Ezekiel 20:28 Meaning and Explanation
“For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Once in Canaan, Israel immediately turned to idolatrous worship at pagan high places.
The Context of Ezekiel 20:28
Israel turns to high-place idolatry immediately upon entering the promised land.
What Does Ezekiel 20:28 Mean?
After conquering and settling the promised land, Israel did not establish worship of the Lord at central sanctuaries. Instead, they embraced the Canaanite religious sites—high hills and thick forests—where the previous inhabitants had worshiped their gods. The 'provocation' was placing idolatrous worship in the very land God had given them for covenant obedience.
The offerings—sweet savors and drink offerings—were the full ritual apparatus of pagan worship. Israel had not simply failed to obey God; they had adopted wholesale the religious system of the land. This was not ignorance but deliberate replacement of God's covenant worship with idolatrous alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ezekiel 20:28
What does Ezekiel 20:28 mean?
Once in Canaan, Israel immediately turned to idolatrous worship at pagan high places.
What is the context of Ezekiel 20:28?
Israel turns to high-place idolatry immediately upon entering the promised land.