Ezekiel 37:23

23 And they shall no more be defouled in their idols, and their abominations, and in all their wickednesses. And I shall make them safe from all their seats, in which they sinned, and I shall cleanse them; and they shall be a people to me, and I shall be God to them. (And they shall no more be defiled with their idols, and their abominations, and with all their wickednesses. And I shall save them from all their ways, in which they sinned, and I shall cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I shall be their God.)

Ezekiel 37:23 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 37:23

Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their
idols
With their dung,
or dunghill gods F7; either with the idols of the Gentiles, or their own: after their return from the Babylonish captivity, the Jews were no more addicted to idolatry; and the image worship of the Papists is an abhorrence to them at this day, and a stumblingblock to them in their embracing Christianity: and when they are effectually called and converted to Christ; they will no more have respect to the idols, the works of their own hands; or to the idol of their own righteousness, which they have set up, and have gone about to establish, and to make to stand; they will then see it to be as filthy rags, defiling to them, instead of justifying of them; and therefore shall reject it, and no more defile themselves with it; but seek the righteousness of Christ, which justifies from all sin, and renders pure and spotless in the sight of God, nor with their detestable things;
or "abominations" F8; the traditions of the elders, which they have preferred to the word of God, and made the rule of their faith, worship, and conversation; which has made them detestable unto God: nor with any of their transgressions;
particularly their disbelief of Christ and their blasphemy against him; nor shall they indulge themselves in those sins which now prevail among them, as pride, covetousness, uncleanness, fraud, and tricking in their trade and commerce: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they
have sinned;
as wherever they dwell they do; they are notorious for their wickedness; but God will bring them out of all these places, where they have lived in sin, and been the occasion of it to some, as well as followed the example of others: and will cleanse them;
by sprinkling clean water upon them; by applying the blood of Christ to them, which cleanses from all sin see ( Ezekiel 36:25 ) : so they shall be my people, and will be their God;
the "loammi" will be taken off, and the covenant of grace shall be renewed with them, and made manifest to them; and the blessings and promises shall be applied to them, and particularly this; see ( Jeremiah 31:1 ) ( Romans 11:25 Romans 11:26 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F7 (Mhylwlgb) "diis stercoreis suis", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "stercoribus suis", Cocceius, Starckius.
F8 (Mhyuwqvb) "abominandis suis", Starckius; "abominationibus", Pagninus, Cocceius.

Ezekiel 37:23 In-Context

21 And thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall take the sons of Israel from the midst of nations, to which they went forth (Lo! I shall take the Israelites from the midst of the nations, to which they went forth); and I shall gather them together on each side. And I shall bring them (back) to their (own) land,
22 and I shall make them one folk in the land, in the hills of Israel, and one king shall be commanding to all; and they shall no more be two folks, and they shall no more be parted into two realms. (and I shall make them one nation in the land, on the hills of Israel, and one king shall be commanding to all; and they shall no more be two nations, and they shall no more be divided into two kingdoms.)
23 And they shall no more be defouled in their idols, and their abominations, and in all their wickednesses. And I shall make them safe from all their seats, in which they sinned, and I shall cleanse them; and they shall be a people to me, and I shall be God to them. (And they shall no more be defiled with their idols, and their abominations, and with all their wickednesses. And I shall save them from all their ways, in which they sinned, and I shall cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I shall be their God.)
24 And my servant David shall be king on them, and one shepherd shall be of all them; they shall go in my dooms, and they shall keep my commandments, and shall do those. (And my servant David shall be the king over them, and there shall be one shepherd for all of them; they shall walk in my laws, and they shall keep, or shall obey, my commandments, and they shall do them.)
25 And they shall dwell on the land, which I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers dwelled; and they shall dwell on that land, they, and the sons of them, and the sons of their sons, till into without end; and David, my servant, shall be the prince of them without end. (And they shall live on the land, which I gave to my servant Jacob, on which your fathers lived/on which their forefathers lived; and they shall live on that land, they, and their sons, and the sons of their sons, unto forever; and my servant David shall be their prince forever.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.