Ezekiel 36:34

KJV

And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the desolate {H8074} land {H776} shall be tilled {H5647}, whereas it lay desolate {H8077} in the sight {H5869} of all that passed by {H5674}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The land that was desolate will be tilled, whereas formerly it lay desolate for all passing by to see.

Berean Standard Bible

The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through.

American Standard Version

And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all that passed by.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Ezekiel 36:34 delivers a powerful prophetic promise of divine restoration for the land of Israel, which had suffered profound desolation as a direct consequence of the people's sin and subsequent exile. This verse anticipates a future where the barren landscape, once a public testament to judgment and abandonment, will be diligently cultivated and made abundantly fruitful once more. It vividly illustrates God's sovereign power to reverse ruin, transforming utter desolation into vibrant life and productivity, thereby serving as a tangible sign of His faithfulness to His covenant people.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Ezekiel 36 marks a profound turning point within the book of Ezekiel. The preceding chapters meticulously detail God's severe judgments against Israel for their persistent idolatry and rebellion (e.g., the parable of the worthless vine in [Ezekiel 15](/ezekiel/15 "Ezekiel 15 - The Worthless Vine") and the history of Israel's rebellions in [Ezekiel 20](/ezekiel/20 "Ezekiel 20 - Israel's Rebellions")), as well as oracles against surrounding nations (see [Ezekiel 25-32](/ezekiel/25 "Ezekiel 25-32 - Oracles Against Foreign Nations")). This chapter dramatically shifts to an extensive and glorious oracle of hope, renewal, and restoration. It commences with a direct address to the "mountains of Israel" ([Ezekiel 36:1](/ezekiel/36-1 "Ezekiel 36:1 - Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel")), promising their vindication, fruitfulness, and repopulation. Verse 34 specifically integrates into this broader vision of the land's physical transformation, which runs in parallel with and complements the spiritual renewal of the people described in verses like [Ezekiel 36:26-27](/ezekiel/36-26 "Ezekiel 36:26-27 - The New Heart and Spirit"), where God promises a new heart and spirit. Thus, the verse functions as a concrete manifestation of God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, showcasing His ability to restore both the people and their dwelling place.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The prophecies recorded in Ezekiel 36 were delivered during the traumatic period of the Babylonian exile (approximately 593-571 BC). During this time, the land of Judah had been utterly devastated by successive Babylonian invasions, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the deportation of a significant portion of its population. The land lay fallow, uncultivated, and overrun, serving as a stark and painful symbol of God's judgment for Israel's chronic idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness (cf. the warnings in [Leviticus 26:33-35](/leviticus/26-33 "Leviticus 26:33-35 - The Land's Sabbath Rest")). In the ancient Near East, a desolate, unproductive land was universally understood as a clear sign of divine disfavor, a curse, and a public disgrace. Conversely, a fertile, productive land signaled divine blessing, prosperity, and the presence of the gods. The phrase "in the sight of all that passed by" refers to the surrounding nations, traders, and travelers who would have witnessed the utter desolation of Judah, interpreting it as evidence that Israel's God was either powerless or had abandoned His people. Ezekiel's prophecy, therefore, directly challenges and reverses this perception, promising a restoration that would powerfully demonstrate Yahweh's unparalleled power and faithfulness to the entire world.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching theological and narrative themes found throughout Ezekiel and the broader prophetic corpus. The theme of **Divine Restoration** is paramount, emphasizing God's sovereign initiative in reversing the devastating consequences of sin and judgment, not through human effort, but solely by His mighty hand. The dramatic transformation from "desolate" to "tilled" underscores the theme of **Reversal of Fortune**, where what was once a symbol of curse and abandonment becomes a vibrant sign of blessing, renewal, and divine favor. This physical restoration of the land is intrinsically linked to the spiritual restoration and cleansing of the people, highlighting the profound **Covenant Faithfulness of God** to His promises, even when His people have been profoundly unfaithful. Furthermore, the emphasis on the land's desolation being "in the sight of all that passed by" highlights the crucial theme of **God's Glory Among the Nations**. Israel's restoration is not merely for their own benefit; it is intended to serve as a public, undeniable testimony to the nations of Yahweh's unique power, holiness, and sovereignty, as further elaborated in [Ezekiel 36:23](/ezekiel/36-23 "Ezekiel 36:23 - God's Holy Name Vindicated") and [Ezekiel 36:36](/ezekiel/36-36 "Ezekiel 36:36 - The Nations Shall Know the LORD").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Desolate (Hebrew, _shâmêm'_ / _shᵉmâmâh'_):** From the verb H8074 (_shâmêm_), meaning "to stun," "devastate," or "stupefy," and the noun H8077 (_shᵉmâmâh_), meaning "devastation" or "astonishment." This word conveys a profound sense of utter ruin, abandonment, and a state of being laid waste, often as a direct result of divine judgment or prolonged neglect. It emphasizes an uninhabitable, unproductive, and awe-inspiringly ruined condition. The repetition of "desolate" in the verse (as an adjective describing the land and then as a state it lay in) powerfully intensifies the imagery of complete ruin, underscoring the severity and public nature of the land's former condition.
* **Tilled (Hebrew, _ʻâbad'_):** From H5647, a primitive root meaning "to work," "to serve," or specifically in this context, "to cultivate" or "to till." This word refers to purposeful, active agricultural labor—plowing, planting, dressing, and tending the land. It evokes the idea of transforming barrenness into fruitfulness, signifying productivity, sustenance, and active engagement with the earth to bring forth life. The promise that the land "shall be tilled" stands in stark contrast to its previous desolate state, indicating a divinely initiated reversal from neglect and barrenness to active cultivation and abundant yield.
* **Passed by (Hebrew, _ʻâbar'_):** From H5674, a primitive root meaning "to cross over" or "to pass through." In this context, it refers to travelers, observers, or surrounding nations who journeyed through or witnessed the land of Judah. Coupled with the implicit "sight" (from H5869, _ʻayin_, "eye"), it underscores the public, visible nature of the land's desolation. The fact that "all that passed by" witnessed its ruin means that the promised restoration will also be a public spectacle, serving as a powerful, undeniable sign of God's intervention, faithfulness, and power to the surrounding world.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the desolate land shall be tilled":** This opening clause immediately presents the core promise of radical transformation. The land, previously characterized by profound "desolation"—a state of utter ruin and abandonment—is now destined for active cultivation and productivity. This is not a natural recovery but a divinely orchestrated reversal, implying God's direct intervention to restore vitality and fruitfulness to what was barren. The passive voice ("shall be tilled") subtly yet powerfully points to God as the ultimate agent of this miraculous change, even as human hands will participate in the physical labor.
* **"whereas it lay desolate":** This phrase serves as a poignant and emphatic contrast, highlighting the stark difference between the past and the promised future. It serves as a somber reminder to the audience of the land's recent, painful history—a prolonged period of abandonment, uncultivated waste, and ruin, which was a direct consequence of Israel's persistent sin and God's righteous judgment. The repetition of "desolate" reinforces the depth of its former ruin, making the impending restoration all the more miraculous, significant, and a testament to divine grace.
* **"in the sight of all that passed by":** This final clause underscores the public and universally observable nature of both the land's desolation and its impending restoration. The land's ruin was not a private matter; it was conspicuously visible to surrounding nations, passing merchants, and travelers, serving as a public testament to Israel's disgrace and the perceived weakness or absence of their God. Consequently, its future cultivation and flourishing will also be a public spectacle, a powerful and undeniable witness to the nations of Yahweh's unparalleled power, unwavering faithfulness, and His unique ability to restore His people and their land, thereby vindicating His holy name.

#### Literary Devices
Ezekiel 36:34 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message of hope and divine transformation. **Contrast** is the most prominent device, vividly setting the "desolate land" against the promise that it "shall be tilled." This stark opposition emphasizes the radical and miraculous nature of the change God promises, moving from utter barrenness and ruin to vibrant fertility and productivity. The land itself functions as a powerful **Symbolism** or **Metaphor** for the people of Israel. Just as the physical land was laid waste due to the people's sin and then promised a miraculous restoration, so too the exiled people, spiritually barren and scattered, are promised a profound spiritual renewal and a return to their covenant relationship with God. The phrase "in the sight of all that passed by" introduces the device of **Public Witness** or **Theophany**, where God's actions concerning Israel and their land are explicitly intended to be a visible, undeniable demonstration of His power, holiness, and glory to the surrounding nations, thereby vindicating His name and proving His absolute sovereignty over all creation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 36:34 stands as a profound testament to God's redemptive power and unwavering faithfulness, illustrating that His restorative work extends even to the physical landscape. It powerfully underscores the biblical principle that sin inevitably brings desolation and judgment, but God's sovereign grace brings miraculous restoration, fruitfulness, and new life. This promised physical transformation of the land is inextricably linked to the spiritual renewal of the people, signifying a holistic restoration of God's covenant relationship with Israel. The vision of the land being tilled and fruitful again speaks directly to God's ultimate desire for His creation to flourish and for His people to live in abundance under His blessing, thereby reversing the curse and consequences of sin. It is a deeply hopeful prophetic vision, demonstrating definitively that no state of ruin, no matter how profound or seemingly irreversible, is beyond God's infinite capacity to redeem, transform, and bring to glorious fruition for His own purposes.

* [Isaiah 35:1-2](/isaiah/35-1 "Isaiah 35:1-2 - The Desert Blooms")
* [Leviticus 26:34-35](/leviticus/26-34 "Leviticus 26:34-35 - The Land Enjoys its Sabbaths")
* [Amos 9:13-15](/amos/9-13 "Amos 9:13-15 - Restoration of Israel")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 36:34 offers a profoundly encouraging message of hope and divine intervention that resonates deeply with individuals and communities navigating periods of "desolation." Just as God promised to miraculously restore the physically barren and devastated land of Israel, so too is He infinitely capable of bringing life, fruitfulness, and profound renewal to areas of our lives that feel desolate, broken, unproductive, or beyond repair. This personal desolation can manifest in various forms: spiritual dryness, relational estrangement, professional stagnation, deep emotional wounds, or overwhelming grief. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that even when our circumstances appear utterly lost or irredeemable in the eyes of the world, God's sovereign power can miraculously transform them. Furthermore, our personal or communal experience of God's visible restoration can become a powerful, undeniable testimony to others, much like the restored land of Israel was meant to be a public witness to the surrounding nations. It brings immense glory to God when He takes what was once desolate and makes it vibrant, fruitful, and productive, demonstrating His character as the God of resurrection, new beginnings, and abundant life. We are therefore called to place our unwavering trust in His ability to cultivate even the most barren and neglected parts of our lives, yielding a harvest that brings honor and glory to His magnificent name.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What specific areas of your life or circumstances currently feel "desolate" or unproductive, and how might you prayerfully invite God to "till" them for profound renewal?**
* **Considering the public nature of Israel's restoration, how can your personal experience of God's transformative grace become a visible "witness to all that pass by," bringing glory to Him?**
* **In what ways does this ancient prophecy encourage you to cultivate hope for seemingly impossible transformations in your own life, your community, or the world around you?**

### FAQ
**What does "desolate" mean in the context of Ezekiel 36:34?**

Answer: In Ezekiel 36:34, "desolate" (derived from the Hebrew terms _shâmêm_ and _shᵉmâmâh_) refers to the land of Israel lying waste, uninhabited, and uncultivated. This was a direct and severe consequence of the Babylonian exile, during which the land was left barren and unproductive due to the absence of its inhabitants and, more fundamentally, as an act of divine judgment upon Israel's persistent sin and covenant unfaithfulness. It signifies a state of utter ruin, abandonment, and desolation, often evoking a sense of astonishment or horror at its condition. The land's desolation was not a private matter; it was a visible sign of God's displeasure and a public disgrace in the eyes of surrounding nations, as explicitly mentioned in the phrase "in the sight of all that passed by."

**How does the tilling of the land relate to the restoration of the people of Israel?**

Answer: The tilling of the land in Ezekiel 36:34 is profoundly symbolic and intrinsically linked to the holistic restoration of the people of Israel. Just as the physical land was laid waste and became desolate due to the people's sin and their subsequent removal from it, its promised tilling and fruitfulness symbolize the spiritual, moral, and physical renewal of the people themselves. God's promise to restore the land is an integral part of His larger covenant faithfulness to bring His people back from exile, cleanse them from their idolatry, give them a new heart and spirit ([Ezekiel 36:26-27](/ezekiel/36-26 "Ezekiel 36:26-27 - The New Heart and Spirit")), and enable them to dwell securely and prosperously in their land once more. The land's renewed productivity directly reflects the people's restored relationship with God and their flourishing under His blessing, demonstrating that God's restoration is comprehensive, encompassing both the physical environment and the spiritual condition of His covenant people.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Ezekiel 36:34 speaks directly to the historical and future physical and spiritual restoration of Israel, its ultimate fulfillment and deepest theological resonance are profoundly revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The desolation of the land, a stark consequence of sin, powerfully foreshadows the spiritual barrenness and utter desolation of humanity separated from God. Just as the physical land needed to be "tilled" and cultivated to become fruitful, humanity, dead in trespasses and sins, needs a divine work of cultivation, cleansing, and renewal. Jesus Christ is the ultimate "tiller" of the human heart, taking what is spiritually desolate and making it abundantly fruitful. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection, He decisively breaks the curse of sin, inaugurating a new covenant where hearts of stone are miraculously replaced with hearts of flesh ([Ezekiel 36:26](/ezekiel/36-26 "Ezekiel 36:26 - The New Heart and Spirit")) and the indwelling Spirit of God empowers believers ([Ezekiel 36:27](/ezekiel/36-27 "Ezekiel 36:27 - God's Spirit Within")). This profound spiritual transformation, initiated by Christ, enables believers to bear the glorious fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control ([Galatians 5:22-23](/galatians/5-22 "Galatians 5:22-23 - Fruit of the Spirit"))—thereby transforming lives that were once desolate and unproductive into vibrant, living testimonies of God's boundless grace. The public witness of the restored land in Ezekiel anticipates the global witness of the Church, redeemed and empowered by Christ, demonstrating God's transformative power to all nations "in the sight of all that passed by" ([Acts 1:8](/acts/1-8 "Acts 1:8 - Power to Witness")). Ultimately, the promise of a renewed land points to the eschatological reality of the new heavens and new earth ([Revelation 21:1](/revelation/21-1 "Revelation 21:1 - New Heavens and New Earth")) where Christ reigns supreme, and all forms of desolation, curse, and barrenness are banished forever in His glorious presence.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Ezekiel 6:14

So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

Jeremiah 25:9

Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

Jeremiah 25:11

And this whole land shall be a desolation, [and] an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

2 Chronicles 36:21

To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: [for] as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

Deuteronomy 29:23

[And that] the whole land thereof [is] brimstone, and salt, [and] burning, [that] it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

Deuteronomy 29:28

And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as [it is] this day.