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Ezekiel 36:18

“Israel's Sin and God's Holy Name”· Ezekiel 36:16–23Read in context
King James Version
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:
KJV (with Strong's)
Wherefore I poured H8210 my fury H2534 upon them for the blood H1818 that they had shed H8210 upon the land H776, and for their idols H1544 wherewith they had polluted H2930 it:
Complete Jewish Bible
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.
Berean Standard Bible
So I poured out My wrath upon them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.
American Standard Version
Wherefore I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood which they had poured out upon the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols;
World English Bible Messianic
Therefore I poured out my wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols;
Geneva Bible (1599)
Wherfore I powred my wrath vpon them, for the blood that they had shed in the land, and for their idoles, wherewith they had polluted it.
Young's Literal Translation
And I do pour out My fury upon them For the blood that they shed on the land, And with their idols they have defiled it.
हिन्दी · HCV
इसलिये मेरा कोप उन पर भड़का क्योंकि उन्होंने देश में खून बहाया था और इसे अपनी मूर्तियों से अशुद्ध किया था.
Translation
See also
यहेजकेल ७:८2 इतिहास ३४:२१विलापगीत २:४विलापगीत ४:११येरेमियाह ४४:६नहूम १:६यहेजकेल २३:३७
In the KJVVerse 21,378 of 31,102 · 68.7%

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Summary

Ezekiel 36:18 succinctly articulates the divine rationale behind Israel's exile and dispersion among the nations: God's righteous judgment, expressed as "fury," was poured out upon His people due to their profound moral and ritual defilement of the land. Specifically, their shedding of innocent blood and their pervasive idolatry, which polluted the very ground, provoked this severe but just divine response. This verse serves as a foundational explanation for the preceding judgments and sets the stage for the subsequent promises of restoration and spiritual renewal found later in the chapter.

Context

Literary Context

Ezekiel 36:18 is nestled within a pivotal section of Ezekiel's prophecy, shifting from pronouncements of judgment to promises of restoration for Israel. Chapters 33-35 re-establish Ezekiel's role as a watchman and condemn the false shepherds of Israel, while chapter 36 opens with a direct address to the mountains of Israel, promising their restoration after their desolation. Verse 18, therefore, functions as a retrospective explanation, justifying the desolation that has occurred. It clarifies that the land's desolation and the people's exile were not arbitrary acts of God but direct consequences of specific, grievous sins. This explanation is crucial for understanding the depth of Israel's transgression before God unveils His plan for their spiritual and physical renewal, culminating in the promise of a new heart and spirit in Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Historical & Cultural Context

The prophecy of Ezekiel was delivered to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, following the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. The people were grappling with the theological implications of their defeat and displacement, questioning God's faithfulness and justice. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the concept of a land being defiled by the actions of its inhabitants was well-established. Bloodshed, particularly innocent blood, was considered a profound defilement that cried out for justice and could render the land uninhabitable or cursed, as seen in Numbers 35:33-34. Idolatry, the worship of other gods, was not merely a ritual offense but a fundamental breach of the covenant with Yahweh, the one true God, and was often accompanied by immoral practices that further polluted the land, as warned in Leviticus 18:24-28. God's "fury" (divine wrath) in this context is a righteous, covenantal response to such egregious violations.

Key Themes

This verse powerfully underscores several key themes prevalent in Ezekiel and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it highlights God's unwavering holiness and justice. His "fury" is not an arbitrary outburst but a righteous response to profound sin, demonstrating that He cannot tolerate defilement within His covenant people or on His holy land. Secondly, it emphasizes the gravity and defiling nature of sin. Bloodshed and idolatry are presented as actions that not only break God's commands but also actively "pollute" the land, making it unclean and unfit for God's presence or for His people to dwell in. This concept of defilement is central to understanding the necessity of judgment and subsequent purification. Finally, the verse implicitly points to the theme of covenant faithfulness and its consequences. Israel's actions constituted a severe breach of their covenant obligations, leading to the promised curses of exile and desolation, as outlined in passages like Deuteronomy 28. The judgment serves as a necessary precursor to God's ultimate plan of restoration and renewal, where He will act for the sake of His holy name, a theme that dominates the latter part of Ezekiel 36.

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

fury chêmâh' H2534

This term (H2534) denotes intense heat, figuratively representing anger, hot displeasure, or wrath. In the context of God, it signifies a righteous and controlled indignation, a holy wrath against sin, rather than an uncontrolled outburst. It implies a burning, passionate response to severe transgression, ensuring that justice is meted out.

blood dâm' H1818

The word (H1818) refers to the life-fluid of man or animal. When shed, it signifies death, violence, and often, murder or innocent bloodshed. In a legal and theological sense, the shedding of blood, especially innocent blood, was considered a profound defilement of the land, demanding atonement or divine judgment, as it violated the sanctity of life given by God.

idols gillûwl' H1544

This term (H1544) literally means "logs" or "dung-pellets," a derogatory term used by the prophets to mock the worthlessness and offensive nature of false gods. It highlights the utter contempt God has for these lifeless images and the spiritual adultery they represent, emphasizing their defiling effect on the land and the people.

Verse Breakdown

"Wherefore I poured my fury upon them"

This clause establishes God as the active agent of judgment. The verb "poured" (H8210, shâphak') suggests an abundant, overwhelming, and deliberate outpouring, indicating the full measure of divine wrath. The "fury" (H2534, chêmâh') is God's righteous indignation, a just response to Israel's actions, emphasizing the severity and certainty of the judgment.

"for the blood that they had shed upon the land"

This phrase specifies the first major transgression. "Blood" (H1818, dâm') refers to the shedding of innocent life through violence, murder, or unjust oppression. The phrase "upon the land" (H776, ʼerets') highlights that these acts of violence did not merely affect individuals but profoundly defiled the very ground God had given them, rendering it ritually impure and crying out for divine intervention.

"and for their idols [wherewith] they had polluted it"

This identifies the second primary sin: idolatry. "Idols" (H1544, gillûwl') refers to the false gods Israel worshipped, which were an abomination to Yahweh. The verb "polluted" (H2930, ṭâmêʼ') signifies making something ritually or morally unclean. This indicates that Israel's worship of false gods not only broke the first commandment but also rendered the land ceremonially impure, making it unfit for God's holy presence and necessitating their removal.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 36:18 employs several powerful literary devices. The phrase "poured my fury" is a vivid Metaphor and Anthropomorphism, attributing a human action (pouring) and emotion (fury) to God to convey the intensity and comprehensiveness of His judgment. It suggests an overflowing, unavoidable deluge of divine wrath. The use of "blood" and "idols" as the specific causes of judgment exemplifies Synecdoche, where a part (these specific sins) stands for the whole of Israel's rebellion and covenant unfaithfulness. Furthermore, the concept of the land being "polluted" by human actions is a form of Personification, as the land is depicted as being able to be defiled, emphasizing the profound impact of sin beyond the immediate human sphere. This also serves as a strong Symbolism, where the physical defilement of the land symbolizes the spiritual defilement of the people and their relationship with God.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Ezekiel 36:18 profoundly illustrates the immutable holiness and justice of God, demonstrating that His covenant relationship with Israel did not negate the consequences of their persistent sin. The divine "fury" is a righteous response to the defilement of His holy land by bloodshed and idolatry, underscoring the serious implications of violating His moral and ceremonial laws. This judgment, though severe, was not an end in itself but a necessary purification, preparing the way for God's redemptive purposes. It highlights that God's character demands a response to sin, yet His ultimate aim, as revealed later in the chapter, is restoration based on His own holy name, not on Israel's merit.

Numbers 35:33"So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it."
Leviticus 18:25"And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants."
Deuteronomy 28:15"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all thy commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."

Reflection and Application

Ezekiel 36:18 serves as a stark reminder that God is holy and just, and sin carries profound consequences, not only for individuals but also for communities and even the environment they inhabit. While we live under the new covenant of grace, this verse highlights enduring principles about the seriousness of sin and God's righteous character. It challenges us to examine our own lives: are there areas where we are shedding "blood" through injustice, hatred, or neglect of our neighbors? Are there "idols" in our hearts—anything that takes precedence over God, whether it be wealth, status, comfort, or self-worship—that are polluting our spiritual lives and hindering our relationship with Him? This passage calls us to repentance and a renewed commitment to holiness, recognizing that our actions have far-reaching implications and that God remains a God who sees and responds to all defilement. It reminds us that true restoration begins with acknowledging our sin and turning back to Him.

Questions for Reflection

  1. What forms of "bloodshed" or injustice might be present in my community or even in my own attitudes today, and how might these defile our spiritual landscape?
  2. Beyond physical statues, what "idols" might be subtly polluting my heart and distracting me from wholehearted devotion to God?
  3. How does understanding God's righteous "fury" against sin deepen my appreciation for His grace and mercy in Christ?

FAQ

Was God's "fury" an uncontrolled outburst of anger?

No, God's "fury" (Hebrew: chêmâh) in Ezekiel 36:18, while intense, is never depicted as an uncontrolled or irrational outburst. Instead, it is consistently presented in Scripture as a righteous, measured, and just response to grievous sin and covenant unfaithfulness. It reflects God's holy character, which cannot tolerate defilement and injustice. This divine wrath is a manifestation of His perfect justice, ensuring that sin is not left unpunished, and is always aligned with His divine purposes, as seen in the broader context of Ezekiel 36, which moves from judgment to profound restoration.

What does it mean for the land to be "polluted" by sin?

The concept of the land being "polluted" (Hebrew: ṭâmêʼ) by sin is deeply rooted in Old Testament theology, particularly in the Pentateuch. It signifies that the land itself, being God's creation and often designated as holy (especially the land of Israel), becomes ritually and morally defiled by the sinful actions of its inhabitants, such as bloodshed, idolatry, and sexual immorality. This defilement was so severe that the land was said to "vomit out" its inhabitants, as described in Leviticus 18:25. It underscores the pervasive and destructive nature of sin, affecting not just individuals but the very environment and making it unfit for God's presence or for His people to dwell in.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

Ezekiel 36:18, while detailing God's righteous judgment against Israel's sin, profoundly foreshadows the ultimate solution to humanity's defilement found in Jesus Christ. The "fury" poured out on Israel for their bloodshed and idolatry highlights the inescapable reality of sin's consequences and God's holy demand for justice. However, in the New Covenant, God's ultimate answer to the "blood that they had shed" and the "idols wherewith they had polluted" the land is not merely judgment, but a radical act of substitutionary atonement. Jesus, the Lamb of God, became the recipient of God's holy wrath, bearing the "fury" of divine judgment for the sins of humanity. His shed blood on the cross, unlike the defiling blood of human violence, is the only blood that truly cleanses and purifies, making atonement for all sin and removing the pollution that separates humanity from God (Hebrews 9:22). Furthermore, the promise in Ezekiel 36 of a new heart and spirit, where God would remove the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26), finds its fulfillment in the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, made possible through Christ's sacrifice. Through faith in Him, believers are cleansed from the defilement of idolatry and sin, receiving a new nature that desires to worship God in spirit and truth, thereby fulfilling the very purpose for which Israel was called but failed to live up to (Romans 6:6-7). Thus, Christ is the ultimate answer to the problem of human defilement and divine judgment, ushering in a new creation where God's presence can truly dwell among a purified people (Revelation 21:3).

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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.

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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.
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