Ezekiel 36:6

Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen: SAY UNTO THE MOUNTAINS ... BECAUSE YE HAVE BORNE THE SHAME OF THE HEATHEN - namely, the shame with which the pagan cover you (Psalms 123:3)....

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....

THE SHAME OF THE PAGAN - The taunts which the pagan heaped upon them....

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

PROPHESY THEREFORE CONCERNING THE LAND OF ISRAEL,.... And the inhabitants of it, for their comfort, in this their time of distress: AND SAY UNTO THE MOUNTAINS, AND TO THE HILLS, TO THE RIVERS, AND TO THE VALLEYS, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, I HAVE SPOKEN IN MY JEALOUSY AND IN MY FURY; with great zeal for his honour, and the interest of his people; and with indignation at his and their enemies: BECAUSE YE HAVE BORNE THE SHAME OF THE HEATHEN; their calumnies and lies, their reproaches and scoffs, their injuries and abuses; all which were resented by the Lord, and therefore he determines to punish for them....

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

THE LAND OF ISRAEL. the soil of Israel. See note on Ezekiel 11:17. Behold. Figure of speech _Asterismos_. App-8....

_borne the shame of the heathen_ The shame cast on them by the heathen, cf. Ezekiel 36:15; Ezekiel 34:29....

BEHOLD, &C.— We may point thus: _Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury. Because ye have borne the reproach of the nations, therefore,_ &c....