20:39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols, 4 if you will not listen to me. 5 But my holy name will not be profaned 6 again by your sacrifices 7 and your idols.
1 tn Heb “for the sake of my name.”
2 tn Heb “before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were.”
3 tn Heb “to whom I made myself known before their eyes to bring them out from the land of Egypt.” The translation understands the infinitive construct (“to bring them out”) as indicating manner. God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt was an act of self-revelation in that it displayed his power and his commitment to his promises.
4 sn Compare the irony here to Amos 4:4 and Jer 44:25.
5 tn Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.
6 sn A similar concept may be found in Lev 18:21; 20:3.
7 tn Or “gifts.”