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Ezekiel 36:19

“Israel's Sin and God's Holy Name”· Ezekiel 36:16–23Read in context
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
And I scattered H6327 them among the heathen H1471, and they were dispersed H2219 through the countries H776: according to their way H1870 and according to their doings H5949 I judged H8199 them.
Complete Jewish Bible
I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them throughout the countries; I judged them in keeping with their manner of life and actions.
Berean Standard Bible
I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds.
American Standard Version
and I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
World English Bible Messianic
and I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries for according to their wayes, and according to their deedes, I iudged them.
Young's Literal Translation
And I scatter them among nations, And they are spread through lands, According to their way, and according to their doings, I have judged them.
हिन्दी · HCV
मैंने उन्हें जाति-जाति के लोगों के बीच तितर-बितर कर दिया, और वे सारे देशों में बिखर गए; मैंने उनके चालचलन और उनके कार्यों के अनुसार उनका न्याय किया.
Translation
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व्यवस्था २८:६४यहेजकेल ३९:२४यहेजकेल ५:१२यहेजकेल २२:१५रोमियों २:६आमोस ९:९यहेजकेल १८:३०
In the KJVVerse 21,379 of 31,102 · 68.7%

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Summary

Ezekiel 36:19 powerfully declares God's direct agency in the dispersion of Israel among the nations, affirming that this severe judgment was a righteous and proportionate consequence of their persistent unfaithfulness and wicked actions. This verse serves as a crucial explanation for the dire state of the exiled people, setting the stage for the profound promises of restoration and spiritual renewal that follow in the chapter.

Context

Literary Context

Ezekiel 36:19 concludes a section (Ezekiel 36:16-19) where God recounts the defilement of His holy name and land by the house of Israel. This verse acts as the climax of God's explanation for Israel's exile, directly stating His role in their scattering due to their "way and doings." It immediately precedes the glorious promises of restoration, purification, and the giving of a new heart and spirit, which begin in Ezekiel 36:20. Thus, verse 19 provides the necessary theological justification for the judgment, making the subsequent grace-filled promises all the more profound and undeserved.

Historical & Cultural Context

The historical backdrop for this verse is the Babylonian Exile, specifically the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the Judahite population in 586 BCE. This was not a random historical event but a divinely ordained consequence of centuries of covenant unfaithfulness, particularly idolatry and moral corruption, which had defiled the land and the temple. The concept of "scattering" (diaspora) was a severe covenant curse outlined in the Mosaic Law (e.g., Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:64), indicating a loss of land, identity, and divine favor. For Israel, being dispersed among "the heathen" (Gentile nations) meant living in lands dominated by foreign gods and customs, further emphasizing their humiliation and the perceived weakness of their God by the surrounding peoples.

Key Themes

This verse underscores several foundational themes within Ezekiel and the broader Old Testament. Firstly, Divine Sovereignty is paramount, as God explicitly states, "I scattered them" and "I judged them," demonstrating His active control over history and His people's destiny, even in judgment. Secondly, Divine Justice is highlighted, as the judgment is explicitly "according to their way and according to their doings," emphasizing that God's actions are always righteous and proportionate to sin. This reinforces the theme of Consequences of Disobedience, linking Israel's persistent idolatry and moral corruption directly to their catastrophic exile. Finally, the verse subtly introduces the theme of God's Holy Name, which, though defiled by Israel's actions among the nations (as mentioned in Ezekiel 36:20), will ultimately be vindicated through their restoration.

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

scattered pûwts' H6327

This primitive root signifies to "dash in pieces" or "disperse." It conveys a forceful, often violent, breaking apart or scattering. In this context, it emphasizes the deliberate and decisive nature of God's action in driving Israel from their land and spreading them throughout foreign territories, not merely a passive migration but an active, punitive dispersion.

heathen gôwy' H1471

This term refers to a "foreign nation" or "Gentile." It highlights the distinct identity of these non-Israelite peoples, often associated with idolatry and opposition to the God of Israel. Being scattered among the "heathen" underscored Israel's humiliation and the perceived failure of their covenant God in the eyes of the world.

judged shâphaṭ' H8199

This primitive root means "to judge," "pronounce sentence (for or against)," or by implication, "to vindicate or punish." Here, it signifies God's active role as the ultimate arbiter, executing a righteous sentence against Israel. It's not merely an observation of their decline but a decisive act of divine reckoning, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to justice and holiness.

Verse Breakdown

"And I scattered them among the heathen"

This clause directly attributes the dispersion of Israel to God's sovereign action. The use of "I" emphasizes divine agency, indicating that the exile was not an accident of history or merely the result of geopolitical forces, but a deliberate act of God's judgment. Israel was sent into the territories of foreign, non-covenant peoples.

"and they were dispersed through the countries"

This phrase reiterates and intensifies the previous clause, emphasizing the widespread nature of the scattering. "Countries" (Hebrew, ʼerets') refers to various lands or territories, highlighting that the dispersion was not limited to one area but encompassed a broad geographical reach, signifying a complete loss of their national home.

"according to their way and according to their doings I judged them"

This crucial clause provides the divine rationale for the judgment. "Their way" (Hebrew, derek') refers to their course of life, their moral and religious conduct. "Their doings" (Hebrew, ʻălîylâh') refers to their specific actions or deeds, often implying wicked exploits. God's judgment was perfectly just and proportionate, directly corresponding to their persistent covenant unfaithfulness, idolatry, and moral corruption. He acted as a righteous judge, executing the consequences they had earned.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 36:19 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. The most prominent is Divine Agency, explicitly stated through the repeated use of the first-person pronoun "I" ("I scattered them," "I judged them"). This leaves no ambiguity about the source of Israel's judgment, firmly establishing God's active and sovereign involvement in their history. There is also a strong element of Parallelism in the phrases "scattered them among the heathen" and "dispersed through the countries," which reinforces the extent and nature of the exile through synonymous repetition. Furthermore, the phrase "according to their way and according to their doings I judged them" utilizes the Retribution Principle, a theological concept where actions directly lead to consequences, emphasizing the justice and proportionality of God's judgment. This structure highlights the direct cause-and-effect relationship between Israel's sin and their suffering.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Ezekiel 36:19 is a profound statement on divine justice and the outworking of covenant curses. It underscores that God is not merely an observer but an active participant in history, holding His people accountable for their actions. The dispersion was not arbitrary punishment but a righteous response to Israel's persistent rebellion, idolatry, and moral defilement of the land, which had violated their covenant relationship with Yahweh. This verse firmly establishes the theological necessity of the judgment before the subsequent promises of restoration, demonstrating that God's grace is extended not because Israel deserved it, but because of His own holy name and steadfast love. It highlights that God's holiness demands a response to sin, and His justice ensures that consequences are meted out "according to their way and according to their doings."

Deuteronomy 28:64Leviticus 26:33Jeremiah 9:16

Reflection and Application

Ezekiel 36:19 serves as a stark reminder of God's unwavering holiness and His commitment to justice. For believers today, it underscores the profound truth that our actions have consequences, and that God takes sin seriously. While we live under the New Covenant of grace through Christ, the principle of accountability remains, albeit not for condemnation but for spiritual growth and discipline. This verse prompts us to examine our own "way" and "doings," encouraging introspection into areas where our lives might not align with God's will. It challenges us to live in a manner that honors His name, avoiding the spiritual and moral defilement that led to Israel's exile. Ultimately, understanding the severity of God's righteous judgment here deepens our appreciation for the immeasurable mercy and grace extended to us in Christ, who bore the judgment we deserved, paving the way for spiritual renewal and reconciliation.

Questions for Reflection

  1. How does Ezekiel 36:19 challenge or affirm my understanding of God's justice and holiness?
  2. In what ways might my own "way" or "doings" be out of alignment with God's standards, and what steps can I take to repent and realign?
  3. How does understanding the depth of Israel's deserved judgment deepen my appreciation for the undeserved grace I have received in Christ?

FAQ

What specific "way" and "doings" led to Israel's judgment and scattering?

The "way" and "doings" that led to Israel's judgment were primarily their pervasive idolatry, covenant unfaithfulness, and moral corruption. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, God meticulously details their abominations, including worshipping foreign gods (e.g., Ezekiel 8), shedding innocent blood, engaging in sexual immorality, oppressing the poor, and perverting justice (e.g., Ezekiel 22). They defiled God's temple and land with their practices, breaking the very covenant that established them as His people. Their actions were a direct affront to God's holiness and righteousness, leading to the fulfillment of the covenant curses outlined in books like Deuteronomy.

Was God's judgment on Israel arbitrary or unfair?

No, God's judgment on Israel was neither arbitrary nor unfair. Ezekiel 36:19 explicitly states it was "according to their way and according to their doings," emphasizing its just and proportionate nature. God had patiently warned Israel through prophets for centuries, calling them to repentance. The terms of the Mosaic Covenant, which Israel willingly entered into, clearly outlined the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience, including exile and dispersion (e.g., Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). The judgment was a direct, deserved consequence of their persistent, unrepentant rebellion against His commands and their defilement of His holy name. It was an act of righteous justice from a holy God.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

Ezekiel 36:19, with its declaration of God's righteous judgment and the scattering of Israel "according to their way and according to their doings," powerfully foreshadows the ultimate judgment for sin borne by Jesus Christ. The dispersion of Israel due to their unfaithfulness serves as a corporate illustration of humanity's universal spiritual lostness and separation from God, a scattering caused by the "way" and "doings" of sin in every individual life (Romans 3:23). Yet, God's plan was not merely judgment but also restoration. The New Testament reveals that Jesus, the true Israel, perfectly fulfilled the Law and bore the judgment for the "way" and "doings" of all humanity on the cross. He was "scattered" and forsaken (Matthew 26:31), enduring the divine wrath that our sins deserved, so that we might be gathered. Through His atoning sacrifice, Christ offers a "new heart and a new spirit" (echoing Ezekiel 36:26), transforming those who were once dispersed by sin into a unified body, the Church, gathered into His kingdom (John 11:52; Ephesians 2:13-16). Thus, the judgment in Ezekiel 36:19 sets the stage for the profound grace of God in Christ, who by taking our judgment, makes true, lasting restoration possible.

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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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