Ezekiel 36:35 (ASV)

Passage

And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 36:33 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be builded.

Ezekiel 36:34 And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all that passed by.

Ezekiel 36:35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.

Ezekiel 36:36 Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, Jehovah, have builded the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Jehovah, have spoken it, and I will do it.

Ezekiel 36:37 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "land", "desolate", "become", "like", "garden", "eden", and "waste". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "land", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 34's "And the land that was desolate shall..." into verse 36's "Then the nations that are left round...", so "shall" and "land" belong inside that flow. In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "land" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.