Ezekiel 36:22

“Israel's Sin and God's Holy Name”· Ezekiel 36:16–23
Translation
King James Version
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Therefore say H559 unto the house H1004 of Israel H3478, Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069; I do H6213 not this for your sakes, O house H1004 of Israel H3478, but for mine holy H6944 name's H8034 sake, which ye have profaned H2490 among the heathen H1471, whither ye went H935.
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Complete Jewish Bible
"Therefore tell the house of Isra'el that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I am not going to do this for your sake, house of Isra'el, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have been profaning among the nations where you went.
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Berean Standard Bible
Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.
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American Standard Version
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, whither ye went.
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World English Bible Messianic
Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Therfore say vnto the house of Israel, Thus saith ye Lord God, I doe not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy Names sake, which yee polluted among the heathen whither ye went.
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Young's Literal Translation
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Not for your sake am I working, O house of Israel, But--for My holy name, That ye have polluted among nations whither ye have gone in.
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See also
Psalms 106:8Ezekiel 36:32Psalms 115:1Psalms 115:2Deuteronomy 9:5Deuteronomy 9:7Deuteronomy 7:7
In the KJVVerse 21,382 of 31,102 · 68.7%

Study This Verse

Summary

Ezekiel 36:22 serves as a pivotal declaration of God's unwavering commitment to His own glory and reputation, rather than to the merit of His unfaithful people, Israel. In this profound prophetic utterance, the Lord GOD reveals that His impending acts of restoration and re-gathering of Israel from exile are not a reward for their righteousness, but a necessary vindication of His holy name, which had been dishonored and "profaned" among the Gentile nations through Israel's sin and subsequent dispersion. This verse powerfully underscores God's absolute sovereignty and His ultimate purpose to glorify Himself before all creation.

Context

Literary Context

Ezekiel 36:22 is strategically placed within a significant thematic shift in the book of Ezekiel. The preceding chapters (1-32) are largely dominated by pronouncements of judgment against Israel and surrounding nations, detailing the reasons for their impending exile and destruction. However, beginning in chapter 33, and particularly from chapter 34 onwards, the focus dramatically shifts to prophecies of restoration, hope, and the promise of a New Covenant. Chapters 33-39 specifically detail the spiritual and physical renewal of Israel, their return to the land, and the indwelling of God's Spirit. This particular verse acts as the foundational theological premise for these subsequent promises, explaining why God will act to restore Israel despite their persistent rebellion and unworthiness. It immediately precedes the well-known promise of a new heart and spirit in Ezekiel 36:26-27, emphasizing that the divine initiative is entirely rooted in God's character and His sovereign purpose, not in human merit.

Historical & Cultural Context

The "house of Israel" in this verse refers to the Jewish people who were in Babylonian exile, having been deported from their homeland following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC. Their exile was a direct and devastating consequence of their persistent covenant unfaithfulness, widespread idolatry, and moral corruption. In the ancient Near Eastern worldview, the defeat and exile of a nation often implied the weakness or defeat of their god. Thus, Israel's dispersion among the "heathen" (Gentile nations) led these nations to mock, question, or even dismiss the power and faithfulness of YHWH, the God of Israel. Their perception was that YHWH was either unable to protect His people or had abandoned them, thereby "profaning" His name and diminishing His reputation in the eyes of the world. God's declaration in this verse directly confronts this perception, asserting His sovereign control over history and His ultimate concern for His own renown and holiness among all peoples.

Key Themes

This verse powerfully articulates several core themes central to Ezekiel and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights God's Sovereignty and Glory, emphatically stating that God's primary motivation for action is "for mine holy name's sake." This underscores that God's ultimate concern is His own honor and reputation among all nations, not human merit or deservingness. Secondly, it addresses the Profaning of God's Name, a recurring theme in Ezekiel, where Israel's unfaithfulness and subsequent judgment brought disrepute to YHWH among the Gentiles. Their conduct made God's name appear common, ineffective, or even defeated, demanding divine intervention to restore its sanctity. Finally, the verse powerfully demonstrates Unmerited Grace and Divine Initiative. God's decision to restore Israel is presented as an act of pure, unearned favor, explicitly stating, "I do not [this] for your sakes." This theme resonates with other Old Testament passages, such as Deuteronomy 9:5, where God clarifies that Israel's possession of the land was not due to their righteousness, but His covenant faithfulness and sovereign purpose. This divine initiative sets the stage for the glorious New Covenant promises.

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

house bayith' H1004

This term, while literally meaning a physical dwelling, is used here in its broader application to refer to the "house of Israel," signifying the entire nation, family, or people of Israel. It denotes their collective identity and lineage, emphasizing that God's address is to the whole covenant community, despite their scattered state. The word encompasses the idea of a household or family unit, extending to the entire posterity of Jacob, Israel.

profaned châlal' H2490

From the primitive root H2490, this word means "to bore," and by implication, "to wound," "to dissolve," or figuratively, "to profane." It carries the strong implication of treating something sacred as ordinary, contemptible, or unholy. In this context, Israel's actions (their idolatry, injustice, and unfaithfulness) and their resulting exile caused God's holy name to be treated as common, powerless, or ineffective by the Gentile nations, thereby defiling His reputation and honor. It implies a breaking of the sacred boundary.

heathen gôwy' H1471

This term (H1471) refers to "foreign nations" or "Gentiles." It highlights the international context of God's concern for His name. Israel's profaning of God's name was not an internal matter but had global implications, as it occurred "among the heathen," the very nations to whom God intended His glory and power to be revealed. It underscores the public nature of God's reputation.

Verse Breakdown

"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD;"

This opening phrase establishes the divine authority and certainty of the message. Ezekiel is commanded to speak directly to the exiled nation, indicating that this is a direct, authoritative word from the Sovereign Lord (Adonai Yahweh), not a human opinion or observation. It signals a profound and certain declaration that demands attention and belief.

"I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel,"

This is a crucial negative declaration that dismantles any human-centered expectation. God explicitly states that His impending actions of restoration are not motivated by Israel's merit, worthiness, or any perceived righteousness on their part. It directly confronts any notion that their suffering or future return is a reward for their conduct, emphasizing their unworthiness and the purely gracious, unearned nature of God's plan.

"but for mine holy name's sake,"

This clause reveals the true, singular, and divine motivation behind God's redemptive work. God's actions are driven by His own intrinsic holiness and His unwavering commitment to His divine reputation. His "holy name" represents His character, power, and covenant faithfulness. It is paramount that His name be honored and sanctified among all nations, and His actions will ensure this vindication.

"which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went."

This final clause explains how God's name was profaned and where this profaning occurred. Israel's sinful conduct and subsequent exile caused God's name to be dishonored, treated as common, or perceived as ineffective by the Gentile nations ("the heathen") among whom they were scattered. Their unfaithfulness and perceived abandonment by their God brought disrepute to His glorious and holy name, necessitating His intervention.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 36:22 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The most prominent is Emphasis through Repetition and Contrast. The phrase "O house of Israel" is repeated, directly addressing the audience and reinforcing the personal nature of God's message to His covenant people, even in their fallen state. More significantly, the verse establishes a stark Contrast between two motivations: "not for your sakes... but for mine holy name's sake." This antithesis powerfully highlights God's absolute sovereignty and His self-referential purpose, dismantling any human-centric view of salvation or restoration and underscoring the unmerited nature of His grace. Furthermore, the declaration "Thus saith the Lord GOD" serves as a device of Divine Authority, underscoring the unchallengeable truth and certainty of the prophecy. The entire verse functions as a form of Theological Irony, where Israel's actions, which led to their disgrace and the profaning of God's name, paradoxically become the very catalyst for God's glorious intervention to vindicate His name, demonstrating His ultimate control even over human sin and rebellion.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Ezekiel 36:22 serves as a cornerstone for understanding God's redemptive purposes throughout Scripture. It profoundly establishes that God's ultimate motivation is the vindication and glorification of His own holy name, not the merit or deservingness of humanity. This principle permeates biblical theology, revealing a God who is utterly sovereign, self-sufficient, and whose actions are always consistent with His perfect character. The restoration of Israel, therefore, is not merely about their well-being, but about God demonstrating His power, faithfulness, and holiness to a watching world. This divine initiative, rooted in grace rather than human performance, sets the stage for the New Covenant promises and the broader scope of salvation history, where God's glory is the supreme end.

Isaiah 48:11Psalm 115:1Romans 9:14-16

Reflection and Application

Ezekiel 36:22 offers a profound and challenging perspective on our relationship with God and our purpose in the world. It compels us to shift our focus from what we deserve or what we can accomplish to the absolute supremacy of God's glory. Understanding that God acts primarily for His name's sake liberates us from the burden of earning His favor and anchors our hope in His unwavering character. Our lives, as believers, are meant to be a living testament to His holiness and power, reflecting His glory to a world that often misrepresents or dismisses Him. This verse calls us to align our motivations with God's, seeking His honor in every thought, word, and deed, recognizing that His reputation is ultimately at stake in our witness. It reminds us that even when we fail and profane His name, His commitment to His own glory ensures His continued redemptive work in and through us, transforming us to better reflect His light.

Questions for Reflection

  1. In what ways might my actions, consciously or unconsciously, be profaning God's name in the eyes of the world around me?
  2. How does understanding that God acts for His own name's sake change my perspective on prayer, evangelism, or even personal suffering?
  3. If God's primary motivation is His glory, how can I more intentionally live a life that reflects and magnifies His holy name?

FAQ

Why is God's "name" so important in this verse and throughout the Bible?

In biblical thought, a "name" represents the entire character, reputation, authority, and essence of a person. When God speaks of acting "for mine holy name's sake," it means He acts to uphold His own divine character—His holiness, faithfulness, power, justice, and love—before all creation. Israel's sin and exile had led the Gentile nations to conclude that YHWH was either weak or unfaithful, thus bringing disrepute to His "name." God's actions of restoration are therefore necessary to vindicate His true nature and demonstrate that He is indeed the sovereign, covenant-keeping God, as seen in passages like Exodus 34:5-7.

Does this verse imply that human actions don't matter since God acts for His own sake, not ours?

Not at all. While God's primary motivation is His own glory, this verse does not diminish the significance of human actions. Instead, it underscores the profound responsibility we have as those who bear His name. Israel's actions did matter; they "profaned" God's name. God's decision to act despite their unworthiness highlights His immense grace and faithfulness, which then calls His people to a renewed commitment to holiness. The subsequent verses in Ezekiel 36, particularly Ezekiel 36:26-27, promise a new heart and spirit that enables obedience, demonstrating that God's ultimate goal is a people who do glorify His name through their transformed lives. Our actions matter because they either honor or dishonor the God whose name we bear.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

Ezekiel 36:22 finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The promise of God acting "for mine holy name's sake" culminates in God the Father sending His Son, Jesus, who perfectly glorified the Father's name on earth. Jesus Himself declared, "I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do" (John 17:4). Through His perfect obedience, sacrificial death on the cross, and triumphant resurrection, Christ accomplished the ultimate act of vindicating God's holy name, demonstrating His justice, mercy, and power to a degree unimaginable under the Old Covenant. The "profaning" of God's name by Israel's sin is ultimately atoned for by the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Furthermore, the promise of a restored "house of Israel" and a new heart is fulfilled in the New Covenant established by Christ's blood, where believers, both Jew and Gentile, are united into the spiritual Israel, the Church (Galatians 3:28-29). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, promised in Ezekiel 36:27, believers are empowered to live lives that genuinely "sanctify" and glorify God's name, becoming a people zealous for good works and a light to the nations, reflecting the glory of the Father through the Son (Matthew 5:16). Thus, God's self-glorifying purpose, declared in Ezekiel, is perfectly and eternally realized in Christ and His redeemed people.

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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

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

3 quotes · AD 407–420
Post-Nicene
400

Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.

AD 407John ChrysostomPost-NiceneSourceHOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 3:6
Though you sigh only, though you weep only, all these things he quickly snatches as an occasion for saving you.
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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