Ezekiel 36:1

ISRAEL'S RETURN TO PALESTINE; AND THE NEW COVENANT

This chapter falls into two major divisions: (1) the external restoration of Israel to their homeland (Ezekiel 36:1-15), and (2) the spiritual restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 36:16-38). The smaller subdivisions will be noted below in our commentary.

THE DESTRUCTION OF ALL EDOM

Ezekiel 36:1-7

"And thou, son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and the ancient high places are ours in possession, therefore prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the nations, and ye are taken up in the lips of the talkers, and the evil report of the people; therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and a derision to the residue of the nations that are round about; therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land unto themselves for a possession with all the joy of their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey. Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains and the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because ye have borne the shame of the nations: therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, I have sworn, saying, Surely the nations that are round about you, they shall bear their shame."

"To the mountains and to the hills of Israel" (Ezekiel 36:1,4,6)). The hills are included here as one of the outstanding physical features of Palestine and have no reference to the idolatrous worship associated with the high places during Israel's residence there.

"Throughout the first fifteen verses of this chapter, there is a studied contrast with what was stated concerning Edom in the previous chapter."[1] Many have pointed out that Ezekiel 35 and the first fifteen verses here are actually a single chapter.

"These first seven verses betray an intensity of patriotic feeling not often seen in Ezekiel; it seems that the outrages of the nations against Israel are still in his mind as he begins this prophecy of future blessing for Israel."[2]

Note that the word "therefore" is used six times in this single paragraph, followed each time with the words, "Thus saith the Lord."

"On the lip of the talkers ..." (Ezekiel 36:3). This is an effective expression for the slanderers who were taking advantage of Israel's being cast out of Palestine to push their blasphemous charges that Jehovah was a defunct god, no longer able to protect or bless his people. It was precisely this attitude of the pagan nations of that era that required God's destruction of them. In the universally accepted theology of the pagan world of that time, the only gods were the local deities, identified with geographical limitations; and many of the Hebrews (Jonah, for example) held the same view. Therefore, if disaster befell a people, it proved the incompetence and weakness of the god of their land. This emphasizes what a compound tragedy the apostasy of Israel actually was, not merely for themselves, but for all men. The apostasy of Israel demanded God's destruction of their state and the captivity of their people; and then the pagan reaction and blasphemous charges based on that disaster required the destruction of the pagan world itself.

"I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom ..." (Ezekiel 36:5). This emphasizes the connection with Ezekiel 35. "Edom here stands as a representative of all pagan nations."[3]

A summary of the meaning of these first fifteen verses is that, "The highlands of Seir (Edom) which seemed to be beginning an era of great prosperity will lose all the trump cards they think they hold; and the highlands of Israel, which seemed to have lost all hope and all power of recovery, will not only survive but will enjoy a period of unparalleled prosperity, to the disappointment of their enemies."[4]