Ezekiel 36:12-22

12 I will cause people to walk on you, my people Isra'el; they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; never again will you make them childless."

13 Adonai ELOHIM says, "Because they say to you, 'Land, you devour people and make your nations childless,'

14 therefore you will no longer devour people, and you will not make your nations childless any more," says Adonai ELOHIM.

15 "I will not permit the nations to shame you, or the peoples to reproach you any longer; and you will no more cause your nations to stumble," says Adonai ELOHIM.'"

16 The word of ADONAI came to me:

17 "Human being, when the house of Isra'el lived in their own land, they defiled it by their manner of life and their actions; their way before me was like the uncleanness of niddah.

18 Therefore I poured out my fury on them, because of the blood they had shed in the land and because they defiled it with their idols.

19 I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them throughout the countries; I judged them in keeping with their manner of life and actions.

20 When they came to the nations they were going to, they profaned my holy name; so that people said of them, 'These are ADONAI's people, who have been exiled from his land.'

21 But I am concerned about my holy name, which the house of Isra'el is profaning among the nations where they have gone.

22 "Therefore tell the house of Isra'el that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I am not going to do this for your sake, house of Isra'el, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have been profaning among the nations where you went.

Ezekiel 36:12-22 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.