standing nature of this sin.
Hosea 4:12-14This passage reveals the spiritual corruption behind the worship on high places and under trees, showing how the people offered sacrifices to idols and consulted with 'stocks' and 'staffs,' exposing the folly and sinfulness of such practices.
Isaiah 57:5-7Here, the prophet describes the same type of idolatrous worship on high places and under trees as a covenant-breaking act, painting a vivid picture of their illicit sexual and spiritual 'adultery' with false gods.
Romans 1:21-23This New Testament passage offers a parallel in human nature's tendency to stray from God, showing how people 'exchanged the truth about God for a lie' and worshiped created things instead of the Creator, mirroring Israel's spiritual deviation.
cambridgeEzekiel 20:28: "For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings."
28 . The prophet regards the worship on the high-places and under the evergreen trees as a Canaanitish usage adopted by Israel, as Deuteronom…
calvinEzekiel 20:27-28: "Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me."
- For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made the…
The text highlights a chilling irony: God brought them into a land he swore to give them, a sign of his faithfulness, but their immediate response was to desecrate it. They saw "high hills" and "leafy trees" not as signs of God's gift, but as ready-made altars for their own corrupt worship, turning sacred spaces into places of provocation.
After God graciously brought the Israelites into the land He promised them, they immediately turned to idolatrous practices. Instead of worshiping God in the way He commanded, they began offering sacrifices on every high hill and under every leafy tree, adopting the corrupt practices of the Canaanites. This marked a profound betrayal of God's faithfulness and a blatant rejection of His law.
After God graciously brought the Israelites into the land He promised them, they immediately turned to idolatrous practices. Instead of worshiping God in the way He commanded, they began offering sacrifices on every high hill and under every leafy tree, adopting the corrupt practices of the Canaanites. This marked a profound betrayal of God's faithfulness and a blatant rejection of His law.
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A liquid sacrifice (usually wine) poured out upon an altar or at a site of worship; it was a common practice in both authorized and idolatrous cults.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and marking a significant judgment for their persistent idolatry and syncretism.
c. 621 BC
Josiah's Religious Reforms
King Josiah implements a sweeping purge of idolatrous practices throughout Judah, centralizing worship in Jerusalem and destroying high places, following the discovery of the Book of the Law.
c. 597-586 BC— this verse
Babylonian Exile Begins
The Neo-Babylonian Empire deports significant portions of the Judean population, including priests and royalty, after revolts against Babylonian rule. This period marks a severe judgment for the people's ongoing spiritual infidelity.
"For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up…" — The text highlights a chilling irony: God brought them into a land he swore to give them, a sign of his faithfulness, but their immediate response was to desecrate it. They saw "high hills" and "le…
