יחזקאל, פרק כ׳, פסוק ג׳

The leaders of the Israelites approach the prophet, hoping to seek guidance and favor from God. Instead of a welcoming response, they are met with a harsh and immediate rejection. God commands the prophet to address the elders directly [רד״ק]. When they arrive, they present themselves as men seeking God through prayer [מצודת ציון]. However, God immediately exposes the emptiness of their actions. He challenges them with a rhetorical question, asking if they have truly come to pray [מצודת דוד]. The primary approach among commentators is that the elders are entirely insincere; they have no real desire to seek God, to know Him, or to follow His ways [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

In response to their false display of devotion, God issues a severe oath. He swears that He will completely reject their prayers and refuse to grant their requests [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Despite this absolute refusal, a broader look at the prophet's message reveals an underlying sense of hope. While God harshly turns the elders away in this moment, later prophecies show Him promising the exact opposite—that He will indeed allow the Israelites to seek Him. This striking contrast highlights a fundamental principle in how God governs the world: He is willing to reverse His position and cancel harsh decrees that He has previously made [רש״י].