Ezekiel 36:22

22 "Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name,^[a] which you profaned among the nations where you went.

Ezekiel 36:22 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 36:22

Therefore say unto the house of Israel
This is an order to the prophet, the son of man, ( Ezekiel 36:17 ) : thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, O house of
Israel;
what he hereafter promises to do for them, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual; which he did, not on account of any deserts or worthiness in them; for they had none, having done nothing to merit his favour, but, on the contrary, everything to provoke the eyes of his glory: but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the Heathen,
whither ye went;
for the honour of his holy name, for the glory of his holy word, holy worship, and holy religion; all which were traduced and reproached among the Heathen, by reason of the ungodly behaviour of the Jews.

Ezekiel 36:22 In-Context

20 When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said about them: These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave His land [in exile].

21 Then I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

22 "Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went.

23 I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations-the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh"-the declaration of the Lord God -"when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight.

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

Footnotes

• [a] Ezk 20:44