Ezekiel 36:35

35 And they will say, "{This desolate land} has become like the garden of Eden, and the wasted and desolate and destroyed cities, [now] being refortified, are inhabited."

Ezekiel 36:35 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 36:35

And they shall say
Either the neighbouring nations that lived round about the land of Israel, ( Ezekiel 36:36 ) , or rather the travellers, as before, who having as they passed by observed what it had been, and now see what it is; these shall say to one another: this land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden;
for delight and fruitfulness: this may well be applied to the flourishing and fruitful state of the church of God, consisting of converted Jews, in the latter day: and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are
inhabited;
which, as it will be true of cities in a literal sense, so of the churches of Christ in Judea in a spiritual sense; which will be rebuilt by the grace of God, fenced and fortified by his almighty power, and inhabited by true believers.

Ezekiel 36:35 In-Context

33 "Thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'On the day when I cleanse you from all of your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

34 And the land that was desolate will be cultivated in {the very place that} it was desolate before [the] eyes of all of [the persons] crossing over.

35 And they will say, "{This desolate land} has become like the garden of Eden, and the wasted and desolate and destroyed cities, [now] being refortified, are inhabited."

36 And the nations who are left all around, you will know that I, Yahweh, I built {that which was destroyed}; I planted the desolate [land]; I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will act.'

37 "Thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Again this [time] I will let {myself be inquired of} by the house of Israel, to do [something] for them; I will cause them to increase {their population like a flock}.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "the land this the being desolate"