Ezekiel 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

A new {H2319} heart {H3820} also will I give {H5414} you, and a new {H2319} spirit {H7307} will I put {H5414} within {H7130} you: and I will take away {H5493} the stony {H68} heart {H3820} out of your flesh {H1320}, and I will give {H5414} you an heart {H3820} of flesh {H1320}.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit inside you; I will take the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

Commentary

Ezekiel 36:26 is a profound promise from God to His people, foretelling a radical inner transformation. This verse speaks of a divine work that changes the very core of a person's being, enabling them to truly follow God's ways.

Context

This verse is part of a larger prophecy in Ezekiel 36 concerning the future restoration of Israel. After years of exile and spiritual declension, God promises to bring His people back to their land, cleanse them from their impurities (Ezekiel 36:25), and, crucially, empower them to live righteously. This spiritual renewal is presented as a prerequisite for their physical restoration and blessing, highlighting God's ultimate desire for a people who genuinely love and obey Him. The prophecy looks beyond the immediate return from Babylonian captivity to a deeper, spiritual renewal often associated with the new covenant.

Key Themes

  • Divine Initiative: The repeated phrase "I will give," "I will put," "I will take away," and "I will give you" emphasizes that this transformation is entirely God's work. It is not something humans can achieve through their own efforts or rituals, but a sovereign act of divine grace.
  • Radical Inner Transformation: The core message is a complete change of nature. The "stony heart" represents stubbornness, unresponsiveness to God's commands, and spiritual insensitivity. The "heart of flesh" signifies a new capacity for obedience, tenderness, and responsiveness to God's Spirit. This is not just a behavioral modification but a fundamental change in desire and disposition.
  • New Heart and New Spirit: These phrases are parallel and complementary, pointing to a holistic spiritual rebirth. The "new heart" speaks to the seat of will, emotion, and intellect, while the "new spirit" refers to a renewed inner disposition and, prophetically, the indwelling of the Spirit of God.

Linguistic Insights

The contrast between the "stony heart" and the "heart of flesh" is vivid in the Hebrew. The term for "stony heart" is lev even (ΧœΧ‘ ΧΧ‘ΧŸ), signifying hardness, insensitivity, and an inability to feel or respond. It evokes an image of something dead or unyielding. Conversely, "heart of flesh" is lev basar (ΧœΧ‘ Χ‘Χ©Χ¨), representing something pliable, alive, and capable of feeling and responding. This shift is essential for true communion with God and for living according to His statutes.

Practical Application

For believers today, Ezekiel 36:26 continues to be a powerful promise. It speaks to the necessity of a spiritual rebirth, where God Himself transforms our inner being. This transformation, often associated with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, enables us to genuinely love God, understand His word, and walk in His ways. It is a reminder that true obedience flows from a changed heart, not from external compulsion. If we find ourselves struggling with a "stony heart" β€” resistant to God's will or insensitive to His presence β€” this verse offers the hope that God is willing and able to perform this miraculous inner work within us, granting us a heart that is soft and responsive to His leading, much like the circumcision of the heart described elsewhere in Scripture.

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Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 11:19 (107 votes)

    And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

  • Ezekiel 11:20 (107 votes)

    That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

  • Psalms 51:10 (103 votes)

    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 (77 votes)

    Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

  • Deuteronomy 30:6 (67 votes)

    And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

  • John 3:3 (64 votes)

    Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

  • John 3:5 (64 votes)

    Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.