Ezekiel 36:22-38

Israel to Be Renewed for His Name's Sake

22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is ¹not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where * you went.

23 "I will ²vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the ³nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.

24 "For I will ⁴take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.

25 "Then I will ⁵sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your ⁶filthiness and from all your ⁷idols.

26 "Moreover, I will give you a ⁸new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the ⁹heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

27 "I will ¹⁰put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

28 "You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be ¹¹My people, and I will be your God.

29 "Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I ¹²will not bring a famine on you.

30 "I will ¹³multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.

31 "Then you will ¹⁴remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations.

32 "I am not doing this ¹⁵for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"

33 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the ¹⁶cities to be inhabited, and the ¹⁷waste places will be rebuilt.

34 "The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by.

35 "They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the ¹⁸garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.'

36 "Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and ¹⁹will do it."

37 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock.

38 "Like the ²⁰flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with ²¹flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the LORD.""'

Ezekiel 36:22-38 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

• 1. Deuteronomy 7:7, 8; Deuteronomy 9:5, 6; Ezekiel 36:32
• 2. Isaiah 5:16; Ezekiel 20:41; Ezekiel 38:23; Ezekiel 39:7, 25
• 3. Psalms 102:15; Psalms 126:2
• 4. Isaiah 43:5, 6; Ezekiel 34:13; Ezekiel 37:21
• 5. Numbers 19:17-19; Psalms 51:7; Titus 3:5, 6; Hebrews 9:13, 19; Hebrews 10:22
• 6. Isaiah 4:4; Zechariah 13:1
• 7. Isaiah 2:18, 20; Hosea 14:3, 8
• 8. Psalms 51:10; Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 18:31; John 3:3, 5; 2 Corinthians 5:17
• 9. Ezekiel 11:19; Zechariah 7:12
• 10. Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 59:21; Ezekiel 37:14; Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28, 29
• 11. Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 37:23, 27
• 12. Ezekiel 34:27, 29; Hosea 2:21-23
• 13. Leviticus 26:4; Ezekiel 34:27
• 14. Ezekiel 16:61-63; Ezekiel 20:43
• 15. Deuteronomy 9:5
• 16. Ezekiel 36:10; Zechariah 8:7, 8
• 17. Isaiah 58:12
• 18. Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 31:9; Joel 2:3
• 19. Ezekiel 17:24; Ezekiel 22:14; Ezekiel 37:14; Hosea 14:4-9
• 20. 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 35:7-9; John 2:14
• 21. Psalms 74:1; Psalms 100:3; Jeremiah 23:1; John 10:7, 9, 16

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "put"
• [b]. Lit "of holy things"