Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 37:23
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
23. Cf. Eze 36:25.
all their dwelling places ] More probably: out of all their backslidings. So LXX., cf. Eze 36:29.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Defile themselves: idolatry is a very defiling sin, and the Jews in both kingdoms were exceedingly addicted to it, pertinacious in it, to the utter ruin of both kingdoms; but after the return from Babylonish captivity, we find no where that they fell to idolatry.
Their idols: it may refer to the heathen, and then it means, they shall not defile themselves with the idols the heathen did worship; or to the idols of the Jews, their own idols, with which they shall no more be defiled.
Their detestable things; the same with idols, and added to set out the loathsomeness of the sin. Their transgressions; the former obstinate, bold, daring transgressors did that which these shall not defile themselves with: see Eze 36:25,33; 11:17,18. I will save them; whilst there I preserved them, and now I will bring them safe out of the places.
Wherein they have sinned; where out of a bad fear, or worse choice, they sinned, as did the heathen with whom they dwelt.
Will cleanse them; both sanctify and make them holy, and justify and give them pardon, Eze 36:29. My people: see Eze 11:20; 36:28.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. (Eze36:25).
out of . . . theirdwelling-places (Eze 36:28;Eze 36:33). I will remove themfrom the scene of their idolatries to dwell in their own land, and toserve idols no more.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols,….
With their dung, or dunghill gods g; either with the idols of the Gentiles, or their own: after their return from the Babylonish captivity, the Jews were no more addicted to idolatry; and the image worship of the Papists is an abhorrence to them at this day, and a stumblingblock to them in their embracing Christianity: and when they are effectually called and converted to Christ; they will no more have respect to the idols, the works of their own hands; or to the idol of their own righteousness, which they have set up, and have gone about to establish, and to make to stand; they will then see it to be as filthy rags, defiling to them, instead of justifying of them; and therefore shall reject it, and no more defile themselves with it; but seek the righteousness of Christ, which justifies from all sin, and renders pure and spotless in the sight of God,
nor with their detestable things; or “abominations” h; the traditions of the elders, which they have preferred to the word of God, and made the rule of their faith, worship, and conversation; which has made them detestable unto God:
nor with any of their transgressions; particularly their disbelief of Christ and their blasphemy against him; nor shall they indulge themselves in those sins which now prevail among them, as pride, covetousness, uncleanness, fraud, and tricking in their trade and commerce:
but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned; as wherever they dwell they do; they are notorious for their wickedness; but God will bring them out of all these places, where they have lived in sin, and been the occasion of it to some, as well as followed the example of others:
and will cleanse them; by sprinkling clean water upon them; by applying the blood of Christ to them, which cleanses from all sin see Eze 36:25:
so they shall be my people, and will be their God; the “loammi” will be taken off, and the covenant of grace shall be renewed with them, and made manifest to them; and the blessings and promises shall be applied to them, and particularly this; see Jer 31:1.
g “diis stercoreis suis”, Junius Tremellius, Polanus “stercoribus suis”, Cocceius, Starckius. h “abominandis suis”, Starckius; “abominationibus”, Pagninus, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(23) Out of all their dwellingplaces.This expression can hardly refer to their places of exile and temporary sojourn among the heathen, since these were not especially the places where they had sinned. Their sins were rather committed in their own land; the lands of their captivity were the places where those sins were punished. Their dwelling places is then to be understood of their own land of Canaan, where they had been led into idolatry and all abominations by the heathen dwelling among them; and the promise is that this land shall be purged, that all evil shall be cast out from it, and the people delivered from the temptations by which they had hitherto been overcome.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23-28. The new Israel will not be defiled by idolatry, but God will cleanse them and save them from the temptations connected with their ancient dwelling places, and “from all their backslidings” (Eze 37:23, R.V., margin), and a new David, who shall live forever (Eze 37:25), shall be their shepherd-king (Eze 37:24; compare Eze 34:23-24), and they shall dwell in the land which was promised to Jacob and to Abraham before him, though he never made a sandal track in it (Act 7:5); and it shall be to them and to their children an inheritance forever, according to the new “covenant of peace” (compare Eze 34:25; Eze 16:60), and Jehovah will place them ( or “give it them”) and set his sanctuary in the midst of them (Lev 26:11), and his “dwelling place” shall be with them (Eze 37:27; Eze 48:35), and the “nations” shall know that he is the Lord that doth sanctify Israel when his holy sanctuary is permitted to abide in the midst of the nation; which must therefore have been sanctified or separated unto himself as a holy possession. (Compare note Eze 37:15-22 ; 2Co 6:16; Rev 21:22.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Nor will they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions, but I will save them out of all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. So will they be my people, and I will be their God.”
The verse has a twofold application. It firstly found fulfilment in the fact that when Israel came back to the land they were basically cured of idolatry. ‘Idols’, ‘detestable things’, ‘transgressions’ can all be taken as having idolatry, and what accompanied it, in mind, and their foreign dwelling places had witnessed their continued love of idols. Thus there was the promise that they would be fully cleansed from these and would worship God alone (this latter links back to Eze 36:28).
It then found a second fulfilment at the coming of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, when men of all nations turned from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from Heaven (1Th 1:9-10).
But it will find its greater fulfilment when all sin is done away and the greater Israel dwells in the presence of God and of the Lamb for ever (Rev 21:3-4; Rev 22:3-5). In the end Ezekiel was thinking of total purity.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 37:23. But I will save them, &c. And I will save, or deliver them from all their transgressions. Houbigant after the LXX.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
Ver. 23. Neither shall they defile. ] After the captivity the Jews could never endure idolatry. The Popish image worship is at this day a very great stumblingblock to them.
Out of all their dwellingplaces.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
idols = dirty gods.
detestable = abominable. Referring to idolatry, and its accompaniments.
transgressions = rebellions. Bob. pasha’. App-44.
dwellingplaces. Septuagint reads “lawlessnesses”. Compare Jer 2:19; Jer 3:22; Jer 5:6. So Houbigant, Bishops Newcombe and Horsley, with Ginsburg.
wherein = whereby.
sinned. Hebrew. chata’. App-44.
My People = to Me a People.
their God = to them a God.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
shall they defile: Eze 20:43, Eze 36:25, Eze 36:29, Eze 36:31, Eze 43:7, Eze 43:8, Isa 2:18, Hos 14:8, Zec 13:1, Zec 13:2, Zec 14:21
but: Eze 36:24, Eze 36:29, Lev 20:7, Lev 20:8, Mic 7:14
will cleanse: Eph 5:26, Eph 5:27, Heb 9:13, Heb 9:14, 1Jo 1:7, 1Jo 1:9
they be: Eze 37:27, Eze 36:28, Eze 39:22, Gen 17:7, Gen 17:8, Psa 68:20, Psa 68:35, Jer 31:1, Jer 31:33, Jer 32:38, Jer 32:39, Hos 1:10, Zec 13:9, Rev 21:3, Rev 21:4, Rev 21:7
Reciprocal: Isa 54:14 – righteousness Jer 11:4 – ye be Jer 24:7 – and they Jer 30:9 – General Eze 11:18 – General Eze 14:11 – neither Eze 16:41 – and I Eze 34:24 – I the Lord will Eze 43:9 – the carcases Hos 14:3 – neither Mic 5:13 – graven Joh 3:10 – and knowest
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 37:23. The most important result to be accomplished by the captivity was the cure from idolatry. The first clause of this verse repeats the prediction of that fact and the historical evidence is quoted at Isa 1:25. See the comments at that place in volume 3 of this Commentary.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
These Jews would no longer defile themselves with idols, other detestable things, or transgressions of the Lord’s (Mosaic) covenant. The Lord promised to deliver them from the many places where they had gone and sinned and to cleanse them (cf. Jer 31:31-34). Then they would enter into a proper relationship with Him. In the present State of Israel only about 5 percent of the population is actively "religious," and Jesus Christ is more firmly rejected there than almost anywhere else. [Note: Stuart, p. 347.]
"This verse addresses the fourth dimension of ancient perceptions of national identity-a healthy relationship between Israel and her patron deity." [Note: Block, The Book . . . 48, p. 414.]
Block called these four dimensions ethnic integrity (Eze 37:21 a), territorial integrity (Eze 37:21 b), political integrity (Eze 37:22), and spiritual integrity (Eze 37:23). [Note: Ibid., pp. 410-14.]