And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;

EZEKIEL 20:5KJV
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Ezekiel 20:5 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 20:5 mean?

Ezekiel 20:5 begins God’s account of his dealings with Israel by looking back to the time when the people were in Egypt. God describes choosing Israel, making a solemn promise to Jacob’s descendants, and identifying himself as their God.

God tells Ezekiel to pass this account on to the elders who have come to inquire of him. The image of a raised hand pictures a solemn oath. Its repetition gives weight to God’s declaration, “I am the LORD your God.”

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 20:5

  • “lifted up mine hand” — נָשָׂא (nasa): The word means “lifted” or “raised.” Here, the raised hand is often understood as a gesture of taking an oath, rather than simply a physical movement.
  • “made myself known” — יָדַע (yadaʿ): The word can mean “to know.” In this form, it describes God making himself known to the Israelites in Egypt; the verse then gives his declaration to them.

Why Ezekiel 20:5 matters

  • The verse points to a relationship that began while Israel was still in Egypt. God says he made himself known to Jacob’s descendants “in the land of Egypt,” before the account moves on to their journey out.
  • God addresses the people as a whole. “The seed of the house of Jacob” means Jacob’s descendants, also named “Israel” in the verse.
  • The opening words show whose account Ezekiel is to deliver. “Thus saith the Lord GOD” introduces God’s own account of that earlier time.