But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's often missed is that the profanity wasn't just about the Israelites' bad behavior, but also about the heathens' perspective of God. They saw Israel exiled and mocked, saying, "If this is the Lord's people, then their God must be weak or powerless to keep them!" This shows how much the nations judged God Himself based on the fortunes of His people.
But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse comes at a crucial point where God, through Ezekiel, is exposing the reason for Israel's exile. It's not just about their disobedience, but how that disobedience caused foreign nations to mock God's name. The exiles, by their very presence among the nations and their subsequent suffering, gave cause for people to say, "These are supposed to be God's special people, yet they've been kicked out of their land." This scorn directly insulted God's power and holiness.
Imagine your favorite sports team, the one you brag about, constantly losing. People don't just mock the team; they start questioning the coach. That's what happened to Israel.
Ezekiel reveals a devastating consequence of Israel's exile: they disgraced God's name among the nations. When the people of the Lord were scattered, the surrounding nations didn't just see a defeated people; they saw a reflection of their God.
The ancient world often saw gods as strictly local – tied to a specific city or nation. When Israel was defeated, the nations drew the most obvious, but incomplete, conclusion.
The nations' reaction stemmed from their own worldview. They understood gods as patrons of particular peoples, powerful within their own territories but limited in scope.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
chalal · Hebrew Verb
To treat something sacred with irreverence or to treat the holy as if it were common or profane. It involves lowering the status of what God has set apart as special, thereby failing to give God the honor and weight that His reputation demands.
qodesh shem · Hebrew Noun phrase
A designation of God's essential character: His moral perfection, purity, and separateness from all that is corrupt. His name represents His reputation, glory, and the sum of His revealed character, which demands reverent treatment by all humanity.
This verse powerfully illustrates how the exile wasn't just a political catastrophe, but a theological crisis. The nations saw Israel's defeat as proof of their God's weakness, a stark contrast to the holy, all-powerful God Israel claimed to worship.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and leading to the loss of the ten tribes. This event serves as a precursor to future exiles.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian Empire begins its conquest of Judah, initiating the first wave of exiles, including members of the royal family and intelligentsia.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another significant deportation of Judeans to Babylon occurs, including the prophet Ezekiel himself and the king Jehoiachin. This event deepens the sense of national crisis.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, marking the most devastating event in Judah's history and leading to a final, large-scale exile.
c. 586 BC onwards
Exiles Profane God's Name Among Nations
As Judean exiles live among the Babylonian people, their suffering and dispersion lead the nations to question Jehovah's power and faithfulness, seeing them as forsaken by their God.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus, overthrows the Babylonian Empire. This conquest sets the stage for the eventual return of the Jewish exiles to their homeland.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Allows Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild their Temple, initiating the process of restoration.
This passage directly quotes Ezekiel's point, showing that the unfaithfulness of God's people causes His name to be blasphemed among the nations, just as Ezekiel predicted.
Isaiah 52:5This verse speaks of God's people being taken away without cause, which the nations would then misinterpret, leading them to falsely accuse God and His people, mirroring the situation in Ezekiel 36:20.
Jeremiah 23:40This verse from Jeremiah highlights the shame and reproach God's people would face for their unfaithfulness, similar to the profaning of God's name described in Ezekiel when His people were exiled.
2 Samuel 12:14Nathan the prophet confronts David after his sin with Bathsheba, stating that 'the enemies of the LORD shall blaspheme' because of it, demonstrating the principle that the actions of God's chosen can bring reproach upon God Himself.
bensonEzekiel 36:20: "And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land."
Ezekiel 36:20 . When they entered unto the heathen, they profaned my holy name — 1st, By their evil practices they brought a scandal on God’s name, and gave occasion to the heathen to say, See what profligate wretches these are, who call themselves Jehovah’s peculiar people; judge what sort of a God…
clarkeEzekiel 36:20: "And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land."
And when they entered unto the heathen - So bad were they, and so deeply fallen, that they profaned the Lord's name among the heathen; and, on their account, the true God was blasphemed. These, say they, are the people of Jehovah! O what an abominable people are these! and what a being must that God…
What's often missed is that the profanity wasn't just about the Israelites' bad behavior, but also about the heathens' perspective of God. They saw Israel exiled and mocked, saying, "If this is the Lord's people, then their God must be weak or powerless to keep them!" This shows how much the nations judged God Himself based on the fortunes of His people.
This verse comes at a crucial point where God, through Ezekiel, is exposing the reason for Israel's exile. It's not just about their disobedience, but how that disobedience caused foreign nations to mock God's name. The exiles, by their very presence among the nations and their subsequent suffering, gave cause for people to say, "These are supposed to be God's special people, yet they've been kicked out of their land." This scorn directly insulted God's power and holiness.
This verse comes at a crucial point where God, through Ezekiel, is exposing the reason for Israel's exile. It's not just about their disobedience, but how that disobedience caused foreign nations to mock God's name. The exiles, by their very presence among the nations and their subsequent suffering, gave cause for people to say, "These are supposed to be God's special people, yet they've been kicked out of their land." This scorn directly insulted God's power and holiness.
"But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.’" — What's often missed is that the profanity wasn't just about the Israelites' bad behavior, but also about the heathens' perspective of God. They saw Israel exiled and mocked, saying, "If this is *th…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026