Ezekiel 36:7

Ezekiel 36:7

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.

a. ASV: Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I have sworn, saying, Surely the nations that are round about you, they shall bear their shame.

b. YLT: Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: I -- I have lifted up My hand, Do not -- the nations who are with you from round about -- they their own shame bear?

c. Classic Amplified: Therefore thus says the Lord God: I have lifted up My hand and sworn, Surely the nations that are round about you shall themselves suffer shame and reproach.

d. Septuagint: Therefore I will lift up my hand against the nations that are round about you; they shall bear their reproach. 

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: Therefore, thus said the Lord HSHEM/ELOHIM: I have lifted My hand, [swearing] that the nations surrounding you will bear their shame.”

1. “Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I have lifted up mine hand…”

a. Therefore [Strong: 3651 ken kane from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles):--+ after that (this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be (for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this, thus, true, well, X you.]

b. thus [Strong: 3541 3541 koh ko from the prefix k and 1931; properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now:--also, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.]

c. saith [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.]

d. [the] Lord [Strong: 136 'Adonay ad-o-noy' am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only):--(my) Lord.]

e. God [Strong: 3069 Yhovih yeh-ho-vee' a variation of 3068 (used after 136, and pronounced by Jews as 430, in order to prevent the repetition of the same sound, since they elsewhere pronounce 3068 as 136):--God.]

f. I [Strong: 589 'aniy an-ee' contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X which, X who.]

g. lifted up [Strong: 5375 nâsâʼ, naw-saw'; or נָסָה nâçâh; (Psalm 4:6 [7]), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative:—accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ( man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, × needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, swear, take (away, up), × utterly, wear, yield.]

1). Here we see God taking an oath, He is swearing that he is going to do something.

a). [NKJV] 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "I have raised My hand in an oath…”

b). [New Living Translation] “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I have taken a solemn oath…” 

c). [NIV] “Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I swear with uplifted hand…” 

2). Other instances of God taking oaths.

a). Deuteronomy 32:40-42 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.

32:41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

32:42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.

b). Revelation 10:5, 6 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

3). Concerning God taking oaths, there is an enlightening piece in Arthur Pink’s study of Hebrews:

a). Exposition of Hebrews, Arthur Pink, Baker Book House, 1986, p. 341. “The assurance which was given to Abraham was the greatest that Heaven itself could afford: a promise and an oath. We say the greatest, for in v. 16, the Apostle declares that amongst men an “oath” is an end of strife; how much more when the great God Himself takes one! Moreover, observe He sware “by Himself”: He staked Himself; it was as though He had said, I will cease to be God if I do not perform this. The Lord pledged His veracity, declared the event should be as certain as His existence.” 

2. “…Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.”

a. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

b. Surely [Strong: 518 'im eem a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.]

c. [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

d. [the] heathen [Strong: 1471 gôwy, go'-ee; rarely (shortened) גֹּי gôy; apparently from the same root as H1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:—Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

e. that [are] [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

f. about you [Strong: 5439 çâbîyb, saw-beeb'; or (feminine) סְבִיבָה çᵉbîybâh; from H5437; (as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around:—(place, round) about, circuit, compass, on every side.]

g. they [Strong: 1992 hem haym or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from 1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.]

h. [shall] bear [Strong: 5375 nâsâʼ, naw-saw'; or נָסָה nâçâh; (Psalm 4:6 [7]), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative:—accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ( man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, × needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, swear, take (away, up), × utterly, wear, yield.]

i. [their] shame [Strong: 3639 kᵉlimmâh, kel-im-maw'; from H3637; disgrace:—confusion, dishonour, reproach, shame.]

1). God not only swore an oath to give the land of Canaan to Israel, He also took an oath swearing as is recorded in this verse (Ezekiel 36:7), that those who attempted to take Israel’s land from them and Him, would suffer the consequences.

a). Ezekiel 47:13, 14 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

47:14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

2). Note especially the phrase “they shall bear their shame.” God is taking an oath that those who have heaped shame upon Israel will themselves bear the shame of their actions trying to give God’s land to someone else. Their bearing the shame, unless they repent means going to hell, it is eternal judgment..

a). Ezekiel 32:24-30 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

32:25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.

32:26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.

32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

23:28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

32:29 There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.

32:30 There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.

3). Daniel reveals that the shame  and contempt will be “everlasting”.

a). Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

4). The bottom line in Ezekiel 36:7 is that those trying to steal Israel’s land from them will end up in hell and eventually the lake of fire suffering eternal judgment. The rest of the verses in this chapter are for the most part blessings upon the Mountains of Israel and prophecies concerning the restoration of the nation in fellowship with God.