Ezekiel 36:1-7 · Bible study

Ezekiel 36:1-7 Commentary: God Addresses the Mountains

Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say

Meaning in one sentence

Why does Ezekiel prophesy to the mountains of Israel? A study of God's covenant faithfulness, divine jealousy, and the reversal of shame.

Research Summary

Meaning: God promises to restore Israel’s land and bring judgment on the nations that gloated over its desolation.
Key words: mountains of Israel, “Aha!,” possession, jealousy, lifted up my hand, bear their shame.
Main debate: Whether this refers only to the literal return from Babylon (Barnes, Keil) or also symbolizes spiritual restoration under the Messiah (Matthew Henry).
Theological theme: God’s covenant faithfulness, He will not let His land or His people remain under the scorn of the nations.
Best use: Comfort for those who feel that God’s promises to them have failed; a call to trust that He hears every taunt against His people.

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

¹“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

²This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’

³therefore prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you on every side, so that you became a possession of the rest of the nations and were taken up in slander by the lips of their talkers,

⁴therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become a spoil and a mockery to the rest of the nations around you.

⁵Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, so that its pastureland became plunder.

⁶Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and tell the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I have spoken in My burning zeal because you have endured the reproach of the nations.

⁷Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I have sworn with an uplifted hand that surely the nations around you will endure reproach of their own.

WEB World English Bible 2000

¹You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear Yahweh’s word.

²The Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’

³therefore prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people;”

⁴therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: The Lord Yahweh says 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 have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around;

⁵therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “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 to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.”’

⁶Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains, the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.”

⁷Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “I have sworn, ‘Surely the nations that are around you will bear their shame.’

KJV King James Version 1769

¹Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord:

²Thus saith the Lord God; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:

³Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:

⁴Therefore, 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;

⁵Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

⁶Prophesy 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:

⁷Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.

ASV American Standard Version 1901

¹And thou, son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah.

²Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are ours in possession;

³therefore 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 talkers, and the evil report of the people;

⁴therefore, 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 derision to the residue of the nations that are round about;

⁵therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land unto themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.

⁶Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains and to 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:

⁷therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I have sworn, saying, Surely the nations that are round about you, they shall bear their shame.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

¹And thou, son of man, prophesy unto mountains of Israel, and thou hast said, O mountains of Israel, hear a word of Jehovah.

²Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy said against you, Aha, and the high places of old for a possession have been to us,

³therefore, prophesy, and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because, even because, of desolating, And of swallowing you up from round about, For your being a possession to the remnant of the nations, And ye are taken up on the tip of the tongue, And are an evil report of the people.

⁴Therefore, O mountains of Israel, Hear a word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah, to mountains, and to hills, To streams, and to valleys, And to wastes that are desolate, And to cities that are forsaken, That have been for a prey, And for a scorn, to the remnant of the nations who are round about.

⁵Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Have I not, in the fire of My jealousy, Spoken against the remnant of the nations, And against Edom--all of it, Who gave My land to themselves for a possession, With the joy of the whole heart--with despite of soul, For the sake of casting it out for a prey?

⁶Therefore, prophesy concerning the ground of Israel, And thou hast said to mountains, and to hills, To streams, and to valleys, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I, in My jealousy, and in My fury, I have spoken, Because the shame of nations ye have borne.

⁷Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: I--I have lifted up My hand, Do not--the nations who are with you from round about--they their own shame bear?

Darby Darby Bible 1890

¹And thou, son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah.

²Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are become ours in possession;

³therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because, yea, because they have made [you] desolate, and have swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the remnant of the nations, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and in the defaming of the people:

⁴therefore, 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 water-courses 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 remnant of the nations that are round about,

⁵— therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the remnant of the nations, and against the whole of Edom, which have appointed my land unto themselves for a possession with the joy of all [their] heart, with despite of soul, to plunder it by pillage.

⁶Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the water-courses and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the ignominy of the nations;

⁷therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I have lifted up my hand, [saying,] Verily the nations that are about you, they shall bear their shame.

Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899

¹And thou son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say: Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord:

²Thus saith the Lord God: Because the enemy hath said to you: Aha, the everlasting heights are given to us for an inheritance.

³Therefore prophesy, and say: Thus saith the Lord God: Because you have been desolate, and trodden under foot on every side, and made an inheritance to the rest of the nations, and are become the subject of the talk, and the reproach of the people:

⁴Therefore, 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 brooks, and to the valleys, and to desolate places, and ruinous walls, and to the cities that are forsaken, that are spoiled, and derided by the rest of the nations round about.

⁵Therefore thus saith the Lord God: In the fire of my zeal I have spoken of the rest of the nations, and of all Edom, who have taken my land to themselves, for an inheritance with joy, and with all the heart, and with the mind: and have cast it out to lay it waste.

⁶Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, and to the hills, to the ridges, and to the valleys: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I have spoken in my zeal, and in my indignation, because you have borne the shame of the Gentiles.

⁷Therefore thus saith the Lord God: I have lifted up my hand, that the Gentiles who are round about you, shall themselves bear their shame.

Verse in Context

1 You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear Yahweh’s word.

2 The Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’

3 therefore prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people;”

4 therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: The Lord Yahweh says 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 have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around;

5 therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “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 to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.”’

6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains, the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.”

7 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “I have sworn, ‘Surely the nations that are around you will bear their shame.’

8 “‘“But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.

9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown.

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators across traditions agree that in this opening of Ezekiel 36, God commands the prophet to address the land of Israel directly, the mountains, hills, valleys and cities, as a way of declaring that the land itself belongs to Yahweh and will not remain in enemy hands. Clarke notes that during the Babylonian exile, Edomites seized the mountainous parts of Judea, intending to prevent the Jews from returning. Barnes adds that the land is holy, given by Yahweh to His people, and that the promises here had their first fulfillment in the return from Babylon. Cambridge observes the repeated commands to prophesy (verses 1, 3, 4, 6, 7), four or five calls, which show the prophet’s passionate patriotism and God’s solemn determination. Gill and Wesley both connect the enemy’s taunt “Aha!” (v.2) to the joy Edom took in Israel’s fall. Keil and Delitzsch see this as a contrast to the judgment on Edom in chapter 35: the land of Israel will be restored, and the nations that mocked will bear their own shame. The consensus is clear: God’s covenant with Israel includes the land, and He will not let the nations take it permanently.

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Medium

Main views:

Literal-restoration view: This passage directly addresses the land of Israel after the exile; Barnes, Keil and Gill argue that the first fulfillment was the return from Babylon under Ezra and Nehemiah.
Typological view: Barnes and Matthew Henry allow that the temporal blessings are typical of the Messiah’s reign; the land promise points to the greater restoration that comes through Christ.

What is clear: God will vindicate His people and restore their inheritance, reversing the shame they suffered at the hands of the nations.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

Topic	Agreed	Debated
Identity of 'the enemy'	The primary enemy is Edom (Idumea), along with other surrounding nations that rejoiced over Israel's fall.	Some commentators focus almost exclusively on Edom (Clarke, Gill), while others see Edom as representative of all hostile nations (Cambridge, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
Meaning of God's 'jealousy'	God's jealousy is a holy passion arising from His covenant relationship with Israel and His concern for His own honor.	Evangelical traditions tend to emphasize God’s jealous love as protective and just; some Reformed interpreters (e.g., Gill) stress the fierce wrath aspect, while others (Matthew Henry) highlight the compassionate motivation behind it.
Scope of the land promise	The immediate reference is to the physical land of Israel and its restoration after the Babylonian exile.	Christians vary on whether this also points forward typologically to the church as God's inheritance (Barnes notes the temporal blessings may typify Messiah's reign) or remains a particular promise to ethnic Israel. The supplied commentaries do not advocate supersessionism; they treat the restoration as historical.

Historical & Cultural Context

Ezekiel 36:1-7 belongs to a block of prophecy (chapters 33, 39) that turns from judgment toward restoration. The preceding chapter (35) pronounces doom on Mount Seir, Edom, for its perpetual hostility. Now the prophet turns to address the mountains of Israel, the same land that had been laid waste during the Babylonian conquest (586 BC). Clarke explains that during the captivity, Edomites and other neighboring peoples moved into the abandoned hill country and fortified towns, bragging that “the ancient high places are ours in possession” (v.2). Cambridge points out that “ancient high places” here does not mean the rural sanctuaries often condemned in the Old Testament; it refers to the mountain heights of Israel itself, which the nations now claimed as theirs.

The prophet personifies the land, speaking to mountains, hills, watercourses, valleys, ruins and cities (v.4), a rhetorical move found elsewhere in Ezekiel (6:2-3; 20:47) and in Jeremiah (22:29). Barnes notes that the “residue of the nations” (v.3) are those that survived Jerusalem’s fall and profited from it, especially Edom. God’s response uses the language of passion: “in the fire of my jealousy” (v.5). Gill explains that God’s jealousy is not petty envy but a holy zeal for His own honor and for His people’s welfare; the nations treated God’s land “with despite of soul” and contempt. The oath gesture, “I have lifted up mine hand” (v.7), is a solemn swearing (Genesis 14:22; Ezekiel 20:5), guaranteeing that the disgrace Israel suffered would be turned back on the nations.

Textual Notes

The consulted commentaries note no significant textual variants for Ezekiel 36:1-7. The Cambridge Bible observes a difficulty in the grammar of verse 5 (“to cast it out” or “to empty it out for booty”), but this relates to translation rather than a manuscript variant. The overall text is stable across the Hebrew manuscripts and early versions.

Reception History

Early Christian readers, including Jerome, often interpreted Ezekiel’s promises to the land allegorically, seeing the mountains of Israel as types of the church or the soul restored by grace. Reformation commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible read the passage as a literal promise of return from Babylon that also foreshadowed the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant. Matthew Henry (18th century) applied the passage pastorally, God’s compassion for Israel in their shame becomes a pattern for how God comforts all who suffer under mockery for His name. In modern scholarship, the literal-historical sense is emphasized (Keil, Barnes), while many Christian teachers still draw application about God’s faithfulness to His promises despite appearances.

Preaching This Verse

Three-point outline

God speaks to the land (verses 1-2). The mountains of Israel are called to hear Yahweh’s word. In a time when the land sits desolate and occupied by enemies, God addresses it directly. This shows that He has not forgotten His inheritance. The enemy’s taunt “Aha!” is heard by God and will not go unanswered.
God’s jealousy ignites judgment on the nations (verses 3-5). Because the surrounding peoples made Israel’s land desolate and claimed it for themselves with joy and contempt, God speaks “in the fire of my jealousy.” His passionate commitment to His people and His land turns the tables: those who plundered will face His wrath.
The promise of reversed shame (verses 6-7). Israel had “borne the shame of the nations”, the mockery and humiliation of exile. But God swears an oath: the nations that mocked them “shall bear their shame.” The same measure they used against Israel will be measured back to them.

Five-point outline

Prophetic address to the land: “Prophesy to the mountains of Israel”, God’s word reaches even the silent, ruined places.
The enemy’s boast: The nations said “Aha!” and claimed the ancient heights as their possession, as if God had abandoned His land.
The reasons for judgment: Because they made the land desolate, swallowed it up, and turned it into a prey and derision.
God’s response of jealousy: He speaks in burning zeal, specifically against Edom and all who took His land with contempt.
The oath of reversal: God lifts His hand to swear that the nations around Israel will bear the shame they intended for her.

Illustration hooks

A family whose ancestral home was taken over by squatters while they were away. Years later, they receive a court order giving the house back, and the squatters must leave in disgrace.
A town that was mocked as “the ghost town” after a factory closed. When new industry arrives and people return, the mockers fall silent or move away.
An athlete who was laughed at for an injury, only to come back and win the championship while those who mocked watch from the stands.

Questions your congregation is asking

Does God really care about physical land and property, or is this only about spiritual things?
What does it mean for God to be “jealous”? Is that the same as human envy?
If God promised to restore Israel then, what does that mean for Israel today?

Leading a Discussion

This passage confronts us with a God who does not abandon what belongs to Him. When everything seems lost, land taken, people scattered, enemies gloating, God speaks directly to the silent mountains. He hears every taunt and remembers every promise. As you discuss, notice the way God addresses the land itself, almost as if it were a person waiting for vindication.

Discussion questions

Read verses 1-2. Why do you think God commands Ezekiel to prophesy “to the mountains of Israel” rather than to the people directly? What does this personification tell us about God’s connection to the land?
The enemy says “Aha!” and claims the “ancient high places” as their possession. What attitudes toward God and His people lie behind those words?
Verse 3 says Israel was “taken up in the lips of talkers”, they became the subject of gossip and slander. Why do you think God takes that kind of mockery so seriously?
God speaks “in the fire of my jealousy” (v.5). How does the Bible’s picture of God’s jealousy differ from human jealousy? What does it reveal about His character?
Verses 6-7 promise that the nations who shamed Israel will “bear their shame.” Is this about revenge, or about God setting things right? How does justice relate to restoration?
How does this passage encourage Christians who feel that their inheritance, whether physical, relational, or spiritual, has been stolen or mocked?
In verse 7, God swears with an uplifted hand. Why is it significant that God stakes His own name on the promise of reversal?

What the Commentators Say

8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826

Clarke treats the command to prophesy to the mountains of Israel as a personification, with the land itself being consoled. The Edomites thought they would seize the high places during the exile, but God promises they will not profit from Israel's disaster. Clarke also reads this restoration as a type of Gospel blessings.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832

Barnes insists this prophecy primarily promises a literal restoration of the land’s prosperity after the Babylonian exile, not just a spiritual picture of the Messiah’s reign. He reads the "mountains of Israel" as directly opposed to Edom’s Mount Seir, and interprets "I have lifted up mine hand" as God’s sworn oath.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880

The Cambridge Bible notes that "high places" in this passage refers to Israel's mountains, not the usual rural sanctuaries. It also points out the double "because" as a sign of the prophet's intense passionate feeling, his patriotism stirred by the beloved landscape of his homeland.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871

JFB’s key point is the contrast between Israel and the heathen: Israel holds a covenant relationship with God that guarantees restoration after judgment, while the heathen’s hope of seizing that inheritance will fail. Israel’s standing is moral and spiritual, not merely physical like Edom’s. God will restore His people for His own name’s sake, impressing the nations.

Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876

Keil-Delitzsch emphasize that this promise of restoration directly reverses the threat against Edom in the previous chapter. Because Edom rejoiced that the land’s “everlasting heights” were theirs, God will restore those same mountains while the surrounding nations bear their own disgrace. The fivefold repetition of “therefore” shows unusual emotional fire.

Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857

Lange treats the mountains of Israel as symbols of God's enduring promise, not mere geography. The restoration comes solely because God acts to sanctify His own name, not because of any worth in Israel. Thus the prophecy centers on divine self-sanctification rather than human need.

Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710

Henry notes that God addresses the land itself—its mountains, hills, and valleys—to show that the restoration is as concrete and physical as the desolation had been. The enemy had taunted Israel about possessing their ancient high places, but God promises that the very land which bore the shame of the nations will be vindicated and flourish again.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754

Wesley identifies the mountains as the mountainous lands of Judah and Israel, whose people are in captivity. He reads the enemy as many nations united against God's people, especially Edom, who devoured them like beasts and made them a constant topic of scorn. God's lifted hand is His sworn oath of judgment against these heathen nations.

Cross-References

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)

Jeremiah 22:29	O earth, earth, earth, hear Yahweh’s word!
Ezekiel 6:2	“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them,
Ezekiel 6:3	and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh! The Lord Yahweh says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: “Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.
Ezekiel 20:47	Tell the forest of the south, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word: The Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree. The burning flame will not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north will be burned by it.
Ezekiel 33:28	I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. The pride of her power will cease. The mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that no one will pass through.
Ezekiel 34:14	I will feed them with good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel 36:8	“‘“But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.
Ezekiel 37:4	Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear Yahweh’s word.

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

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