Ezekiel 20:9

King James Version with Strong's Numbers

But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וָאַ֙עַשׂ֙ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמִ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֥י הֵחֵ֛ל לְעֵינֵ֥י הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣מָּה בְתוֹכָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר נוֹדַ֤עְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם֙ לְעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם לְהוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Transliteration

And-wāʾaʿaś for-sake-of šĕmî lĕbiltî hēḥēl before-eyes-of the-gôyim which-they bĕtôkām, which nôdaʿtî to-them before-ʿênêhem lĕhôṣîʾām from-ʾereṣ miṣrāyim.

Grammar Details

• *wāʾaʿaś*: waw-consecutive with qal imperfect, 1st singular - and I acted
• *šĕmî*: noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix - my name
• *lĕbiltî*: preposition with negative particle - so as not to
• *hēḥēl*: verb, niphal infinitive construct - to be profaned/defiled
• *gôyim*: noun, masculine plural with definite article - nations
• *bĕtôkām*: preposition with noun, masculine singular construct and 3rd masculine plural suffix - in their midst
• *nôdaʿtî*: verb, niphal perfect, 1st singular - I made myself known
• *ʿênêhem*: noun, feminine dual with 3rd masculine plural suffix - their eyes
• *lĕhôṣîʾām*: preposition with hiphil infinitive construct and 3rd masculine plural suffix - to bring them out
• *ʾereṣ*: noun, feminine singular construct - land of
• *miṣrāyim*: proper noun - Egypt

Word Meanings

• *wāʾaʿaś* *lĕmaʿan* *šĕmî*: and I acted for the sake of my name (idiom for protecting reputation)
• *lĕbiltî* *hēḥēl*: so as not to be profaned/so it would not be defiled
• *nôdaʿtî*: I made myself known/I revealed myself

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 20:14 : 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.
• Ezek 20:22 : 22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
• Ezek 39:7 : 7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
• Ezek 36:21-22 : 21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. 22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
• Exod 32:12 : 12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
• Num 14:13-25 : 13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it,(for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, 16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. 20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
• Deut 9:28 : 28 Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.
• Deut 32:26-27 : 26 I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: 27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.
• Josh 2:10 : 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
• Josh 7:9 : 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
• Josh 9:9-9 : 9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
• 1 Sam 4:8 : 8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
• 1 Sam 12:22 : 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.