Ezekiel 20:9

KJV1611 – Modern English

But I acted 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 to them, in bringing them 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

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  But I acted for the sake of my name, to keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and where I had made myself known to them by bringing them out of Egypt.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But I wrought{H6213} for my name's{H8034} sake, that it should not be profaned{H2490} in the sight{H5869} of the nations,{H1471} among{H8432} which they were, in whose sight{H5869} I made myself known{H3045} unto them, in bringing them forth{H3318} out of the land{H776} of Egypt.{H4714}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But I wrought{H6213}{(H8799)} for my name's{H8034} sake, that it should not be polluted{H2490}{(H8736)} before{H5869} the heathen{H1471}, among{H8432} whom they were, in whose sight{H5869} I made myself known{H3045}{(H8738)} unto them, in bringing them forth{H3318}{(H8687)} out of the land{H776} of Egypt{H4714}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But I wolde not do it, for my names sake: that it shulde not be vnhalowed before the Heithen, amonge whom they dwelt, and amonge whom I shewed my self vnto them, that I wolde bringe them out of the londe of Egipte.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But I had respect to my Name, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whome they were, & in whose sight I made my selfe knowen vnto them in bringing them forth of the land of Egypt.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And I wrought for my names sake that it shoulde not be polluted before the heathen among whom they were, to whom I was manifestly knowen, in bryngyng them foorth of the lande of Egypt.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And I do `it' for My name's sake, Not to pollute `it' before the eyes of the nations, In whose midst they `are', Before whose eyes I became known to them, To bring them out from the land of Egypt.

• American Standard Version (1901)

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

• American Standard Version (1901)

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

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And I was acting for the honour of my name, so that it might not be made unclean before the eyes of the nations among whom they were, and before whose eyes I gave them knowledge of myself, by taking them out of the land of Egypt.

• World English Bible (2000)

  But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived, before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 20:14 : 14 But I acted 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 my hand, and acted for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
• Ezek 39:7 : 7 So I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let them defile my holy name any more: and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
• Ezek 36:21-22 : 21 But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, wherever they went. 22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations, wherever you went.
• Exod 32:12 : 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this evil against Your people.
• Num 14:13-25 : 13 And Moses said to the LORD, Then the Egyptians will hear it, (for you brought up this people in your might from among them;) 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that you LORD are among this people, that you LORD are seen face to face, and that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them, by day in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you shall kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying, 16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness. 17 And now, I beseech you, let the power of my Lord be great, according as you have 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 to the third and fourth generation. 19 Pardon, I beseech you, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your mercy, and as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. 20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your 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 who 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 listened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land where he went; and his offspring shall possess it. 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.
• Deut 9:28 : 28 Lest the land from which you brought 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 has brought them out to kill 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 misbehave themselves, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD has 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 you came out of Egypt; and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites, who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
• Josh 7:9 : 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth: and what will you do for your great name?
• Josh 9:9-9 : 9 And they said to him, From a very far country your servants have come because of the name of the LORD your God: for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, 10 And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
• 1 Sam 4:8 : 8 Woe to us! who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck 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 has pleased the LORD to make you his people.