What's striking here is that God's initial judgment was to be poured out while they were still in Egypt. He offered them a way out, but their persistent idolatry and refusal to listen meant they deserved to be wiped out right there, "in the midst of the land of Egypt." This shows God's incredible patience, delaying His wrath not because they deserved it, but for the sake of His own name and purposes.
But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. “Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God recounts how, after choosing Israel and showing them His power by bringing them out of Egypt, He commanded them to abandon their idolatry. Instead, they rebelled, clinging to the detestable practices and idols of Egypt, which led God to declare His intention to pour out His full wrath upon them right there in Egypt. This sets the stage for God’s recounting of their repeated disobedience throughout their history, emphasizing that their sin wasn't new but had deep roots even from their time in Egypt.
Did you know God's judgment could have fallen on Israel while they were still in Egypt? This verse reveals that their rebellion wasn't a new thing when they reached the wilderness.
Ezekiel is looking back at the whole history of Israel, and he points out a harsh truth: the people's tendency to rebel against God started long before the Exodus.
A History of Disobedience
God specifically chose Israel and revealed Himself to them in Egypt, offering them a future of freedom and blessing. He even commanded them directly, "Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt." Yet, the people refused.
They clung to the detestable practices and idols they had picked up from the Egyptians. This wasn't just a minor slip-up; it was a deep-seated rebellion that God saw with perfect clarity.
If their rebellion was so blatant, why didn't God unleash His full fury and destroy them right then and there in Egypt?
This passage holds a crucial insight into God's character and His long-term purposes. While the people deserved judgment, God held back His wrath for a specific reason:
For His Own Name's Sake
God declared, 'Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.' This was the just consequence of their sin. However, the commentary highlights that God ultimately carry out this immediate destruction. Why? To protect His reputation and honor His promises.
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His deliverance of Israel from Egypt was meant to showcase His power and faithfulness to the nations. If He had utterly destroyed them in Egypt, it might have been misunderstood by the Egyptians and other surrounding peoples. So, for the sake of His own glorious name and the covenant He made, God showed remarkable restraint, even in the face of persistent rebellion.
Understand the original words
marah · Hebrew Verb
Willful disobedience or opposition against God’s authority and commands. It represents an active rejection of God's sovereignty and a refusal to submit to His will.
chemah · Hebrew Noun
The intense, righteous reaction of God against sin and disobedience. It is a manifestation of His holiness and justice, directed at those who persist in turning away from Him.
Ezekiel's prophecy confronts the persistent idolatry that plagued Israel, even during their time in Egypt, highlighting a deep-seated rebellion against God that characterized their entire history, leading to their eventual exile.
c. 15th-13th century BC— this verse
Israelites in Egypt
The people of Israel lived in the land of Egypt as a large population, initially welcomed but later enslaved by the Egyptians.
c. 13th century BC
Exodus from Egypt
Under Moses' leadership, God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through mighty acts of judgment and power, fulfilling His promises.
c. 13th century BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
Following their deliverance, the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness, a period marked by both God's provision and their frequent rebellion.
c. 13th century BC
Conquest of Canaan
After the wilderness, the Israelites entered and conquered the land of Canaan, settling in the land promised to Abraham.
c. 975 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following King Solomon's death, the united kingdom of Israel split into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and many of the Jewish elite to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon, leaving only the poorest to till the land.
This passage shows the Israelites immediately turning to idolatry (making the golden calf) after God's deliverance, mirroring Ezekiel 20:8's theme of continued rebellion and attachment to detestable things even after God's saving acts.
Joshua 24:14Joshua challenges the Israelites to 'fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth' and to 'put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt,' directly echoing Ezekiel's accusation that they had not forsaken the idols of Egypt.
Psalm 106:13-15This psalm recounts Israel's impatience and rebellion in the wilderness, including their 'lusting' and 'tempting God' in the desert, which reflects the persistent disobedience and failure to cast away detestable things mentioned in Ezekiel 20.
Jeremiah 2:4-8Jeremiah powerfully condemns Israel for forsaking the Lord and chasing after worthless idols, even referencing their ancestors' journey from Egypt, highlighting the long-standing pattern of rebellion against God that Ezekiel addresses.
Acts 7:39-43Stephen's speech recounts Israel's history of rebellion, including their turning to idols even after the exodus and receiving God's laws, directly linking their persistent disobedience to the idolatry prevalent even during their time in Egypt, as Ezekiel describes.
barnesEzekiel 20:8: "But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt."
Idols of Egypt - These incidental notices show the children of Israel in Egypt to have been addicted to idolatry. Compare Joshua 24:14 .
ellicottEzekiel 20:8: "But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt."
(8) The land of Egypt. —Of this idolatrous rebellion, and of this threat of the Divine anger while they were still in Egypt, as already said, we have no specific record. But they had the same d…
What's striking here is that God's initial judgment was to be poured out while they were still in Egypt. He offered them a way out, but their persistent idolatry and refusal to listen meant they deserved to be wiped out right there, "in the midst of the land of Egypt." This shows God's incredible patience, delaying His wrath not because they deserved it, but for the sake of His own name and purposes.
God recounts how, after choosing Israel and showing them His power by bringing them out of Egypt, He commanded them to abandon their idolatry. Instead, they rebelled, clinging to the detestable practices and idols of Egypt, which led God to declare His intention to pour out His full wrath upon them right there in Egypt. This sets the stage for God’s recounting of their repeated disobedience throughout their history, emphasizing that their sin wasn't new but had deep roots even from their time in Egypt.
God recounts how, after choosing Israel and showing them His power by bringing them out of Egypt, He commanded them to abandon their idolatry. Instead, they rebelled, clinging to the detestable practices and idols of Egypt, which led God to declare His intention to pour out His full wrath upon them right there in Egypt. This sets the stage for God’s recounting of their repeated disobedience throughout their history, emphasizing that their sin wasn't new but had deep roots even from their time in Egypt.
"But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.
“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend m…" — What's striking here is that God's initial judgment was to be poured out while they were still in Egypt. He offered them a way out, but their persistent idolatry and refusal to listen meant they de…
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Last reviewed October 2026
