36:1-37:38. RESTORATION OF ISRAEL.
Z  A1  36:1-38. Literal.
   A2  37:1-28. Symbolical.

36:1-38. RESTORATION. LITERAL.
A1  B  1-15. Land.
     C  16-29-. The People. Israel.
    B  -29-38. The Land.

36:1-15. THE LAND.
B  e  1-3. What the enemy said.
    f  4-12. What Yahaveh proposed.
   e  13. What the enemy said.
    f  14,15. What Yahaveh proposed.

(What now follows refers to the yet future Restoration of the People and Land of Israel and Judah.) 477 B.C.
Ezekiel 36)

1 Also, you son of man (see 2:1), prophesy to the mountains of Israel (see 6:1-7; 36:1), and say, "You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD (Yahaveh):
2 Thus says the Lord GOD (Adonai Yahaveh); 'Because the enemy has said against you, 'Aha, even the everlasting hills (promised to Israel [Gen. 49:26. Deut. 13:13; 33:15.) are ours in possession:' "
3 Therefore prophesy and say, "Thus says the Lord GOD;' Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side (like a beast of prey. Cp. Job 5:5. Pss. 56:1,2; 57:3. Ecc. 10:12), that you might be a possession to the residue of the heathen, and you have been taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an evil report of the people:

4 Therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the torrents (or ravines), and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;
5 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of My jealousy (cp. Deut. 4:24) have I spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despitefull souls, to cast it out for a prey.'
6 Prophesy therefore concerning the soil of Israel, and say to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, 'Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My fury, because you have borne the shame of the heathen:'
7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; 'I have lifted up My hand (= sworn. Gen. 14:22. Ex. 6:8. Num. 14:30. Deut. 32:40. Cp. Dan. 12:7), Surely the nations which are yours (ref. to "ours" in v.2) about you, they shall bear their shame.
8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.
9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown:
10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built:
11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your former estates, and will do better to you than at your beginnings: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
12 Yes, I will cause men to walk upon you, even My People Israel; and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no more henceforth bereave them of men.' (= Make childless.)

13 Thus says the Lord GOD; 'Because they say to you, 'You land devour up men, and have bereaved your nations: (Cp. Num. 13:32.)

14 Therefore you shall devour men no more, neither bereave your nations any more, saith the Lord GOD.
15 Neither will I cause men to hear in you the shame of the nations any more, neither shall you bear the reproach of peoples any more, neither shall you cause the nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD."

36:16-19-.
C  D  16,17. Israel's uncleaness.
    E  18,19. "I scattered".
     F  20. "They profaned".
      G   g  21-. Yahaveh's Name's sake.
           h  -21. Which Israel had profaned.
      G  g  22-. Yahaveh's Name's sake.
          h  -22. Which Israel had profaned.
     F  23. "I will sanctify".
    E  24. "I will bring".
   D  25-29. Israel's cleansing.

16 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
17 "Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own soil, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings (cp. Lev. 15:19; 18:25,27,30. Num. 35:33,34): their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. (cp. Lev. 15:19; 18:19,&c.)

18 Wherefore I poured My fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land (cp. 2 Chron. 34:21,25. Jer. 7:20; 44:6,&c.), and for their dirty idols wherewith they had polluted it:
19 And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries (cp. Lev. 26:33. Deut. 28:64): according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

20 And when they entered to the heathen, where they went, they profaned My holy name (cp. Lev. 19:12,&c.), when they said to them (i.e. men said of Israel), 'These are the People of the LORD, and are come forth out of His land.

21 But I had pity for My holy name,

which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, where they went.

22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD; 'I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake (cp. Deut. 7:7,8; 9:5-7. Cp. Pss. 106:8; 115:1,2),

which you have profaned among the heathen, where you went.

23 And I will sanctify My great name (opposite of the profanation of v.20), which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

24 For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own soil. (Cp. Deut. 30:3-5.)

25 Then (note the time for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Not now, among the Gentiles; not now, in the Church of God; but, when Israel shall be brought back "into their own land" [vv.16-24]. See Ex. 17;8. Mal. 3:4,16. Matt. 25:1. 1 Thess. 4:17,&c.) will I throw (see Lev. 1:5) clean water upon you (see Isa. 44:3), and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart (not the old heart improved, but a new heart created and "given". The old one "taken away") 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.
27 And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments (see Deut. 4:1), and do them.
28 And you (i.e. the People who are the subject of these verses) shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall become to Me a people, and I will become to you a God. (See Lev. 26:12.)
29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses:

36:-29-38. THE LAND.
B  H  -29,30. Its Restoration.
    J  31. The Purpose. [Negative.]
   H  32-35. Its Restoration.
    J  36-38. The Purpose. [Positive.]

and I will call for the corn, and will increase it (pointing to the physical blessings), and lay no famine upon you.
30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you shall receive no more reproach of famine among the nations. (cp. Deut. 29:23-28. Joel 2:17,&c.)

31 Then shall you remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations (i.e. idolatries.).

32 Not for your sakes do I this, says the Lord GOD, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.'
33 Thus says the Lord GOD; 'When I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause the cities to be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built.
34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
35 And they shall say, 'This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8-15); and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fortified, and are inhabited.'

36 Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.'
37 Thus says the Lord GOD; 'I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel (i.e. the time shall come when they will ask for what they had in the past despised), to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
38 Like a flock of holly offerings, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed seasons; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.' ' "

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