BOOK 26 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Ezekiel 36

Ezekiel book home•Chapter 36 of 48•38 verses

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Ezekiel 36 Overview

The mountains of Israel, once mocked and seized by enemies, are promised renewed fruitfulness for a gathered people. The LORD explains that He will restore Israel for the sake of His holy name, cleanse them, give a new heart and new spirit, put His Spirit within them, and cause the ruined land to become like Eden.

EzekielBook

36Chapter

38Verses

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Before you read Ezekiel 36

Coming from

Ezekiel prophesies against Mount Seir, representing Edom, because of ancient hatred, bloodshed, and the desire to possess Israel and Judah when they were desolate. Edom’s rejoicing over Israel’s ruin will return on its own head, and the LORD will make Mount Seir desolate.

In this chapter

Leads into

Ezekiel is set in a valley full of very dry bones and commanded to prophesy until bones, sinews, flesh, breath, and life are restored. The LORD explicitly identifies the bones as “the whole house of Israel.” A second sign joins sticks for Judah and Joseph/Ephraim, promising a reunited nation under one Davidic king and an everlasting covenant of peace.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Chapter 36 reverses chapter 6: the same mountains once addressed for idolatry now receive words of fruitfulness and repopulation. Restoration includes land, people, reputation among the nations, cleansing, and inner renewal.

The theological center is God’s concern for His holy name. Israel’s restoration is not described as payment for national merit; God explicitly says He acts for His name’s sake and tells the people to be ashamed of their former ways.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

God’s restoration protects the holiness of His name

He acts so the nations will no longer interpret Israel’s exile as the failure of Israel’s God.

True restoration reaches the heart

Cleansing, a new heart, a new spirit, and the indwelling Spirit move far beyond geographic return.

Renewal produces obedience as God’s work bears fruit

The LORD says His Spirit will cause His people to walk in His statutes; obedience is result, not the purchase price of restoration.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Deuteronomy 30:1-6

Moses promised regathering and heart renewal after exile, closely anticipating Ezekiel’s restoration pattern.

John 3:5-10

Jesus’ language of water and Spirit when speaking to Nicodemus likely draws on prophetic renewal texts such as Ezekiel 36.

Titus 3:5

Paul speaks of washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, thematically resonating with cleansing and Spirit-given renewal while teaching salvation by divine mercy rather than works.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not detach the new-heart promise from Israel and the land in its original context.

The chapter explicitly addresses the house of Israel, the nations, and the mountains of Israel even as its renewal language contributes to New Testament theology.

Do not turn “I will cause you to walk” into the claim that works prove whether a person has eternal life.

The chapter describes God’s covenant restoration and transformative work; justification is received by faith apart from works.

Read Ezekiel 36 watching for…

the mountains becoming fruitful again

the LORD acting for His holy name

clean water and cleansing from idols

the new heart, new spirit, and God’s Spirit

ruined places becoming like the garden of Eden

Chapter outline3 sections

1-15The mountains of Israel are promised renewed fruitfulness, population, and freedom from reproach 16-24Israel’s exile is traced to uncleanness, and the LORD promises to gather them for his holy name 25-38The LORD promises cleansing, a new heart and spirit, restored land, and rebuilt cities

Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:

Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:

Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.

But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.

For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:

And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:

And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations;

Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD.

Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.

Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:

And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.

And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.

As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

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Ezekiel 36:34

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