Ezekiel 36:21

“Israel's Sin and God's Holy Name”· Ezekiel 36:16–23Read in context
King James Version
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
KJV (with Strong's)
But I had pity H2550 for mine holy H6944 name H8034, which the house H1004 of Israel H3478 had profaned H2490 among the heathen H1471, whither they went H935.
Complete Jewish Bible
But I am concerned about my holy name, which the house of Isra'el is profaning among the nations where they have gone.
Berean Standard Bible
But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had gone.
American Standard Version
But I had regard for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, whither they went.
World English Bible Messianic
But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, where they went.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But I fauoured mine holy Name which the house of Israel had polluted among the heathen, whither they went.
Young's Literal Translation
And I have pity on My holy name, That the house of Israel have polluted among nations whither they have gone in.
Translation
See also
Isaiah 48:9Psalms 74:18Ezekiel 20:9Ezekiel 20:14Deuteronomy 32:26Deuteronomy 32:27Isaiah 37:35
In the KJVVerse 21,381 of 31,102 · 68.7%

Study this verse

Summary

Ezekiel 36:21 unveils the profound and sovereign motivation behind God's promised restoration of Israel from exile: it is not rooted in Israel's merit, but solely in the vindication of His own holy name. Despite the house of Israel's persistent sin and subsequent dispersion among the Gentile nations, which inadvertently caused God's reputation to be dishonored, the Lord declares His compassionate resolve to act. His ultimate purpose is to demonstrate His power, faithfulness, and absolute holiness before all the world by gathering His people, cleansing them, and restoring the honor due to His sacred identity.

Context

Literary Context

Ezekiel 36:21 is a pivotal verse, marking a significant transition in the book of Ezekiel from prophecies of judgment and desolation (Ezekiel 1-33) to those of restoration and hope (Ezekiel 34-48). It is situated within a discourse concerning the desolation of the land of Israel due to the people's defilement (Ezekiel 36:1-15) and immediately precedes the glorious promises of national restoration, spiritual renewal, and the regathering of Israel from the nations (Ezekiel 36:22-38). This verse serves as the theological linchpin, explaining why God will act in such a redemptive manner. It firmly establishes that His motivation is primarily for His own glory and the vindication of His holy name, which Israel's unfaithfulness had profaned. It sets the immutable stage for the new covenant promises of a new heart and Spirit found later in this chapter.

Historical & Cultural Context

The prophet Ezekiel ministered to the Jewish exiles in Babylon during the 6th century BC, following the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. Israel's exile was a direct consequence of their persistent idolatry, injustice, and covenant unfaithfulness, as foretold by prophets like Jeremiah. Their dispersion among the "heathen" (Gentile nations) was not merely a physical displacement but also a profound theological crisis. In the ancient Near East, the fate of a nation was often seen as a direct reflection of the power, character, and efficacy of its god. Thus, Israel's defeat and exile led the surrounding nations to conclude that the God of Israel was either weak, unable to protect His people, or unjust in His dealings. This perception, though erroneous, effectively "profaned" God's name, treating His sacred identity as common or contemptible. God's declaration in this verse directly addresses this cultural context, asserting His sovereign right and power to act for His own reputation and glory.

Key Themes

This verse underscores several foundational theological themes that resonate throughout Scripture. First, it highlights God's ultimate concern for His own glory and the holiness of His name. God's actions are not contingent on human merit or worthiness but are rooted in His unchanging character and unwavering commitment to His own honor. Second, it powerfully illustrates the concept of the profanation of God's name, where Israel's unfaithful conduct among the Gentiles brought dishonor to the God they represented. This theme emphasizes that the behavior of God's people directly impacts how He is perceived by the world, as also noted in Romans 2:24. Third, the verse reveals divine pity (or compassion) as a resolute determination to uphold His divine standard, rather than a mere sentimental emotion. This profound pity drives God's sovereign intervention to restore His people and vindicate His character, laying the groundwork for the promises of spiritual renewal and a new covenant, where God will put His Spirit within them and cause them to walk in His statutes, as described in Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

pity châmal' H2550

This verb (H2550) signifies to commiserate, to spare, or to have compassion. In this context, God's "pity" is not a weak or sentimental emotion but a strong, active resolve rooted in His character. It denotes His unwillingness to allow His name to remain dishonored, compelling Him to act decisively to restore its sanctity, demonstrating His faithfulness to Himself and His own divine standard.

holy qôdesh' H6944

This noun (H6944) refers to something sacred, set apart, or consecrated, implying purity and distinctness from the common or profane. When combined with "name" (H8034, shêm'), it emphasizes God's unique, transcendent, and unapproachable nature. Thus, "my holy name" signifies all that God is in His absolute purity, power, and distinctness from all other gods and created things.

profaned châlal' H2490

This verb (H2490) is a primitive root meaning to bore, wound, dissolve, or figuratively, to profane, defile, pollute, or make common. It implies stripping away holiness or sacredness, treating something sacred as ordinary or contemptible. When Israel "profaned" God's holy name, their unfaithful actions and subsequent judgment caused His sacred identity to be treated as ordinary, powerless, or even contemptible by the Gentile nations (H1471, gôwy'), thereby diminishing His glory in their eyes.

Verse Breakdown

"But I had pity"

This opening phrase signals a divine initiative rooted in God's unchanging character. Despite Israel's unworthiness and their direct role in bringing about their own judgment, God's action is not punitive but redemptive, driven by a deep, active concern for His own integrity and the honor of His being. It highlights His sovereign freedom to act for His own purposes.

"for mine holy name"

This clause reveals the ultimate and singular motivation for God's intervention. His concern is not primarily for Israel's comfort or restoration for their sake, but for the honor and vindication of His own character and reputation, which is intrinsically tied to His "holy name." This emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty, self-sufficiency, and His inherent commitment to His own glory above all else.

"which the house of Israel had profaned"

This directly attributes the dishonor to Israel's actions and covenant unfaithfulness. Their idolatry, disobedience, and subsequent exile led to a profound misrepresentation of God's character among the nations, causing His sacred name to be treated as common, weak, or even contemptible. This highlights the serious consequences of Israel's failure to live up to their covenant responsibilities and reflect God's holiness to the world.

"among the heathen, whither they went"

This specifies the context and scope of the profanation. Israel's dispersion among the Gentile nations (H1471, gôwy') exposed God's name to the scrutiny and misinterpretation of those who did not know Him. The nations, witnessing Israel's plight and apparent abandonment by their God, drew conclusions about God's power and justice that were contrary to His true nature, thereby intensifying the dishonor to His name and necessitating divine intervention.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 36:21 employs several significant literary devices to convey its powerful and profound message. Anthropomorphism is clearly evident in the phrase "I had pity," attributing a human emotion of compassion or commiseration to God. While God is transcendent and beyond human limitations, this expression helps human readers grasp His active concern and resolute determination to act on behalf of His own honor. The phrase "mine holy name" functions as a profound example of metonymy, where "name" stands in for God's entire being, character, reputation, authority, and essence. The profanation of His name is thus understood not merely as a verbal slight but as an assault on His very person and divine identity. There is also a clear contrast established between God's inherent, unchangeable holiness and the profaning, unfaithful actions of His people, highlighting the immense gravity of Israel's sin and the divine imperative for God to act to restore His own honor. Furthermore, the recurring emphasis on God's "name" throughout Ezekiel, particularly in chapters 36 and 39, serves as a powerful form of repetition that underscores its centrality to God's redemptive plan and His ultimate self-vindication before all creation.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Ezekiel 36:21 articulates a foundational biblical truth: God's ultimate concern is the glory and holiness of His own name. This principle is not unique to Ezekiel but is woven throughout the fabric of Scripture, from the Exodus narrative, where God delivers Israel to make His name known (e.g., Exodus 9:16), to the New Testament, where the Father's name is glorified through the Son (e.g., John 12:28). The profanation of God's name by His people underscores the weighty responsibility placed upon those who bear His name and represent Him to the world. Yet, it also reveals God's unwavering commitment to His own character, demonstrating that even when His people fail spectacularly, His purposes will prevail, and His name will ultimately be vindicated before all creation. This divine resolve ensures that His covenant promises, including those of restoration and spiritual renewal, will be fulfilled, not because of human worthiness, but solely for His own glory and the demonstration of His faithfulness.

Exodus 32:11-14Isaiah 48:9-11Romans 2:24

Reflection and Application

Ezekiel 36:21 serves as a profound mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to consider how our lives reflect upon the God we claim to serve. Just as ancient Israel's conduct among the nations inadvertently brought dishonor to God's name, so too do our actions, words, and attitudes in the public square and private sphere impact how the world perceives Christianity and, by extension, God Himself. This verse calls us to a life of intentional holiness and integrity, recognizing that our primary calling is to glorify God's name in all that we do. It compels us to examine whether our lives are a consistent testament to His power, goodness, and truth, or if they, by inconsistency, compromise, or outright disobedience, inadvertently "profane" His sacred identity. Moreover, this passage offers immense comfort and hope, reminding us that even in our failures and shortcomings, God remains utterly faithful to His own character and purposes. His ultimate concern for His name means that He will act to vindicate Himself, often working through our weaknesses to display His strength and grace, ensuring that His perfect will is accomplished for His glory and the ultimate good of His people.

Questions for Reflection

  1. In what specific ways might my daily actions, words, or attitudes inadvertently "profane" God's name in the eyes of those who do not know Him, or even within the believing community?
  2. How does understanding God's ultimate concern for His own "holy name" deepen my appreciation for His sovereignty and grace, especially when I consider my own unworthiness?
  3. What practical steps can I take to live in a way that more intentionally honors and glorifies God's name in my personal, professional, and spiritual spheres, becoming a true reflection of His character?

FAQ

Why is God so concerned with His "name" in this verse and throughout Scripture?

God's "name" in biblical theology is far more than a mere label; it represents His entire being, character, attributes, authority, and reputation. When the Bible speaks of God's concern for His name, it means He is concerned for His own intrinsic holiness, glory, and the accurate perception of who He is by all creation. In Ezekiel 36:21, Israel's unfaithfulness caused the Gentile nations to draw false conclusions about God – perhaps that He was weak, unjust, or unable to protect His people. This effectively "profaned" His name, treating His sacred identity as common or contemptible. God's concern for His name, therefore, is His resolute determination to vindicate His true character, to demonstrate His power and justice, and to ensure that His glory is recognized among all peoples. This is a consistent theme from the Ten Commandments, which forbid misusing His name, to the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, "Hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9). God acts for His name's sake because His name is inseparable from His very being and His ultimate purpose to be glorified.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

Ezekiel 36:21, with its profound emphasis on God acting for the sake of His holy name, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Throughout history, humanity, beginning with Israel, consistently profaned God's name through sin, disobedience, and idolatry, bringing dishonor to the Creator. Yet, Jesus, the Son of God, perfectly glorified the Father's name through His obedient life, atoning death, and triumphant resurrection. In His high priestly prayer, Jesus declared, "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world" (John 17:6), and prayed, "Father, glorify your name" (John 12:28). The "pity" God had for His name, which led Him to restore Israel, culminates in Christ's work on the cross, where the ultimate profanation of God's holiness (human sin) was dealt with definitively, and God's perfect righteousness and justice were gloriously displayed. The new covenant promised in Ezekiel 36, where God would give a new heart and put His Spirit within His people (Ezekiel 36:26-27), is inaugurated through Christ's sacrifice and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). Through this new covenant, believers are empowered to live lives that truly honor God's name, becoming a people who genuinely reflect His holiness among the nations, thereby fulfilling God's ancient promise to vindicate His name through His redeemed people in Christ.

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 36:21 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.

Related study articles8