Ezekiel 36:5

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;)

Ezekiel 36:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 36:5

Therefore thus saith the Lord God
Because these Heathens have acted such an unkind and cruel part to Israel: surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken;
in his fierce wrath and hot displeasure, resenting the ill usage of his people; hot with indignation against their enemies, having a fervent zeal for his own glory, and an affectionate concern for the good of his people. It is in the original text in the form of an oath, "if I have not spoken" {g}; let me be reckoned a liar, or not God; believe me that I have spoken, and in this warm manner; and have not only foretold in prophecy, and threatened the destruction of these nations, but have resolved and determined upon it in my own mind. So the Targum,

``if I have not in the fire of my vengeance decreed in my word:''

against the residue of the Heathen, and against all Idumea;
or Edom; the Edomites, even all of them, who of all the Heathen were the most inveterate and implacable enemies of the Jews, though related to them, and are therefore particularly mentioned as the objects of the divine vengeance: the reason follows, which have appointed my land into their possession;
this land where his chosen people dwelt, and which he chose for them, and gave unto them; the land where he himself dwelt, and granted his presence; where his temple was, and he was worshipped. So the Targum,

``the land of the house of my majesty.''

Now this the Lord took ill at their hands, and resented, that they should lay out this land for themselves, and determine upon it as a possession and inheritance of theirs. With the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out
for a prey;
with the utmost joy they joined Nebuchadnezzar's army when he invaded the land of Judea and besieged Jerusalem, out of pure malice and spite to the people of the Jews, in order to eject them from the possession of their land, that it might become a prey to them; see ( Psalms 137:7 ) ( Obadiah 1:12-14 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (al Ma) "si non", Cocceius, Starckius; "[sub.] mentiar", Junius & Tremellius; "non ero Deus", Piscator.

Ezekiel 36:5 In-Context

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;)

7 therefore the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I raised mine hand against heathen men, that be in your compass, that they bear their shame. (and so the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I raised up my hand against the heathen, who be all around thee, so that they bear their shame.)