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.
The history of the struggle between the sins of Israel, by which they endeavoured to ruin themselves, and the mercies of God, by which he endeavoured to save them and make them happy, is here continued: and the instances of that struggle in these verses have reference to what passed between God and them in the wilderness, in which God honoured himself and they shamed themselves.
Commenting on Ezekiel 20:10-26
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the Heathen,.... See Gill on Eze 20:9; who would be ready to say it was for want of power, or faithfulness, or, goodness, that he did not bring them into the promised land; or there was no such land to bring them to God's own glory was concerned, and that is...
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. (g) Who might by it take an opportunity to blaspheme my Name and to accuse me of lack of ability, or else that I had sought a means to destroy them more conveniently.