Ezekiel 36:14

Study note

Setting — The Lord GOD addresses the land of Israel through Ezekiel, responding directly to the taunts of surrounding nations who claimed it had devoured its people and lost its children. This declaration occurs within a broader oracle promising permanent restoration and repopulation.

The words — The Hebrew verb תֹאכְלִי (tokhli) literally means "you will devour," paired with תְשַׁכְּלִי (teshakeli), "you will bereave," both negated by לֹא (lo) and עוֹד (od) to form "no longer." These terms directly rebut the specific accusations recorded in Ezekiel 36:13.

The thread — This reversal of desolation aligns with the permanent security promised in Ezekiel 37:25 and Amos 9:15, where God vows to firmly plant His people in their land. The theme of lasting possession and divine protection also resonates with Isaiah 60:21.

Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment that the land's past devastation was not God's final word, but a temporary condition reversed by divine command. It requires the reader to accept that national restoration depends solely on God's declarative power, not human merit.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.