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.

EZEKIEL 20:38KJV
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Ezekiel 20:38 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 20:38 mean?

Ezekiel 20:38 describes God separating rebellious people from the rest of the Israelites he brings out of the countries where they have been living. Being brought out will not, by itself, guarantee entry into Israel: those who have turned against God will be excluded from the land.

God speaks through Ezekiel, addressing Israelites who are living away from their land. Following the image of passing under a shepherd’s rod in verse 37, the separation resembles the sorting of a flock. The closing words, “ye shall know that I am the LORD,” present this act as making God’s identity known to the people.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 20:38

  • “purge out” — בָּרַר (barar): This word can mean to separate or select. Here it pictures the removal of certain people from a larger group.
  • “sojourn” — מָגוּר (magur): This word refers to a place where someone lives as a newcomer or outsider. It describes the countries where the people have been staying, away from Israel.

Why Ezekiel 20:38 matters

  • The verse draws a distinction between leaving a foreign country and reaching Israel. God says of the rebels, “I will bring them forth,” but also, “they shall not enter into the land.”
  • The separation concerns people’s actions toward God, not merely where they have lived. The people singled out are called “rebels” and those who “transgress against me.”
  • The wider passage links this event to Israel’s earlier journey out of Egypt. In verses 35–36, God compares his dealings with the people to his dealings with their ancestors in the wilderness.

Where else these words appear

“sojourn” Hebrew H4033 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
  • Genesis 37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
  • Job 18:19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

“out” Hebrew H1305 · used in 16 verses

  • 2 Samuel 22:27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
  • Job 33:3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
  • Jeremiah 4:11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,

“rebels” Hebrew H4775 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 14:4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
  • 2 Kings 18:20 Thou sayest,(but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
  • Nehemiah 9:26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

“transgress” Hebrew H6586 · used in 37 verses

  • 1 Kings 8:50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
  • Psalms 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
  • Jeremiah 2:29 Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.