Ezekiel 36:21 (DBY)

Passage

But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations whither they went.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 36:19 And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

Ezekiel 36:20 And when they came to the nations whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when it was said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and they are gone forth out of his land.

Ezekiel 36:21 But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations whither they went.

Ezekiel 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations whither ye went.

Ezekiel 36:23 And I will hallow my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I [am] Jehovah, saith the Lord Jehovah, when I shall be hallowed in you before their eyes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "pity", "holy", "name", "house", "israel", "profaned", "nations", and "whither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "pity" and "holy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And when they came to the nations..." into verse 22's "Therefore say unto the house of Israel...", so "pity" and "holy" 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 "pity" and "holy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.