King James Version
What Does Ezekiel 20:12 Mean?
“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.”
Context
10
Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11
And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. shewed: Heb. made them to know
12
Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
13
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(12) **I gave them my sabbaths.**—“Not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers” (John 7:22). The Sabbath, like circumcision, was an institution far older than the period here spoken of, but was now commanded anew, and made the especial pledge of the covenant between God and His people. The verse is a quotation from Exodus 31:13; and every one must have remarked the great stress everywhere laid in the Old Testament upon the observance of the Sabbath, and the prominence given to it among the privileges of the Divine covenant. It is plain that the day is regarded not in its mere outward character, as a day of rest, but as “a sign” of the covenant, and a means of realising it in the study of God’s word, and the communion of the soul with Him. It is in these latter aspects also that the weekly day of rest still retains its inestimable value—that men “might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.”
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of Ezekiel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
Ezekiel 20:12 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to Ezekiel 20:12
Cross-references from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge