Ezekiel 36:13

13 " 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh, because [they are] saying to you, "You [are] [an] eater of humans, and you are {one who makes childless} your people."

Ezekiel 36:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 36:13

Thus saith the Lord God, because they say unto you
The Heathens that dwelt round about the land of Judea said to the mountains, or to the whole land, thou land devourest up men;
eats up the inhabitants of it; which is part of the ill report the spies, in the times of Moses, brought on it, ( Numbers 13:32 ) , to which the allusion is here; suggesting, that either the air was unwholesome; or that the land did not produce a sufficiency of food to support the inhabitants of it; or that the curse of God was upon it; and that one judgment or another was ever on it; either famine, or pestilence, or the sword of the enemy, or internal broils among themselves, or wild beasts, whereby the inhabitants of the land were wasted and consumed: and hast bereaved thy nations;
the several tribes, of men and children; so that they were diminished and depopulated: the allusion seems to be to miscarrying women, or such who kill their children in the womb, and become abortive.

Ezekiel 36:13 In-Context

11 And I will cause {your population} to increase for you, and domestic animals, [even] they will be numerous, and they will be fruitful, and I will cause you to be inhabited like your {ancient times}, and I will do good [things] more than [in] your former times, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh.

12 And I will send over you my people Israel, and they will take possession of you, and you will be for them as an inheritance, and {you will no longer bereave them of their children}."

13 " 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh, because [they are] saying to you, "You [are] [an] eater of humans, and you are {one who makes childless} your people."

14 Therefore humans you will not eat [any] longer, and your nation you will not make childless [any] longer," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

15 "And I will not let you hear [any] longer the insult of the nations, and [the] disgrace of [the] peoples you will not bear [any] longer; you [yourself] will not cause your nation to stumble," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.'"

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "peoples"
• [b]. Literally "maker of childless"
• [c]. That is, Israel and Judah; Cf. Ezek 37:15-22