But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt.
Parallel translations
- WEB But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
- KJV But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
- BSB But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
- NKJV But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
- NASB But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Once more God restrained His wrath for His name's sake, since the nations had seen Him deliver Israel. His mercy guarded the honor of His name.
Overview
As in verse 9, God's forbearance is grounded in His concern that His name not be profaned before the watching nations. He had publicly revealed His power in the exodus and would not let His glory be undone by destroying His people. This pattern reveals a God whose mercy is rooted in His own faithfulness, the same mercy magnified in the gospel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ezek 20:9But 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 out of the land of Egypt.
- Ezek 36:22–23Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went.
- Ezek 20:22Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
- Eph 1:6to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved,
- Eph 1:12to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 20:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.