Ezekiel 36:17

“Israel's Sin and God's Holy Name”· Ezekiel 36:16–23
Translation
King James Version
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.
Ask
KJV (with Strong's)
Son H1121 of man H120, when the house H1004 of Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in their own land H127, they defiled H2930 it by their own way H1870 and by their doings H5949: their way H1870 was before H6440 me as the uncleanness H2932 of a removed woman H5079.
Ask
Complete Jewish Bible
"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.
Ask
Berean Standard Bible
“Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. Their behavior before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman’s impurity.
Ask
American Standard Version
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.
Ask
World English Bible Messianic
Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.
Ask
Geneva Bible (1599)
Sonne of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their owne lande, they defiled it by their owne wayes, and by their deedes: their way was before me as the filthinesse of the menstruous.
Ask
Young's Literal Translation
`Son of man, The house of Israel are dwelling on their land, And they defile it by their way and by their doings, As the uncleanness of a separated one hath their way been before Me.
Ask
See also
Jeremiah 2:7Numbers 35:33Numbers 35:34Leviticus 15:19Leviticus 15:33Micah 2:10Isaiah 64:6
In the KJVVerse 21,377 of 31,102 · 68.7%

Study This Verse

Summary

Ezekiel 36:17 introduces a critical theological pivot within Ezekiel's prophecies, explaining the divine rationale behind Israel's exile. It declares that the house of Israel, while dwelling in their own land, profoundly defiled it through their persistent unfaithfulness and corrupt practices. This defilement, likened by God to the severe uncleanness of a menstruating woman, rendered the land ritually impure in His holy sight, necessitating their removal. This verse thus underscores the gravity of covenant disobedience and sets the indispensable foundation for God's subsequent promises of sovereign restoration and spiritual renewal, which would be driven not by Israel's merit but by His own holy name and unwavering character.

Context

Literary Context

Ezekiel 36:17 serves as a pivotal explanatory bridge within the prophet's discourse. The preceding chapters of Ezekiel (chapters 8-32) are largely dominated by pronouncements of judgment against Judah, Jerusalem, and surrounding nations, culminating in the devastating destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Chapter 33 transitions to Ezekiel's role as a watchman, emphasizing individual accountability. Chapters 34 and 35 address the failures of Israel's leadership and judgment upon Edom. However, Chapter 36 marks a dramatic shift from condemnation to an expansive vision of future restoration for Israel. This specific verse, therefore, acts as a retrospective justification, providing the theological "why" for the judgment and exile. It grounds the glorious promises of return, cleansing, and spiritual renewal that follow (e.g., Ezekiel 36:24-32) in the undeniable reality of Israel's past sin and God's righteous justice. It is the necessary dark backdrop against which the light of God's future grace shines even brighter.

Historical & Cultural Context

The prophet Ezekiel ministered to the Jewish exiles in Babylon during the 6th century BC, following the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. The "house of Israel" here refers to the entire covenant people, encompassing both the formerly divided northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah), though the immediate audience was the exiles from Judah. Their "own land" is the Promised Land of Canaan, which God had graciously given to their ancestors as an inheritance. The defilement described was a culmination of centuries of systemic idolatry, social injustice, moral depravity, and a blatant disregard for God's covenant laws, practices that ultimately led to the Babylonian exile. The comparison to "the uncleanness of a removed woman" (Hebrew: niddah) directly references the Mosaic Law (e.g., Leviticus 15:19-24), where a woman during her menstrual period was ritually impure, rendering anything she touched or sat upon unclean. This imagery was deeply understood by the Israelite audience, vividly conveying the extreme, pervasive, and contaminating nature of their spiritual defilement in God's eyes, necessitating their separation from the land.

Key Themes

This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Ezekiel and the broader Old Testament. It highlights the holiness of God and His absolute intolerance for sin, particularly within His covenant people and the land consecrated to Him. The concept of land defilement is central; Israel's "way and doings" did not merely offend God personally but actively polluted the very ground, making it ritually unacceptable for God's presence. This theme is echoed in passages like Leviticus 18:25, where the land is depicted as "vomiting out" its inhabitants due to their abominations, underscoring the profound interconnectedness between human moral conduct and the sanctity of creation. Furthermore, it speaks to covenant unfaithfulness, as Israel's actions constituted a direct breach of their covenant obligations, leading to the stipulated curses of exile (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15-68). By exposing the depth of their defilement, the verse also implicitly sets the stage for the theme of divine restoration and cleansing, emphasizing that any future restoration would be an act of God's sovereign grace and for the vindication of His holy name, not because of Israel's inherent righteousness (as elaborated in Ezekiel 36:22-23).

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

House bayith' H1004

While literally meaning a physical dwelling (H1004), in the context of "house of Israel," it refers to the entire nation, the collective people descended from Jacob. This signifies their corporate identity and covenant relationship with God, indicating that the defilement was not merely individual but permeated the entire societal and religious fabric of the nation.

Defiled ṭâmêʼ' H2930

This primitive root (H2930) means "to be foul," specifically in a ceremonial or moral sense, conveying contamination and pollution. Here, it signifies that Israel's actions made the land ritually and morally impure in God's sight, violating its sanctity and rendering it unfit for His holy presence. This defilement was not superficial but deep-seated, necessitating a radical divine response.

Uncleanness ṭumʼâh' H2932

This noun (H2932) derives from the same root as "defiled" and specifically denotes religious impurity or ritual defilement. When combined with "of a removed woman" (H5079, niddâh), referring to menstrual impurity, it paints a vivid picture of extreme and contagious uncleanness. This comparison underscores the severity and pervasiveness of Israel's sin, indicating that their moral and spiritual state was as repugnant to God as the most potent ritual impurity under the Mosaic Law, requiring complete separation.

Verse Breakdown

"Son of man,"

This is God's customary address to Ezekiel, emphasizing his human frailty and his role as a representative of humanity, chosen to receive and faithfully deliver divine revelation. It sets a formal, authoritative tone for the weighty message that follows.

"when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land,"

This clause establishes the historical context for the defilement. It refers to the long period during which the Israelites inhabited the Promised Land, from the time of the conquest through the monarchy, leading up to the Babylonian exile. It highlights that their sin was not an isolated incident but a sustained and pervasive pattern of behavior over generations in the very land God had graciously given them.

"they defiled it by their own way and by their doings:"

This is the core accusation. "They defiled it" refers to the land itself, indicating that Israel's actions had a tangible, polluting effect on the sacred space. "By their own way and by their doings" comprehensively describes their conduct: their chosen lifestyle, their moral choices, their idolatrous practices, social injustices, and general disobedience to God's covenant laws. This phrase emphasizes the intentionality and pervasiveness of their sin, which was a deliberate departure from God's righteous standards.

"their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman."

This powerful simile articulates the depth of Israel's defilement from God's perspective. "Before me" underscores that God was the direct witness and righteous judge of their actions. The comparison to "the uncleanness of a removed woman" (referring to menstrual impurity, niddah) signifies extreme ritual uncleanness, which rendered a person untouchable and separated. This imagery conveys that Israel's spiritual state was not merely a minor transgression but a profound, pervasive, and utterly offensive impurity that necessitated their separation from the land, just as a ritually unclean person was separated from the community or the sanctuary.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 36:17 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message with striking impact. The most prominent is Simile, where Israel's "way" is explicitly compared to "the uncleanness of a removed woman." This vivid comparison draws on a deeply understood cultural and religious concept of ritual impurity from the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 15). By likening the nation's moral and spiritual corruption to something so profoundly and contagiously unclean, the prophet emphasizes the extreme gravity and pervasive nature of their sin in God's eyes, making it repugnant and necessitating separation. There is also a subtle Anthropomorphism in the idea of the land being "defiled," as if it can suffer pollution from human actions. This personification underscores the sacredness of the land as God's gift and the profound violation that Israel's sin represented, implying that the land itself reacted to their unholiness, eventually "vomiting them out." The entire passage is part of a larger Prophetic Discourse, characterized by divine pronouncements ("Son of man"), direct address, and a blend of judgment and future hope, serving to interpret historical events through a theological lens and reveal God's sovereign plan.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Ezekiel 36:17 lays bare the profound theological truth that human sin is not merely a private affair but has cosmic implications, defiling not only the individual but also the community and even the land itself. This concept of land defilement is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, where the purity of the land was intrinsically linked to the covenant faithfulness of its inhabitants and the presence of a holy God. Israel's persistent idolatry, injustice, and moral corruption were an affront to God's holiness, rendering them and their dwelling place ritually unacceptable. This verse underscores God's unwavering justice, demonstrating that His holiness demands a response to sin, even if that response is severe judgment like exile. Yet, it simultaneously sets the stage for His greater purpose: a demonstration of His sovereign grace and a future, unmerited restoration driven by His commitment to His own holy name, not by Israel's worthiness or merit.

Leviticus 18:25Isaiah 1:4-6Jeremiah 2:7

Reflection and Application

Ezekiel 36:17 serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive and defiling nature of sin, not just on an individual level but on communities and even the environment around us. Just as Israel's "way and doings" polluted the land God had given them, our own choices, actions, and spiritual compromises can have far-reaching consequences, impacting our relationships, our families, our churches, and our witness in the world. This verse calls us to a profound awareness of God's holiness and His expectation of purity from His people. It challenges us to examine our "way" and "doings," asking if our lives reflect the holiness of God or if we are, in some measure, contributing to defilement. True spiritual health requires a recognition of our own sin, a humble confession, and a turning to God for cleansing. While God's justice is unwavering in addressing sin, this verse, in its broader context, also points to His boundless grace and His desire to cleanse and restore those who genuinely repent. It compels us to live lives that honor God, seeking to be agents of purity and restoration in a world that desperately needs His transforming touch, knowing that our ultimate cleansing comes not from our own efforts but from His divine intervention and transformative power.

Questions for Reflection

  1. In what ways might our "way" or "doings" today contribute to spiritual or moral defilement in our personal lives, families, or communities?
  2. How does the concept of "land defilement" challenge our understanding of the interconnectedness between human actions and the sanctity of creation, prompting us to consider our stewardship responsibilities?
  3. What does the severity of Israel's defilement, as likened to "the uncleanness of a removed woman," teach us about God's uncompromising view of sin and His absolute holiness?
  4. How should the knowledge of God's justice in addressing sin shape our pursuit of personal holiness and our commitment to righteous living, knowing that He desires our transformation?

FAQ

What does "the uncleanness of a removed woman" mean in this context?

In Ezekiel 36:17, "the uncleanness of a removed woman" refers to the ritual impurity associated with a woman during her menstrual period, as detailed in the Mosaic Law (e.g., Leviticus 15:19-24). A woman in this state was considered ritually unclean for a specific period, and anything she touched or sat upon would also become unclean, requiring separation. By likening Israel's "way" and "doings"—their moral and spiritual conduct—to this specific type of uncleanness, God emphasizes the profound, pervasive, and utterly offensive nature of their defilement. It was not a minor transgression but a deep-seated impurity that rendered them, and the land they inhabited, utterly repugnant and unacceptable in God's holy sight, necessitating their separation through exile. This imagery conveyed the extreme severity of their sin in a way the Israelite audience would have immediately and viscerally understood.

How does Ezekiel 36:17 relate to the broader message of hope and restoration in Ezekiel 36?

While Ezekiel 36:17 highlights Israel's past sin and defilement, it serves as the essential theological groundwork for the subsequent promises of restoration in the chapter. By clearly articulating why the judgment and exile occurred—because of Israel's profound defilement of the land—God establishes the justification for His actions. This foundation then allows the glorious promises of cleansing, renewal, and return to the land (e.g., Ezekiel 36:24-32) to be understood not as a result of Israel's merit, but as a sovereign act of God's grace, performed for the vindication of His holy name among the nations (as stated in Ezekiel 36:22-23). The verse underscores that the future restoration would involve a radical spiritual transformation, a new heart and spirit, because their old "way" was utterly defiled and could not stand in His presence. It sets up the profound need for divine intervention to achieve true purity and restoration.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

Ezekiel 36:17, with its stark portrayal of Israel's pervasive defilement and the land's consequent pollution, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant system, with its intricate laws of purity and impurity, constantly pointed to humanity's inherent inability to cleanse itself from sin and the desperate need for a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice. Israel's "uncleanness" was not merely ritual but a deep spiritual condition, a profound reflection of the sin that separates all humanity from a holy God. Christ, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, perfectly fulfills the need for ultimate cleansing. His atoning sacrifice on the cross addresses the root cause of all defilement: sin itself. Unlike the temporary and external cleansing offered by Old Testament rituals, Christ's precious blood provides a complete and internal purification, making us truly clean before God (as powerfully seen in Hebrews 9:14 and 1 John 1:7). The promise in Ezekiel 36 of God giving a "new heart and a new spirit" (e.g., Ezekiel 36:26) is gloriously realized in the New Covenant established through Christ, where the Holy Spirit indwells believers, transforming their "way" and "doings" from within, enabling them to walk in God's statutes (as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and explained in Hebrews 8:8-12). Through Christ, the defilement is removed, and God's people are made holy and righteous, enabling a restored fellowship and the ultimate dwelling of God with His people in a new heaven and new earth where there is no more curse or defilement (as depicted in Revelation 21:3 and Revelation 21:27).

Copy as

Public-domain commentary

Matthew Henry

From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 36:16–24. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.

1662–1714 · 9 verses
Passage under commentEzekiel 36:16–24
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details

When God promised the poor captives a glorious return, in due time, to their own land, it was a great discouragement to their hopes that they were unworthy, utterly unworthy, of such a favour; therefore, to remove that discouragement, God here shows them that he would do it for them purely for his own name's sake, that he might be glorified in them and by them, that he might manifest and magnify his mercy and goodness, that attribute which of all others is most his glory. And, the restoration of that people being typical of our redemption by Christ, this is intended further to show that the ultimate end aimed at in our salvation, to which all the steps of it were made subservient, was the glory of God. To this end Christ directed all he did in that short prayer, Father, glorify thy name; and God declared it was his end in all he did in the immediate answer given to that prayer, by a voice from heaven: I have glorified it, and I will glorify it yet again, Joh 12:28. Now observe here,

I.How God's name had suffered both by the sins and by the miseries of Israel; and this was more to be regretted than all their sorrow, which they had brought upon themselves; for the honour of God lies nearer the hearts of good men than any interests of their own.

1.God's glory had been injured by the sin of Israel when they were in their own land, Eze 36:17. It was a good land, a holy land, a land that had the eye of God upon it. But they defiled it by their own way, their wicked way; that is our own way, the way of our own choice; and we ourselves must bear the blame and shame of it. The sin of a people defiles their land, renders it abominable to God and uncomfortable to themselves; so that they cannot have any holy communion with him nor with one another. What was unclean might not be made use of. By the abuse of the gifts of God's bounty to us we forfeit the use of them; and, the mind and conscience being defiled with guilt, no comfort is allowed us, nothing is pure to us. Their way in the eye of God was like the pollution of a woman during the days of her separation, which shut her out from the sanctuary and made very things she touched ceremonially unclean, Lev 15:19. Sin is that abominable thing which the Lord hates, and which he cannot endure to look upon. They shed blood and worshipped idols (Eze 36:18) and with those sins defiled the land. For this God poured out his fury upon them, scattered them among the heathen. Their own land was sick of them, and they were sent into other lands. Herein God was righteous, and was justified in what he did; none could say that he did them any wrong, nay, he did justice to his own honour, for he judged them according to their way and according to their doings, Eze 36:19. And yet, the matter being not rightly understood, he was not glorified in it; for the enemies did say, as Moses pleaded the Egyptians would say if he had destroyed them in the wilderness, that for mischief he brought them forth. Their neighbours considered them rather as a holy people than as a sinful people, and therefore took occasion from the calamities they were in, instead of glorifying God, as they might justly have done, to reproach him and put contempt upon him; and God's name was continually every day blasphemed by their oppressors, Isa 52:5.

2.When they entered into the land of the heathen God had no glory by them there; but, on the contrary, his holy name was profaned, Eze 36:20.

(1.)It was profaned by the sins of Israel; they were no credit to their profession wherever they went, but, on the contrary, a reproach to it. The name of God and his holy religion was blasphemed through them, Rom 2:24. When those that pretended to be in relation to God, in covenant and communion with him, were found corrupt in their morals, slaves to their appetites and passions, dishonest in their dealings, and false to their words and the trust reposed in them, the enemies of the Lord had thereby great occasion given them to blaspheme, especially when they quarrelled with their God for correcting them, than which nothing could be more scandalous.

(2.)It was profaned by the sufferings of Israel; for from them the enemies of God took occasion to reproach God, as unable to protect his own worshippers and to make good his own grants. They said, in scorn, "These are the people of the land, these wicked people (you see he could not keep them in their obedience to his precepts), these miserable people - you see he could not keep them in the enjoyment of his favours. These are the people that came out of Jehovah's land, they are the very scum of the nations. Are these those that had statues so righteous whose lives are so unrighteous? Is this the nation that is so much celebrated for a wise and understanding people, and that is said to have God so nigh unto them? Do these belong to that brave, that holy nation, who appear here so vile, so abject?" Thus God sold his people and did not increase his wealth by their price, Psa 44:12. The reproach they were under reflected upon him.

II.Let us now see how God would retrieve his honour, secure it, and advance it, by working a great reformation upon them and then working a great salvation for them. He would have scattered them among the heathen, were it not that he feared the wrath of the enemy, Deu 32:26, Deu 32:27. But, though they were unworthy of his compassion, yet he had pity for his own holy name, and a thousand pities it was that that should be trampled upon and abused. He looked with compassion on his own honour, which lay bleeding among the heathen, on that jewel which was trodden into the dirt, which the house of Israel, even in the land of their captivity, had profaned, Eze 36:21. In pity to that God brought them out from the heathen, because their sins were more scandalous there than they had been in their own land. "Therefore I will gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land, Eze 36:24. Not for your sake, because you are worthy of such a favour, for you are most unworthy, but for my holy name's sake (Eze 36:22), that I may sanctify my great name," Eze 36:23. Observe, by the way, God's holy name is his great name. His holiness is his greatness; so he reckons it himself. Nor does any thing make a man truly great but being truly good, and partaking of God's holiness. God will magnify his name as a holy name, for he will sanctify it: I will sanctify my name which you have profaned. When God performs that which he has sworn by his holiness, then he sanctifies his name. The effect of this shall be very happy: The heathen shall know that I am the Lord when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes and yours. When God proves his own holy name, and his saints praise it, then he is sanctified in them, and this contributes to the propagating of the knowledge of him. Observe,

1.God's reasons of mercy are all fetched from within himself; he will bring his people out of Babylon, not for their sakes, but for his own name's sake, because he will be glorified.

2.God's goodness takes occasion from man's badness to appear so much the more illustrious; therefore he will sanctify his name by the pardon of sin, because it has been profaned by the commission of sin.

Copy as

Historical interpretation

Historical Reception

2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.

2 quotes · AD 420
AD 420JeromePost-NiceneSourceCommentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
AD 420JeromePost-NiceneSourceCommentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 16 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, the house of Israel have dwelt (or dwells) in their own land, and they have defiled it with their ways and their idols: according to the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity, their way has become before me. And I poured out my indignation (or fury) upon them, for the blood they have shed upon the land: they have defiled it with their idols, and I scattered them among the nations, and dispersed them in the lands (or regions) according to their ways, and judged them for their inventions (or sins), and they entered into the nations to which they came, and defiled my holy name, when it was said of them, This is the people of the Lord, and they have come out of his land. And I spared my holy name (that is, I spared them for the sake of my holy name) which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. Therefore, say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to whom you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. Indeed, I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in your midst (or give it to you), and I will make you walk in my precepts (or my justifications), and keep my judgments, and do (or make) them ((Vulg. is silent on them)). And you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you shall be to me a people, and I will be to you a God. And I will save you ((Al. I will save you)) from all your defilements (or impurities), and I will call forth grain, and multiply it, and I will not give (or give) you famine, and I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the produce of the field, so that you will no longer bear the reproach of famine among the nations. And you shall remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and your iniquities, and your abominations. And I will not do for your sake, saith the Lord God, let it be known unto you. Be ye confounded, and ashamed at your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord God: In the day that I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities, and shall cause the cities to be inhabited, and shall repair the ruinous places, And the desolate land shall be tilled, which before was waste in the sight of all that passed by, They shall say: This land that was untilled (or desolate) is become as a garden of pleasure; and the cities that were uninhabitable, and deserted, and ruined, are now fenced, and inhabited. And the nations shall know that those who were left all around you, who were scattered, I the Lord have rebuilt. I have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken and I will do it. Thus says the Lord God: In this I will be found by the house of Israel, and I will act for them. I will multiply them like a flock of people, like a holy flock, like the flock of Jerusalem in its appointed feasts. The cities shall be inhabited again, and the waste places rebuilt with flocks of people. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. The things that are said are clear, and the whole sense of the mountains of Israel, which were previously desert, and afterwards restored, is now more clearly revealed. And God explains why He handed over the people of Israel to captivity, and promises, due to His mercy, to bring them back to the land of Judah and to give them much greater things than He had taken away. Some Jews refer this to the times of Zerubbabel, when, with Cyrus, the king of the Persians releasing their captivity, many were brought back from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin to Judah. But others refer it to a kingdom of a thousand years, when under Christ, whom they suppose to be coming, the city of Jerusalem is to be built, and the temple to be constructed, concerning which temple we shall speak in the interpretation of the last part of the book. Meanwhile, let us pass briefly through the remaining portion of this chapter, and consider what seems to be said to us according to the understanding of the Church. The house of Israel, that is, the people of the Jews, once dwelt in their land, that is, in the land of Judah, when they were brought out of Egypt. But they defiled it with their ways and pursuits, or their idols, and they became so polluted that they were compared to the filth of a menstruating woman. Because of this, God poured out his indignation upon them, for the blood of the prophets and the righteous, which they had shed on the earth, as the Savior says in the Gospel: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you (Matthew 23:37). And again (Verse 35): Amen, amen I say to you: the blood of Abel, the just, shall be required of this generation from the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the altar and the temple. Amen, I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. Therefore, behold I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes, and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the altar and the temple. Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not? Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate! For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! When I saw this, he said, not for their sake, but for the sake of my holy name (for I am the Creator of all), I spared them and sanctified them, and I restored them to their former glory, so that I might pour out clean water of saving Baptism upon those who believe and have turned away from error, and cleanse them from their abominations and from all the errors in which they were occupied, and give them a new heart to believe in the Son of God and a new spirit, of which David speaks: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Ps. 50:21). And it is to be considered that a new heart and a new spirit are given through the effusion and sprinkling of water. When, however, a new heart and a new spirit are given, then all hardness, which is compared to stone, will be removed from the Jewish heart, so that the heart may be a fleshy, soft, and tender one, which can receive the spirit of God within itself and be inscribed with saving words. Then they will walk in the precepts of the Lord and keep His judgments, and they will dwell in the land of confession, which He had given to their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all the holy ones and prophets, and they will become the people of God, and the Lord will be their God, as is proven in the present time. And when they are saved, the Lord will call the grain and multiply it. For unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone (John 12:24). And they will not endure hunger (Amos 8:11): not hunger for bread and thirst for water, but hunger for hearing the word of God, which he who came from the Father, having received all substance, scattered: when in the necessity of hunger, he fed on the pods of swine (Luke 15). Then the fruit of the tree, that is, wisdom, will be multiplied, of which it is written: The tree of life is to all who seek it (Prov. III, 18): and the produce of the field will be like Jacob, whose scent was like the scent of a full field, to whom the Lord blessed (Genes. XXVII, 27). They will no longer bear the reproach of famine among the nations, which the unbelief of the Jews suffers to this day: but after they have attained blessedness, they will imitate the Apostle who says: I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God (I Cor. XV, 9). And they will remember their worst ways and their non-good pursuits, by which they offended God. And their iniquities and their crimes, by which they previously erred, will displease them. But the Lord will attribute all these things, not for the sake of those who perished by their own error, but for the sake of his holy name. Therefore, he provokes the house of Israel to be confused and ashamed about their past vices, and to understand their Creator. But after he will have cleansed the people of the believers from their iniquities, and he will have made the cities of the Church to be inhabited, and he will have restored the ruined things that had fallen in the synagogues, and the land of confession will have been cultivated with the ceremonies of God, which once seemed desolate to all the saints who pass by the works of earthly conversation: then all will say: How does the land of Judah, which once was uncultivated, now have the likeness of the paradise of God; and the cities of Judah, which were deserted and abandoned, and buried by their unbelief, now stand upright and fortified in confession, and in the name of the Lord and Savior? So that every creature may know, and the multitudes of Angels, which surround the land of Israel, that the Lord has built up the desolate cities and planted the barren regions, and that He has fulfilled what He had promised through the prophets. And this will not be the extent of His generosity towards the people He has saved, but He will provide even greater things. For indeed, He will be found by the house of Israel, who had been sought for a long time and was not found. And after he finds him, he will multiply them like sheep: not of brute animals, but of sheep of men, which are full of reason and confession, like holy sheep and flocks of Jerusalem, in which the worship of God proper and the vision of peace is, in its solemnities when we eat the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5), and we feed on the flesh of the Lamb and drink its blood, and in the seven weeks, and in the tabernacles of this present age we celebrate the Lord's Day festivals, so that the once desolate cities may become full of flocks of men, and by this means they may know that he himself is the Lord, who has provided all things. According to the truth of history, or rather according to the faith of prophecy, it suffices to say briefly how the people of Israel are restored to their original state, and how the remnant of the people of Judah, as the Apostle Paul teaches (Rom. IX, 11), are saved in the Apostle and in all those who initially believed from the Jews and continue to return to the Church even today. Now, the same sense must be opened in this brief tropology. Whoever is from the house of Israel and perceives the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, dwells in his own land, that is, the Church, or in the temporary dwelling of the flesh, which has been given to him by God. But if he pollutes both lands with his wicked ways, and is compared to the impurity of a menstruating woman: God will pour out his indignation upon him, for the blood, either his own or those whom he has scandalized, and will pour it out upon the land, and with perverse thoughts he pollutes it. Then he will be scattered among the nations, to be leveled with the unbelievers, and will be tossed about on the earth like chaff, to be separated from the grain of the Church, and judged according to his ways. But if they have not perceived their sin in this way, but have defiled His holy name, then all those among whom they have lived will say: Behold the people of God, behold those who have come forth from their land, or rather have been cast out. But if they repent and I am sanctified in their midst, then all the multitude of the nations will know that I will remove them from the lands where they were dispersed and bring them back to the land of the Church, and I will pour out upon them not the waters of saving Baptism, but the waters of teaching and the word of God; and I will cleanse them from all their uncleannesses, and from all the idols and errors which they had secretly conceived in their hearts. And I will give them a new heart, which they had lost through sin, and I will renew a right spirit within their hearts. And I will remove the stony heart, that is, the unbelieving heart; and I will give them a fleshy heart, soft and tender; that they may receive the commandments of God; so that they may walk in my commandments, and observe my judgments; which they had previously neglected, and they shall dwell in the land which I had given to their fathers, namely, the masters and teachers; and once again, they shall be the people of God, and the Lord shall be turned to them as God, whom they had previously offended. Then they will be saved from all their sins, and their grain will multiply, from which heavenly bread is made; and they will no longer suffer from hunger for the word of God; and the tree of wisdom will multiply in them, and their hearts will be filled with offspring. They will no longer be a reproach among the nations; but after God has shown them mercy, they will remember their wicked ways and know where they have been, and they will be disgusted by their iniquities. What the Lord says is not for them, but for his own mercy. Therefore, he encourages those who are straying to be confounded and ashamed in their ways, and to be restored to the cities of the Church, which will be inhabited by them again and all that have fallen in them will be rebuilt. And they will return to the ancient ceremonies, and the once deserted land, which appeared desolate to its inhabitants and to passing strangers, will return to its former state; and all will marvel and say: This uncultivated land, this deserted land, in which all virtues once perished, has now become like a garden of pleasure and a paradise of God; and the once deserted cities, which did not have God as their guest, and were deprived of the Holy Spirit, and were buried in unbelief, will be fortified by the faith of Christ, so that all around may know that the Lord has built up scattered souls, and has planted and nurtured in them the trees of all virtues; and he himself has fulfilled the things he promised in his words. And again the prophetic word exhorts the repentant, that even when they have returned to the Church, they should always seek the Lord, and find Him: so that the flocks of the Lord may multiply with the multitude of those who return: not of horses and brute animals, but of flocks of men, who are full of faith and reason, the holy flocks, the flocks of the city of Jerusalem, on all the solemnities, which they have received through the mercy of God; so that when the multitude of such flocks has filled the cities of the Lord, then all may know that He is the Lord.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as

Continue studying Ezekiel 36:17 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.

Read & Compare

Commentaries

Original Language & Research

Sermons, Hymns & Audio

TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.