Ezekiel 36

Ezekiel 36:1-38 . ISRAEL AVENGED OF HER FOES, AND RESTORED, FIRST TO INWARD HOLINESS, THEN TO OUTWARD PROSPERITY.

The distinction between Israel and the heathen (as Edom) is: Israel has a covenant relation to God ensuring restoration after chastisement, so that the heathen's hope of getting possession of the elect people's inheritance must fail, and they themselves be made desolate ( Ezekiel 36:1-15 ). The reason for the chastisement of Israel was Israel's sin and profanation of God's name ( Ezekiel 36:16-21 ). God has good in store for Israel, for His own name's sake, to revive His people; first, by a spiritual renewal of their hearts, and, next, by an external restoration to prosperity ( Ezekiel 36:22-33 ). The result is that the heathen shall be impressed with the power and goodness of God manifested so palpably towards the restored people ( Ezekiel 36:34-38 ).

1, 2. mountains of Israel--in contrast to "Mount Seir" of the previous prophecy. They are here personified; Israel's elevation is moral, not merely physical, as Edom's. Her hills are "the everlasting hills" of Jacob's prophecy ( Genesis 49:26 ). "The enemy" (Edom, the singled-out representative of all God's foes), with a shout of exultation, "Aha!" had claimed, as the nearest kinsman of Israel (the brother of their father Esau), his vacated inheritance; as much as to say, the so-called "everlasting" inheritance of Israel and of the "hills," which typified the unmoved perpetuity of it ( Psalms 125:1 Psalms 125:2 ), has come to an end, in spite of the promise of God, and has become "ours" (compare Deuteronomy 32:13 , 33:15 ).

3. Literally, "Because, even because."
swallowed you up--literally, "panted after" you, as a beast after its prey; implying the greedy cupidity of Edom as to Israel's inheritance ( Psalms 56:1 Psalms 56:2 ).
lips of talkers--literally, "lips of the tongue," that is, of the slanderer, the man of tongue. Edom slandered Israel because of the connection of the latter with Jehovah, as though He were unable to save them. Deuteronomy 28:37 , and Jeremiah 24:9 had foretold Israel's reproach among the heathen ( Daniel 9:16 ).

4. Inanimate creatures are addressed, to imply that the creature also, as it were, groans for deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God ( Romans 8:19-21 ) [POLANUS]. The completeness of the renewed blessedness of all parts of the land is implied.
derision--( Psalms 79:4 ).

5. to cast it out for a prey--that is, to take the land for a prey, its inhabitants being cast out. Or the land is compared to a prey cast forth to wild beasts. FAIRBAIRN needlessly alters the Hebrew pointing and translates, "that they may plunder its pasturage."

6. the shame of the heathen--namely, the shame with which the heathen cover you ( Psalms 123:3 Psalms 123:4 ).

7. lifted . . . mine hand--in token of an oath ( Ezekiel 20:5 , Genesis 14:22 ).
they shall bear their shame--a perpetual shame; whereas the "shame" which Israel bore from these heathen was only for a time.

8. they are at hand to come--that is the Israelites are soon about to return to their land. This proves that the primary reference of the prophecy is to the return from Babylon, which was "at hand," or comparatively near. But this only in part fulfilled the prediction, the full and final blessing in future, and the restoration from Babylon was an earnest of it.