Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

EZEKIEL 20:7KJV
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Ezekiel 20:7 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 20:7 mean?

Ezekiel 20:7 records God telling the Israelites to get rid of the detestable things they were drawn to and not to make themselves unclean with the idols of Egypt, reminding them that He is their God. The verse is a call for the people to turn away from idol worship and remain loyal to the LORD.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the Israelites, reminding them of what He told their ancestors when He brought them out of Egypt. The setting is a historical review, where God recounts how He commanded the people to abandon the "abominations"—the disgusting idols—they had seen and desired in Egypt. The verse highlights the tension between God's claim on His people and their attraction to foreign gods.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 20:7

  • "abominations" (תּוֹעֵבָה, toʿevah): This word refers to things that are especially repulsive or detestable, often used for idols or practices that are morally offensive in the Hebrew Bible. Here, it underscores how strongly God rejects these idols.
  • "idols" (גִּלּוּל, gillul): This term is often used in Ezekiel for idols and carries a sense of something worthless or even contemptible. It emphasizes how empty and degrading these objects of worship are compared to the LORD.
  • "defile" (טָמֵא, tame): This verb means to make oneself unclean, especially in a religious or moral sense. The use here stresses that idol worship is not just wrong but makes a person spiritually impure.

Why Ezekiel 20:7 matters

  • Ezekiel 20:7 clarifies that the problem of idolatry among the Israelites began even before they left Egypt, not just later in their history, showing how deep-rooted the issue was.
  • The verse highlights God's expectation for exclusive loyalty, making clear that being His people means rejecting all other gods and practices, no matter how attractive they might seem.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme of Ezekiel 20, where God reviews Israel's repeated failures and His ongoing call for faithfulness, setting the stage for understanding why judgment and restoration are both necessary.

Where else these words appear

“abominations” Hebrew H8251 · used in 26 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:17 And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)
  • Jeremiah 7:30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
  • Ezekiel 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” Hebrew H1544 · used in 45 verses

  • Leviticus 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.
  • Ezekiel 8:10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
  • Ezekiel 20:39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

“away” Hebrew H7993 · used in 121 verses

  • Genesis 21:15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
  • 2 Kings 2:16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
  • Isaiah 14:19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

“defile” Hebrew H2930 · used in 142 verses

  • Genesis 34:5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
  • Leviticus 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
  • Numbers 35:34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.