Ezekiel 36:1-6

1 Forsooth thou, son of man, prophesy on the hills of Israel (And thou, son of man, prophesy to the hills of Israel); and thou shalt say, Hills of Israel, hear ye the word of the Lord.

2 The Lord God saith these things, For that that the enemy said of you, Well! everlasting highnesses be given to us into heritage; (The Lord God saith these things, Because the enemy hath said to you, Well! the everlasting highlands shall be given to us for an inheritance;)

3 therefore prophesy thou, and say, The Lord God saith these things, For that that ye be made desolate, and defouled by compass, and be made into heritage to other folks, and ye ascended on the lip of tongue, and on the shame of people; (and so prophesy thou, and say, The Lord God saith these things, Because ye be made desolate, and defiled all around, and be made into an inheritance to other nations, and ye ascended on the lip of the tongue, and be made a shame to the people;)

4 therefore, hills of Israel, hear ye the word of the Lord God. The Lord God saith these things to the mountains, and little hills, to strands, and to valleys, and to pieces of walls left, and to cities forsaken, that be made bare of peoples, and be scorned of other folks by compass. (and so, hills of Israel, hear ye the word of the Lord God. The Lord God saith these things to the mountains, and to the little hills, to the streams, and to the valleys, and to the pieces of walls that be left standing, and to the deserted cities, that be made empty of people, and be mocked by the other nations all around them;)

5 therefore the Lord God saith these things, For in the fire of my fervor I spake of other folks, and of all Idumea, that gave my land into heritage to themselves with joy and all [the] heart, and of intent, and casted out it, to destroy it; (and so the Lord God saith these things, For in the fire of my jealousy I spoke against the other nations, and against all of Edom, who made my land into an inheritance for themselves, with all the joy of their hearts, and with the intent to cast it out, and to destroy it;)

6 therefore prophesy thou on the earth of Israel, and thou shalt say to mountains, and little hills, to the highness of hills, and to valleys, The Lord God saith these things, For that that ye be desolate, lo! I spake in my fervor and in my strong vengeance. For that that ye suffered (the) shame of heathen men; (and so prophesy thou about the land of Israel, and thou shalt say to the mountains, and to the little hills, to the highness of the hills, and to the valleys, The Lord God saith these things, For that ye be desolate, lo! I spoke in my jealousy and in my strong vengeance. Because ye have suffered the shame of the heathen;)

Ezekiel 36:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 36

This chapter is a prophecy concerning the desolations of the land of Israel, and the causes of them; of the return of the people to it, and the fruitfulness of it; and of spiritual blessings bestowed upon them in the latter day. And first, for the comfort of the people of Israel, it is observed that their enemies that insulted them will suffer the vengeance of God's wrath, particularly the Edomites, Eze 36:1-7, that the land of Israel should again become fruitful, its cities rebuilt, men and beasts be multiplied upon it, and be no more liable to destruction, nor bear any more the reproach of the Heathen, Eze 36:8-15, the causes of its desolation and destruction, the sins of its inhabitants, especially bloodshed, idolatry, and profanation of the name of God, Eze 36:16-20, nevertheless the Lord promises to have mercy on them, and return them to their own land, not for their sakes, but for his own name's sake, Eze 36:21-24, then follow promises of spiritual blessings to them: as purification from all sin by the blood of Christ; regeneration by his Spirit and grace; and evangelical obedience as the fruit of that, Eze 36:25-27, and others of a mixed kind, respecting partly temporal and partly spiritual blessings, Eze 36:28-36, for all which it is expected of the Lord that he should be prayed unto for them; particularly their inhabitation in their own land, and the multiplication of them in it, with which the chapter concludes, Eze 36:37,38.