Ezekiel 36:20-30

20 And they entered to heathen men, to which they entered, and defouled mine holy name, when it was said to them, This is the people of the Lord, and they went out of the land of him. (And when they entered to the heathen, to whomever they entered, they defiled my holy name, for it was said of them, This is the people of the Lord, and they have gone out of his land.)
21 And I spared (them for the sake of) mine holy name, which the house of Israel had defouled among heathen men, to which they entered. (And I spared them for the sake of my holy name, which the house of Israel had defiled among the heathen, to whom they had entered.)
22 Therefore thou shalt say to the house of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, O! ye house of Israel, not for you I shall do, but for mine holy name, which ye defouled among heathen men, to which ye entered. (And so thou shalt say to the house of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, O! ye house of Israel, I shall not do this for you, but for the sake of my holy name, which ye defiled among the heathen, to whom ye had entered.)
23 And I shall hallow my great name, which is defouled among heathen men, which ye defouled in the midst of them; that heathen men know, that I am the Lord, saith the Lord of hosts, when I shall be hallowed in you before them. (And I shall consecrate my great name, which is defiled among the heathen, which ye defiled in their midst; so that the heathen know, that I am the Lord, saith the Lord of hosts, when I shall be hallowed, or shall be shown holy, through you before them.)
24 For I shall take away you from heathen men (For I shall take you away from the heathen), and I shall gather you from all (the) lands, and I shall bring you (back) into your (own) land.
25 And I shall pour out clean water [up]on you, and ye shall be cleansed from all your filths; and I shall cleanse you from all your idols.
26 And I shall give to you a new heart, and I shall set a new spirit in the midst of you; and I shall do away an heart of stone from your flesh, and I shall give to you an heart of flesh,
27 and I shall set my spirit in(to) the midst of you. And I shall make that ye go in my commandments, and [that ye] keep and work my dooms (and that ye keep and obey my laws).
28 And ye shall dwell in the land, which I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be into a people to me, and I shall be into God to you. (And ye shall live in the land, which I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I shall be your God.)
29 And I shall save you from all your filths; and I shall call (for) wheat (and I shall call for the corn), and I shall multiply it, and I shall not put hunger on you.
30 And I shall multiply the fruit of (the) tree, and the seeds of the field, that ye bear no more the shame of hunger among heathen men (so that ye no more bear the shame, or the reproach, of famine among the heathen).

Ezekiel 36:20-30 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.