Ezekiel 20:39

Analysis & Commentary

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. This shocking verse employs biting irony and divine sarcasm to expose Israel's spiritual hypocrisy. The phrase "Go ye, serve ye every one his idols" is not permission but prophetic irony—if you insist on idolatry, at least be consistent rather than hypocritical. The Hebrew lekhu ivdu (לְכוּ עִבְדוּ, "go serve") uses imperative forms that sound permissive but function as rhetorical condemnation.

The devastating indictment comes in the second half: "pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols." Israel's sin was not merely serving idols but attempting to worship both Yahweh and idols simultaneously—offering sacrifices to God while maintaining household idols, observing festivals while consulting pagan shrines. The Hebrew chillelu (חַלְּלוּ, "pollute" or "profane") indicates treating sacred things as common or defiling what should be holy. Their syncretistic worship profaned God's name more than pure paganism would have.

This passage reveals God's hatred of religious hypocrisy and half-hearted devotion. Divided loyalty is more offensive than open rebellion because it presumes to use God while refusing to submit fully to Him. The verse anticipates Jesus' teaching that no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and His rebuke of lukewarm Laodicea (Revelation 3:15-16). God demands wholehearted allegiance or none at all.

Historical Context

Ezekiel prophesied among the exiles in Babylon (593-571 BC), following the first deportation in 597 BC but before Jerusalem's final destruction in 586 BC. Chapter 20 recounts Israel's long history of rebellion, from Egypt through the wilderness to the promised land and exile. The elders of Israel came to Ezekiel seeking a prophetic word from God (v. 1), but God refused to be inquired of by them (v. 3) because of their persistent idolatry.

Archaeological discoveries confirm widespread syncretism in pre-exilic Judah. Excavations at Israelite sites have uncovered Asherah poles, foreign altars, and fertility cult objects alongside evidence of Yahweh worship. Jeremiah and Ezekiel both condemned the people for worshiping "the queen of heaven" (Jeremiah 44:17-19) while claiming loyalty to God. They wanted God's blessings without His lordship, His protection without His precepts, His favor without their faithfulness.

God's ironic command to serve idols exclusively rather than mixing idolatry with Yahweh worship exposed the absurdity of their position. Either acknowledge Yahweh as the only true God and serve Him alone, or admit you've chosen idols and abandon pretense. The half-hearted syncretism insulted both God's holiness and their own intelligence. Within years, Jerusalem's destruction would end the nation's double-mindedness by removing both temple and idols.

Questions for Reflection

• In what areas of life are you attempting to serve both God and an idol (materialism, approval, comfort, control), thereby profaning His name?
• How does offering God religious activities (church attendance, Bible reading, prayer) while maintaining idolatrous priorities parallel Israel's offense?
• What specific "gifts" or religious practices might you be using to assuage conscience while avoiding full surrender to God's lordship?
• How does Christ's exclusive claim to be "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6) confront all forms of spiritual syncretism in your heart?
• What would it look like practically to eliminate the divided loyalty in your most stubborn area of compromise?