Ezekiel 36:7-17

7 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'I have sworn * that surely * the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults.
8 'But you, O mountains of Israel, you will 1put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come.
9 'For, behold, I am for you, and I will 2turn to you, and you will be 3cultivated and sown.
10 'I will multiply men on you, 4all the house of Israel, all of it; and the 5cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt.
11 'I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were 6formerly and will treat you 7better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.
12 'Yes, I will cause 8men -My people Israel -to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their 9inheritance and never * again 10bereave them of children.'
13 "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because they say to you, "You are a 11devourer of men and have bereaved your nation of children,"
14 therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,' declares the Lord GOD.
15 "I will not let you hear 12insults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear 13disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to 14stumble any longer," declares the Lord GOD.' "
16 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
17 "Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they 15defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like 16the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.

Ezekiel 36:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 36

This chapter is a prophecy concerning the desolations of the land of Israel, and the causes of them; of the return of the people to it, and the fruitfulness of it; and of spiritual blessings bestowed upon them in the latter day. And first, for the comfort of the people of Israel, it is observed that their enemies that insulted them will suffer the vengeance of God's wrath, particularly the Edomites, Eze 36:1-7, that the land of Israel should again become fruitful, its cities rebuilt, men and beasts be multiplied upon it, and be no more liable to destruction, nor bear any more the reproach of the Heathen, Eze 36:8-15, the causes of its desolation and destruction, the sins of its inhabitants, especially bloodshed, idolatry, and profanation of the name of God, Eze 36:16-20, nevertheless the Lord promises to have mercy on them, and return them to their own land, not for their sakes, but for his own name's sake, Eze 36:21-24, then follow promises of spiritual blessings to them: as purification from all sin by the blood of Christ; regeneration by his Spirit and grace; and evangelical obedience as the fruit of that, Eze 36:25-27, and others of a mixed kind, respecting partly temporal and partly spiritual blessings, Eze 36:28-36, for all which it is expected of the Lord that he should be prayed unto for them; particularly their inhabitation in their own land, and the multiplication of them in it, with which the chapter concludes, Eze 36:37,38.

Cross References 16

  • 1. Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 27:6; Ezekiel 17:23; Ezekiel 34:26-29
  • 2. Leviticus 26:9
  • 3. Ezekiel 28:26; Ezekiel 34:14; Ezekiel 36:34
  • 4. Isaiah 27:6; Isaiah 49:17-23; Ezekiel 37:21, 22
  • 5. Jeremiah 31:27, 28; Jeremiah 33:12; Ezekiel 36:33
  • 6. Jeremiah 30:18; Ezekiel 16:55; Micah 7:14
  • 7. Job 42:12; Isaiah 51:3
  • 8. Ezekiel 34:13, 14
  • 9. Ezekiel 47:14
  • 10. Jeremiah 15:7; Ezekiel 22:12, 27
  • 11. Numbers 13:32
  • 12. Isaiah 60:14; Ezekiel 34:29; Ezekiel 36:7
  • 13. Psalms 89:50; Isaiah 54:4; Ezekiel 22:4
  • 14. Isaiah 63:13; Jeremiah 13:16; Jeremiah 18:15
  • 15. Jeremiah 2:7
  • 16. Leviticus 15:19

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Lit "lifted up My hand"
  • [b]. Lit "cause good"
  • [c]. Or "nations," and so throughout the ch
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