TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 36:25–38. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The people of God might be discouraged in their hopes of a restoration by the sense not only of their unworthiness of such a favour (which was answered, in the foregoing verses, with this, that God, in doing it, would have an eye to his own glory, not to their worthiness), but of their unfitness for such a favour, being still corrupt and sinful; and that is answered in these verses, with a promise that God would by his grace prepare and qualify them for the mercy and then bestow it on them. And this was in part fulfilled in that wonderful effect which the captivity in Babylon had upon the Jews there, that it effectually cured them of their inclination to idolatry. But it is further intended as a draught of the covenant of grace, and a specimen of those spiritual blessings with which we are blessed in heavenly things by that covenant. As (ch. 34) after a promise of their return the prophecy insensibly slid into a promise of the coming of Christ, the great Shepherd, so here it insensibly slides into a promise of the Spirit, and his gracious influences and operations, which we have as much need of for our sanctification as we have of Christ's merit for our justification.
I.God here promises that he will work a good work in them, to qualify them for the good work he intended to bring about for them, Eze 36:25-27. We had promises to the same purport, Eze 11:18-20.
1.That God would cleanse them from the pollutions of sin (Eze 36:25): I will sprinkle clean water upon you, which signifies both the book of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience to purify that and to take away the sense of guilt (as those that were sprinkled with the water of purification were thereby discharged from their ceremonial uncleanness) and the grace of the Spirit sprinkled on the whole soul to purify it from all corrupt inclinations and dispositions, as Naaman was cleansed from his leprosy by dipping in Jordan. Christ was himself clean, else his blood could not have been cleansing to us; and it is a Holy Spirit that makes us holy: From all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. And (Eze 36:29) I will save you from all your uncleannesses. Sin is defiling, idolatry particularly is so; it renders sinners odious to God and burdensome to themselves. When guilt is pardoned, and the corrupt nature sanctified, then we are cleansed from our filthiness, and there is no other way of being saved from it. This God promises his people here, in order to his being sanctified in them, Eze 36:23. We cannot sanctify God's name unless he sanctify our hearts, nor live to his glory, but by his grace.
2.That God would give them a new heart, a disposition of mind excellent in itself and vastly different from what it was before. God will work an inward change in order to a universal change. Note, All that have an interest in the new covenant, and a title to the new Jerusalem, have a new heart and a new spirit, and these are necessary in order to their walking in newness of life. This is that divine nature which believers are by the promises made partakers of.
3.That, instead of a heart of stone, insensible and inflexible, unapt to receive any divine impressions and to return any devout affections, God would give a heart of flesh, a soft and tender heart, that has spiritual senses exercised, conscious to itself of spiritual pains and pleasures, and complying in every thing with the will of God. Note, Renewing grace works as great a change in the soul as the turning of a dead stone into living flesh.
4.That since, besides our inclination to sin, we complain of an inability to do our duty, God will cause them to walk in his statutes, will not only show them the way of his statutes before them, but incline them to walk in it, and thoroughly furnish them with wisdom and will, and active powers, for every good work. In order to this he will put his Spirit within them, as a teacher, guide, and sanctifier. Note, God does not force men to walk in his statutes by external violence, but causes them to walk in his statutes by an internal principle. And observe what use we ought to make of this gracious power and principle promised us, and put within us: You shall keep my judgments. If God will do his part according to the promise, we must do ours according to the precept. Note, The promise of God's grace to enable us for our duty should engage and quicken our constant care and endeavour to do our duty. God's promises must drive us to his precepts as our rule, and then his precepts must send us back to his promises for strength, for without his grace we can do nothing.
II.God here promises that he will take them into covenant with himself.
The sum of the covenant of grace we have, Eze 36:28. You shall be my people, and I will be your God. It is not, "If you will be my people, I will be your God" (though it is very true that we cannot expect to have God to be to us a God unless we be to him a people), but he has chosen us, and loved us, first, not we him; therefore the condition is of grace, is by promise, as well as the reward; not of merit, not of works: "You shall be my people; I will make you so; I will give you the nature and spirit of my people, and then I will be your God." And this is the foundation and top-stone of a believer's happiness; it is heaven itself, Rev 21:3, Rev 21:7.
III.He promises that he will bring about all that good for them which the exigence of their case calls for. When they are thus prepared for mercy,
1.Then they shall return to their possessions and be settled again in them (Eze 36:28): You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. God will, in bringing them back to it, have an eye not to any merit of theirs, but to the promise made to the fathers; for therefore he gave it to them at first, Deu 7:7, Deu 7:8. Therefore he is gracious, because he has said that he will be so. This shall follow upon the blessed reformation God would work among them (Eze 36:33): "In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities, and so shall have made you meet for the inheritance, I will cause you to dwell in the cities, and so put you in possession of the inheritance." This is God's method of mercy indeed, first to part men from their sins, and then to restore them to their comforts.
2.Then they shall enjoy a plenty of all good things. When they are saved from their uncleanness, from their sins which kept good things from them, then I will call for the corn and will increase it, Eze 36:29. Plenty comes at God's call, and the plenty he calls for shall be still growing; and when he speaks the word the fruit both of the tree and of the field shall multiply. As the inhabitants multiply the productions shall multiply for their maintenance; for he that sends mouths will send meat. Famine was one of the judgments which they had laboured under, and it had been as much as any a reproach to them, that they should be starved in a land so famed for fruitfulness. But now I will lay no famine upon you; and none are under that rod without having it laid on by him. Then they shall receive no more reproach of famine, shall never be again upbraided with that, nor shall it ever be said that God is a Master that keeps his servants to short allowance. Nay, they shall not only be cleared from the reproach of famine, but they shall have the credit of abundance. The land that had long lain desolate in the sight of all that passed by, that looked upon it, some with contempt and some with compassion, shall again be tilled (Eze 36:34), and, having long lain fallow, it will now be the more fruitful. Observe, God will call for the corn and yet they must till the ground for it. Note, Even promised mercies must be laboured for; for the promise is not to supersede, but to quicken and encourage our industry and endeavour. And such a blessing will God command on the hand of the diligent that all who pass by shall take notice of it, with wonder, Eze 36:35. They shall say, "See what a blessed change here is, how this land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, the desert turned again into a paradise," Note, God has honours in reserve for his people to be crowned with sufficient to counterbalance the contempt they are now loaded with, and in them he will be honoured. This wonderful increase both of the people of the land and of its products is compared (Eze 36:38) to the large flocks of cattle that are brought to Jerusalem, to be sacrificed at one of the solemn feasts. Even the cities that now lie waste shall be filled with flocks of men, not like the flocks with which the pastures are covered over (Psa 65:13), but like the holy flock which is brought to the courts of the Lord's house. Note, Then the increase of the numbers of a people is honourable and comfortable indeed when they are all dedicated to God as a holy flock, to be presented to him for living sacrifices. Crowds are a lovely sight in God's temple.
IV.He shows what shall be the happy effects of this blessed change.
1.It shall have a happy effect upon the people of God themselves, for it shall bring them to an ingenuous repentance for their sins (Eze 36:31): Then shall you remember your own evil ways and shall loathe yourselves. See here what sin is; it is an abomination, a loathsome thing, that abominable thing which the Lord hates. See what is the first step towards repentance; it is remembering our own evil ways, reflecting seriously upon the sins we have committed and being particular in recapitulating them. We must remember against ourselves not only our gross enormities, our own evil ways, but our defects and infirmities, our doings that were not good, not so good as they should have been; not only our direct violations of the law, but our coming short of it. See what is evermore a companion of true repentance, and that is self-loathing, a holy shame and confusion of face: "You shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, seeing how loathsome you have made yourselves in the sight of God." Self-love is at the bottom of sin, which we cannot but blush to see the absurdity of; but our quarrelling with ourselves is in order to our being, upon good grounds, reconciled to ourselves. And, lastly, see what is the most powerful inducement to an evangelical repentance, and that is a sense of the mercy of God; when God settles them in the midst of plenty, then they shall loathe themselves for their iniquities. Note, The goodness of God should overcome our badness and lead us to repentance. The more we see of God's readiness to receive us into favour upon our repentance the more reason we shall see to be ashamed of ourselves that we could ever sin against so much love. That heart is hard indeed that will not be thus melted.
2.It shall have a happy effect upon their neighbours, for it shall bring them to a more clear knowledge of God (Eze 36:36): "Then the heathen that are left round about you, that spoke ignorantly of God (for so all those do that speak ill of him) when they saw the land of Israel desolate, shall begin to know better, and to speak more intelligently of God, being convinced that he is able to rebuild the most desolate cities and to replant the most desolate countries, and that, though the course of his favours to his people may be obstructed for a time, they shall not be cut off for ever." They shall be made to know the truth of divine revelation by the exact agreement which they shall discern between God's word which he has spoken to Israel and his works which he has done for them: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. With us saying and doing are two things, but they are not so with God.
V.He proposes these things to them, not as the recompence of their merits, but as the return of their prayers.
1.Let them not think that they have deserved it: Not for your sakes do I this, be it known to you (Eze 36:22, Eze 36:32); no, be you ashamed and confounded for your own ways. God is doing this, all this which he has promised; it is as sure to be done as if it were done already, and present events have a tendency towards it. But then,
(1.)They must renounce the merit of their own good works, and be brought to acknowledge that it is not for their sakes that it is done; so, when God brought Israel into Canaan the first time, an express caveat was entered against this thought. Deu 9:4-6, It is not for thy righteousness. It is not for the sake of any of their good qualities or good deeds, not because God had any need of them, or expected any benefit by them. No, in showing mercy he acts by prerogative, not for our deserts, but for his own honour. See how emphatically this is expressed: Be it known to you, it is not for your sakes, which intimates that we are apt to entertain a high conceit of our own merits and are with difficulty persuaded to disclaim a confidence in them. But, one way or other, God will make all his favourites to know and own that it is his grace, and not their goodness, his mercy, and not their merit, that made them so; and that therefore not unto them, not unto them, but unto him, is all the glory due.
(2.)They must repent of the sin of their own evil ways. They must own that the mercies they receive from God are not only not merited, but that they are a thousand times forfeited; and therefore they must be so far from boasting of their good works that they must be ashamed and confounded for their evil ways, and then they are best prepared for mercy.
2.Yet let them know that they must desire and expect it (Eze 36:37): I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel. God has spoken, and he will do it, and he will be sought unto for it. He requires that his people should seek unto him, and he will incline their hearts to do it, when he is coming towards them in ways of mercy.
(1.)They must pray for it, for by prayer God is sought unto, and enquired after. What is the matter of God's promises must be the matter of our prayers. By asking for the mercy promised we must give glory to the donor, express a value for the gift, own our dependence, and put honour upon prayer which God has put honour upon. Christ himself must ask, and then God will give him the heathen for his inheritance, must pray the Father, and then he will send the Comforter; much more must we ask that we may receive.
(2.)They must consult the oracles of God, and thus also God is sought unto and enquired after. The mercy must be, not an act of providence only, but a child of promise; and therefore the promise must be looked at, and prayer made for it with an eye of faith fastened upon the promise, which must be both the guide and the ground of our expectations. Both these ways we find God enquired of by Daniel, in the name of the house of Israel, when he was about to do those great things for them; he consulted the oracles of God, for he understood by books, the book of the prophet Jeremiah, both what was to be expected and when; and then he set his face to seek God by prayer, Dan 9:2, Dan 9:3. Note, Our communion with God must be kept up by the word and prayer in all the operations of his providence concerning us and in both he must be enquired of.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
(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.
Once again the prophetic word will encourage penitents to return to the churches and always seek the Lord and find him. The flocks of the Lord will thus be multiplied by the crowds who return, not of beasts of burden and wild animals, but flocks of people who are full of faith and reason, holy flocks, flocks of the city of Jerusalem.
(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.
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Summary
Ezekiel 36:38 serves as a powerful concluding statement to God's expansive promises of restoration for Israel, envisioning a dramatic and abundant transformation of the desolate land and its ruined cities. It portrays a future where the previously waste places will be overwhelmingly repopulated with people, likened to the vast, consecrated flocks of sheep that gathered in Jerusalem for its solemn festivals. This profound renewal is presented as undeniable proof of God's sovereign power and unwavering faithfulness, ensuring that both Israel and the nations will ultimately acknowledge His divine identity and supreme authority.
Context
Literary Context
This verse climactically concludes a chapter brimming with prophecies of Israel's spiritual and physical renewal following their devastating exile. The preceding verses in Ezekiel 36 detail God's intention to gather His scattered people from among the nations, cleanse them from their idolatry, and replace their hardened, stony hearts with receptive hearts of flesh, enabling them to obey His statutes and ordinances (Ezekiel 36:24-27). Furthermore, God promises to restore the land itself, transforming its desolation into a verdant and fruitful landscape, likened to the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:33-35). The imagery of abundant flocks in verse 38 directly follows the promise that the cities will be rebuilt and inhabited, emphasizing the sheer scale of the repopulation and the complete reversal of the judgment that had left the land desolate. This comprehensive restoration is consistently presented as being for the sake of God's holy name, not due to Israel's merit or righteousness (Ezekiel 36:22-23).
Historical & Cultural Context
Ezekiel prophesied during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE), a period of profound national trauma and despair for the people of Judah. Jerusalem had been utterly destroyed, the temple desecrated, and the majority of the population deported to Babylon, leaving the land "waste" and "desolate" as a direct consequence of their persistent unfaithfulness to God's covenant. In this context of ruin and dispersion, the imagery of "flocks" and "solemn feasts" would have evoked powerful, poignant memories for the exiled Israelites. The "solemn feasts" (Hebrew: mo'adim) were the annual pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles) when vast numbers of Israelites from all over the land would ascend to Jerusalem, filling the city and its environs with worshippers and their sacrificial animals. These occasions were times of national unity, vibrant worship, abundant life, and communal celebration of God's faithfulness. By comparing the future repopulation to these scenes of bustling pilgrimage, Ezekiel paints a vivid picture of not just demographic growth, but a glorious return to spiritual vitality, national identity, and covenant faithfulness, contrasting sharply with their current state of ruin and dispersion.
Key Themes
Ezekiel 36 is rich with themes central to the prophet's message and broader prophetic literature. The primary theme in this verse is Abundant Restoration and Repopulation, highlighting God's sovereign power to reverse complete desolation and bring forth immense fruitfulness, not merely in the land but in its inhabitants. The comparison to "holy flocks" and the crowds at "solemn feasts" signifies an overwhelming return to life, prosperity, and worship, far surpassing previous states. Another crucial theme is Divine Sovereignty and Self-Revelation. The recurring declaration, "and they shall know that I am the LORD," underscores that these miraculous acts of restoration are undeniable proof of God's unique identity, omnipotence, and unwavering faithfulness. Through His intervention, both Israel and the surrounding nations will be compelled to acknowledge His supreme authority and covenant fidelity (Ezekiel 36:23). This also ties into the theme of God's Faithfulness to His Covenant, demonstrating His commitment to His promises despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, as His restoration is an act of sovereign grace and mercy, fulfilling His long-term redemptive plan for His people and His glory.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H2720), derived from a root meaning "to be parched or ruined," vividly describes the dire condition of the cities and land of Israel during the Babylonian exile. It signifies not merely emptiness but a profound state of desolation, dryness, and ruin, reflecting the severe judgment God brought upon the land due to the people's sin and covenant unfaithfulness. Its use here powerfully underscores the miraculous and complete nature of the promised reversal.
Meaning "full (literally or figuratively) or filling" (H4392), this word expresses the complete and abundant nature of the promised restoration. It stands in stark contrast to "waste," emphasizing that the repopulation will not be sparse or partial but overflowing, indicating a comprehensive return to prosperity, vitality, and thriving community life. The use of "filled" suggests an almost overwhelming abundance, mirroring the vastness of the "flocks" it describes.
This primitive root (H3045) signifies "to ascertain by seeing," but extends to a deep, experiential, and relational knowledge. It implies not just intellectual understanding, but profound recognition, acknowledgment, and a transformative awareness of God's character, power, and covenant faithfulness. The promise "they shall know that I am the LORD" is the ultimate theological purpose of the entire restoration, ensuring that God's unique identity and supreme authority are undeniably revealed through His mighty and miraculous acts.
Verse Breakdown
"As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts;"
This initial clause establishes a powerful simile, setting the standard for the promised abundance and vitality. The "holy flock" refers to animals consecrated for sacrifice and the numerous sheep and goats that would accompany pilgrims to Jerusalem. "Jerusalem in her solemn feasts" evokes the immense crowds and bustling activity during the annual pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles), when the city would swell with countless worshippers and their sacrificial animals. This imagery conveys a sense of overwhelming multitude, vibrant life, and profound spiritual significance. The "holy" aspect further suggests that the restored people will be set apart for God's purposes, reflecting His holiness and covenant relationship.
"so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men:"
This clause applies the simile directly to the human population and the physical landscape of Israel. The "waste cities" are those that were destroyed and left desolate during the Babylonian exile, standing as stark monuments to God's judgment and the consequences of sin. The promise is that these very cities will be "filled" – not just partially inhabited, but overflowing – with "flocks of men." This powerful metaphor equates the returning exiles with the numerous, thriving flocks, emphasizing the sheer scale of the repopulation and the complete reversal of desolation. It speaks to a demographic explosion, a return to vibrant community life, and a renewed national presence.
"and they shall know that I [am] the LORD."
This concluding declaration reveals the ultimate theological purpose behind this miraculous and comprehensive restoration. "They" refers primarily to the restored Israelites and, by extension, the surrounding nations who will witness this astonishing transformation. To "know that I am the LORD" (Yahweh, H3068) is to experientially recognize God's unique sovereignty, omnipotence, faithfulness, and covenant identity. It signifies an undeniable revelation of His character and supreme authority, demonstrating that He alone is the true God, capable of fulfilling His promises and reversing even the most profound desolation. This knowledge is not merely intellectual assent but a profound, transformative recognition of His divine nature and power.
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 36:38 employs several potent Literary Devices to convey its message of abundant restoration and divine revelation. The most prominent is Simile, evident in the opening phrase "As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men." This comparison vividly illustrates the sheer magnitude of the promised repopulation, drawing on a familiar and impressive image of abundance and vitality from Israel's past pilgrimage festivals. The phrase "flocks of men" also functions as a powerful Metaphor, directly equating the multitude of returning people with the vast numbers of sheep and goats, implying not just quantity but also a sense of being gathered, led, and cared for by God as their Shepherd. The imagery itself borders on Hyperbole, suggesting an almost unimaginable scale of repopulation to emphasize the dramatic and complete reversal of desolation. Finally, the concluding declaration, "and they shall know that I [am] the LORD," is a powerful Theological Statement that serves as a recurring refrain throughout the book of Ezekiel, emphasizing God's ultimate purpose in all His actions: the undeniable revelation of His unique and sovereign identity to all.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ezekiel 36:38 stands as a profound testament to God's unwavering commitment to His covenant promises and His sovereign power to bring life out of death and abundance out of desolation. Theologically, it underscores that divine restoration is not merely a physical rebuilding of cities and repopulation of a land, but a spiritual renewal designed to reveal God's glory and identity. The dramatic transformation of "waste cities" into bustling centers "filled with flocks of men" demonstrates God's absolute ability to reverse the consequences of sin and judgment, manifesting His boundless grace and mercy. This act of repopulation is intrinsically linked to the prior promises of a new heart and spirit, indicating that the physical restoration is a visible sign of an internal, spiritual work. Ultimately, the verse emphasizes that all of God's redemptive acts serve the purpose of His self-revelation, ensuring that His people and the nations "know that I am the LORD." This knowledge is the ultimate goal, leading to worship, obedience, and the acknowledgment of His supreme authority and unique divinity.
Reflection and Application
Ezekiel 36:38 offers profound hope and a powerful reminder of God's restorative power for believers today. Just as God promised to transform the desolate cities of Israel into thriving centers filled with people, He is equally capable of bringing life, abundance, and spiritual flourishing to the most barren and broken areas of our lives, communities, and churches. This verse encourages us to look beyond present desolation, whether it be personal spiritual dryness, a struggling ministry, a fractured relationship, or societal decay, and to trust in God's sovereign ability to reverse ruin and bring forth overwhelming fruitfulness. It challenges us to pray for revival, to participate actively in His redemptive work, and to live with an expectant faith that God will indeed fulfill His promises, often in ways that surpass our imagination. Ultimately, our response to His magnificent restorative acts should lead us to a deeper, more experiential "knowing" of Him as the faithful, powerful LORD who keeps His word and orchestrates all things for His glory and the good of His people.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "holy flock" imagery in Ezekiel 36:38?
The "holy flock" (Hebrew: tzon qodesh) refers to the sheep and goats set apart for sacrificial purposes and those that accompanied pilgrims to Jerusalem during the solemn feasts. This imagery carries dual significance. First, it emphasizes the sheer quantity and abundance of the promised repopulation, comparing the future inhabitants of Israel to the countless animals that would fill Jerusalem during its festivals. It conveys a picture of overwhelming demographic growth and vitality. Second, the term "holy" (qodesh) suggests that the restored people are not merely numerous but are consecrated and set apart by God. They are His special possession, reflecting His holiness and serving His purposes, indicating a spiritual as well as a physical restoration. It points to a renewed covenant relationship where the people are dedicated to God and live in accordance with His divine standards.
How does Ezekiel 36:38 connect to the broader theme of God's glory and His name?
Ezekiel 36:38 concludes with the powerful declaration, "and they shall know that I [am] the LORD." This phrase is a recurring motif throughout the book of Ezekiel, serving as the ultimate theological purpose for all of God's actions, whether in judgment or restoration. God's primary motivation for restoring Israel, as stated earlier in Ezekiel 36:22-23, is to sanctify His great name, which had been profaned among the nations because of Israel's sin and subsequent exile. The dramatic transformation of desolate cities into thriving communities, filled with people, serves as undeniable proof of God's unique power, faithfulness, and identity. Through this miraculous reversal, both Israel and the surrounding nations will be compelled to acknowledge and experientially know who Yahweh truly is—the sovereign, covenant-keeping God. The restoration is not primarily for Israel's sake, but for the sake of God's own glory and reputation among all peoples.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ezekiel 36:38, with its profound vision of abundant restoration and the "flocks of men" filling desolate cities, finds its ultimate and spiritual fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant. The "holy flock" imagery foreshadows the Church, the new people of God, gathered from all nations, not merely a physical repopulation of a specific land. Jesus identifies Himself as the "Good Shepherd" who lays down His life for His sheep, gathering a diverse flock from both Jew and Gentile, bringing them into one fold under His care (John 10:16). The "waste cities" can be seen as humanity spiritually desolate and ruined by sin, which Christ, through His atoning work on the cross, redeems and fills with new life, transforming hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, as promised in Ezekiel 36:26. The promise that "they shall know that I am the LORD" is profoundly realized in the person of Jesus, who is God incarnate. Through His life, death, and resurrection, God's identity and redemptive power are fully revealed, leading all who believe to an experiential knowledge of the Father through the Son (John 14:7-9). The "solemn feasts" of old, which gathered multitudes, find their ultimate meaning in the new covenant worship where believers gather in Spirit and truth, celebrating the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and anticipating the great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language who will stand before the throne and the Lamb in eternal worship (Revelation 7:9-10). Thus, the physical restoration promised in Ezekiel points to the spiritual, global, and Christ-centered restoration of humanity, culminating in the new heavens and new earth where God dwells eternally with His people (Revelation 21:3).