God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 36:17
17“Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they dishonored it by the way they lived and by everything they did. Their ways were as unclean as a woman’s menstrual period.
Ezekiel 36:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
- New International Version (NIV)“Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleanness in my sight.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity.
Context of Ezekiel 36:17
15I will no longer let you hear the insults from the nations. You will no longer suffer the disgrace of the people. You will never again take the children away from your own nation, declares the Almighty Lord.’ ” 16The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, “Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they dishonored it by the way they lived and by everything they did. Their ways were as unclean as a woman’s menstrual period. 18So I poured out my fury on them because they poured out blood on the land and they dishonored the land with their idols. 19I forced them into other nations, and they became scattered among the nations. I judged them based on the way that they lived and based on everything that they had done.
Read all of Ezekiel 36Ezekiel 36:17 word by word
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם בֵּ֤ית יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יֹשְׁבִ֣ים עַל־אַדְמָתָ֔ם וַיְטַמְּא֣וּ אוֹתָ֔הּ בְּדַרְכָּ֖ם וּבַעֲלִֽילוֹתָ֑ם כְּטֻמְאַת֙ הַנִּדָּ֔ה הָיְתָ֥ה דַרְכָּ֖ם לְפָנָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- when the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in their own landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- they defiledטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
- it by their own wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- and by their doingsעֲלִילָה‛ălîylâh ‛ălilâh · wantonnessH5949
- was beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- me as the uncleannessטֻמְאָהţûm'âh · uncleannessH2932
- of a removed womanנִדָּהniddâh · impurityH5079
Cross-references for Ezekiel 36:17
- Leviticus 18:24“Do not become unclean in any of these ways. By these practices all the nations which I am forcing out of your way have become unclean.
- Numbers 35:33“You must not pollute the land where you live. Murder is what pollutes the land. The land where a murder was committed can never make peace with the Lord except through the death of the murderer.
- Psalms 106:37They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
- Isaiah 24:5The earth is polluted by those who live on it because they’ve disobeyed the Lord’s teachings, violated his laws, and rejected the everlasting promise.
- Jeremiah 2:7I brought them into a fertile land to eat its fruit and its produce. They came and made my land unclean. They made my property disgusting.
- Jeremiah 3:1A saying: If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, her first husband shouldn’t go back to her again. The land would become thoroughly polluted. “You have acted like a prostitute who has many lovers. And now you want to come back to me!” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 16:18First, I will have them pay twice as much for their wickedness and their sin, because they have polluted my land. They have filled my property with the lifeless statues of their detestable and disgusting idols.”
- Micah 2:10Get up, and go away! This is not a place to rest! It will be destroyed, completely destroyed, because it offends me.
- Leviticus 15:19“When a woman has her monthly period, she will be unclean for seven days. Those who touch her will be unclean until evening.
- Isaiah 64:6We’ve all become unclean, and all our righteous acts are like permanently stained rags. All of us shrivel like leaves, and our sins carry us away like the wind.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 36:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17When the house of Israel dwelt in their own land - Had they continued faithful to me, they had never been removed from it: but they polluted it with their crimes; and I abhorred the land on that account, and gave both them and it up to the destroyers.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 The defilement of the people described in order to its removal. Ezekiel 36:20 They profaned my holy name - Caused it to be dishonored by the pagan who said in scorn, “This is the people of God.” The pagan, seeing the miserable state of the exiles, fancied that Yahweh was no more than a national god, powerless to protect his subjects.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-24Verses 16-24 The restoration of that people, being typical of our redemption by Christ, shows that the end aimed at in our salvation is the glory of God. The sin of a people defiles their land; renders it abominable to God, and uncomfortable to themselves. God's holy name is his great name; his holiness is his greatness, nor does any thing else make a man truly great.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Covenant curses came to Israel because the people defiled their land through sinful behavior. A menstrual cloth became polluted by contact with a woman's monthly blood flow. This natural process was not sinful, but it made people ceremonially unclean. Any loss of bodily fluids, like blood, sweat (see study note on Ezekiel 44:17–19), or semen, also caused ceremonial uncleanness (see Leviticus 15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. removed woman--(Le 15:19, &c.).Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 36:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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