The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:18 Explained

Ezekiel 20:18

KJV: But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

YLT: And I say to their sons in the wilderness: In the statutes of your fathers ye walk not, And their judgments ye do not observe, And with their idols ye are not defiled.

Darby: And I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk not in the statutes of your fathers, neither keep their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

ASV: And I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But I said  unto their children  in the wilderness,  Walk  ye not in the statutes  of your fathers,  neither observe  their judgments,  nor defile  yourselves with their idols: 

What does Ezekiel 20:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 20

1  God refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel
4  He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt
19  in the desert
27  and in the land
33  He promises to gather them by the Gospel
45  Under the name of a forest he shows the destruction of Jerusalem

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 20:18 mean?

But I said to their children in the wilderness in the statutes of your fathers not do walk and their judgments nor observe and with their idols defile yourselves
וָאֹמַ֤ר אֶל־ בְּנֵיהֶם֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בְּחוּקֵּ֤י אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ אַל־ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ וְאֶת־ מִשְׁפְּטֵיהֶ֖ם אַל־ תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ וּבְגִלּוּלֵיהֶ֖ם תִּטַּמָּֽאוּ

וָאֹמַ֤ר  But  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּנֵיהֶם֙  their  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
בְּחוּקֵּ֤י  in  the  statutes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙  of  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
תֵּלֵ֔כוּ  do  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
מִשְׁפְּטֵיהֶ֖ם  their  judgments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
אַל־  nor 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ  observe 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
וּבְגִלּוּלֵיהֶ֖ם  and  with  their  idols 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גִּלּוּלִים  
Sense: idols.
תִּטַּמָּֽאוּ  defile  yourselves 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.