Ezekiel 36:38 (KJV)

Passage

As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 36:36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.

Ezekiel 36:37 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.

Ezekiel 36:38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "holy", "flock", "jerusalem", "solemn", "feasts", "shall", and "waste". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "holy" and "flock", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Thus saith the Lord GOD I will...", giving immediate footing for "holy" and "flock". In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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