Ezekiel 36:22

22 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD : I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations.

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 But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said, ‘These are the people of the LORD, but he couldn’t keep them safe in his own land!’

21 Then I was concerned for my holy name, on which my people brought shame among the nations.

22 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD : I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations.

23 I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD .

24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.