Ezekiel 36:4

Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, 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; THEREFORE, YE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD GOD. Inanimate creatures are addressed, to imply that the creature also, as it were, groans for deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:19). (Polanus.) The completeness of the renewed blessedness of all parts of the land is implied. THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD ... TO THE CITIES ... WHICH BECAME A PREY AND DERISION - ...

1-15 Those who put contempt and reproach on God's people, will have them turned on themselves. God promises favour to his Israel. We have no reason to complain, if the more unkind men are, the more kind God is. They shall come again to their own border. It was a type of the heavenly Canaan, of which all God's children are heirs, and into which they all shall be brought together. And when God returns in mercy to a people who return to him in duty, all their grievances will be set right. The full completion of this prophecy must be in some future event....

Verse Ezekiel 36:4. _THEREFORE - THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD TO THE MOUNTAINS,_ _c._] They shall neither possess _mountain_ nor _valley, hill_ nor _dale, fountain_ nor _river_ for though in my justice I made you desolate, yet they shall not profit by your disasters. See Ezekiel 36:5....

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 36:1 The present chapter is entirely devoted to the consolation of Israel, though its parts are derived from two separate "words" of Jehovah. Ezekiel 36:1 belong to the "word" which opened with the first verse of the preceding chapter; Ezekiel 36:16 begins another "word," which only closes at Ezekiel 37:14. The subject of the first part is the comfort offered to Israel in the destruction threatened against the heathen, and in the blessings promised to her land and people. Ezekiel

THEREFORE, YE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD,.... As in Ezekiel 36:1, here repeated to raise and quicken their attention to what was about to be said to them: THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD TO THE MOUNTAINS, AND TO THE HILLS, TO THE RIVERS, AND TO THE VALLEYS, TO THE DESOLATE WASTES, AND TO THE CITIES THAT ARE FORSAKEN; before only the mountains are spoken to, though the whole land was included; here the several particulars are given, which describe the whole, and which suffered in the calamity, and the inhabitants that dwelt in them or near them; who only can be supposed to hear the word of the Lord, though places are only mentioned, because of the great depopulation of them: WHICH BECAME A PREY AND DERISION TO THE RESIDUE OF THE HEATHEN THAT ARE ROUND ABOUT; to the Tyrians, Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites; who mocked the Jews,

Ezekiel 36:1. With this chapter the great prophetic utterances of Ezekiel begin concerning the future restoration and blessing of Israel. From here on to the end of the book, all is still unfulfilled, nor can it be fulfilled until the Lord Jesus Christ comes again and is enthroned as King. The first seven verses (Ezekiel 36:1)announce once more the future judgment of Israel's enemies. Then comes the promised return to the land Ezekiel 36:8. The mountains of Israel, barren so long, shall be inhabited again. Israel's past sins and chastisement are reviewed in Ezekiel 36:16, and then comes that great message of restoration and blessing th

THE RESTORATION AND RENEWAL OF ISRAEL'S LAND. This chapter is brilliant with hope and promise. First comes a fine apostrophe (Ezekiel 36:1), tremulous with emotion (_cf._ Ezekiel 36:4), to the mountain land of Israel (contrast ch. 6). Mocked and desolated as it had been by the enemy, and especially by Edom, Yahweh, whose own honour has been involved in these insults to His land, solemnly vows that the enemy shall be overtaken by the doom which they had brought upon Israel (Ezekiel 36:1). His favour, however, would restore Israel's mountain land, which, in the near future (Ezekiel 36:8) would be more fertile, prosperous, and populous

HEAR. Figure of speech _Apostrophe_. App-6. TO THE MOUNTAINS, &c. Note the Figure of speech _Merismos_ (App-6). RIVERS. torrents, or ravines. Hebrew. _aphikim_. See note on "channels", 2 Samuel 22:15....

CHAPTER SIXTEEN TRANSFORMATION AND RESTORATION 36:1-37:28 Thus far Ezekiel has expressed his hope for the future in terms of (1) the establishment of new leadership for the people of God; and (2) the punishment of those who previously had opposed His people. He now proceeds to speak of (3) the restoration of the land of Israel (chap. 36); and (4) the rebirth of the nation (chap. 37). I. THE RESTORATION OF THE LAND The prophecy against Mt. Seir (chap. 35) is followed by a prophecy unto the mountains of Israel. Here Ezekiel speaks of the material and spiritual aspects of the restoration of Israel. Chapter 36 may be the brightest chapter in the entire book. Four units of thought can be observed here: (1) the redemption of the land (Ezekiel 36:1-7); (2) the repopulation of the land ...

36:4 water-courses (c-27) Or 'ravines,' ch. 6.3....