Ezekiel 36:33 (LSB)

Passage

‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 36:31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves to your own faces for your iniquities and your abominations.

Ezekiel 36:32 I am not doing this for your sake,” declares Lord Yahweh, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and feel dishonor for your ways, O house of Israel!”

Ezekiel 36:33 ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.

Ezekiel 36:34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by.

Ezekiel 36:35 And they will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "iniquities", "thus", "says", "lord", "yahweh", "cleanse", "cause", and "cities". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "iniquities" and "thus", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 32's "I am not doing this for your..." into verse 34's "The desolate land will be cultivated instead...", so "iniquities" and "thus" 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 "iniquities" and "thus" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.