Ezekiel 36:17

17 Thou, son of man, the house of Israel dwelled in their land, and they defouled it in their ways, and in their studies; by the uncleanness of a woman in rotten blood the way of them is made before me. (Thou, son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it with their ways, and with their deeds; their ways were made before me like the uncleanness of a woman in her rotten blood.)

Ezekiel 36:17 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 36:17

Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land,
&c.] The land of Canaan, which the Lord their God gave unto them; a land abounding with all good things, where they dwelt in great ease, plenty, and prosperity; and which also was a holy land, peculiarly chosen of God for his worship and service: they defiled it by their own way and by their doings:
by their sinful ways and evil works: sin is of a defiling nature; it defiles the bodies and souls of men; it defiles their own, and it defiles others; it defiles a land, and the inhabitants of it, and makes them loathsome and abominable to a pure and holy God: their way was before me, as the uncleanness of a removed woman:
of a menstruous woman in the time of her separation; when she was debarred the company of her husband, and might not enter into the sanctuary of the Lord: this shows what an evil thing sin is, what an uncleanness it is in the sight of God, how abhorrent sinful ways are to him; and though he was the husband of these people, yet, because of their sins, he separated from them, and removed them from and out of their land, as not fit to be in his presence, nor to live there.

Ezekiel 36:17 In-Context

15 And I shall no more make heard in thee the shame of heathen men, and thou shalt no more bear the shame of peoples, and thou shalt no more lose thy folk, saith the Lord God. (And I shall no more make heard in thee the shame of the heathen, and thou shalt no more bear the shame of the nations, and thou shalt no more destroy thy people, saith the Lord God.)

16 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

17 Thou, son of man, the house of Israel dwelled in their land, and they defouled it in their ways, and in their studies; by the uncleanness of a woman in rotten blood the way of them is made before me. (Thou, son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it with their ways, and with their deeds; their ways were made before me like the uncleanness of a woman in her rotten blood.)

18 And I shedded out mine indignation on them, for [the] blood which they shedded on the land, and in their idols they defouled it. (And I poured out my indignation upon them, for the blood which they poured out upon the land, and for their idols with which they defiled it.)

19 And I scattered them among heathen men, and they were winnowed into lands; I deemed them by the ways and findings of them. (And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were winnowed into other lands; I judged them for their ways and their deeds.)