Ezekiel 36:10 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 36:10 mean?

Ezekiel 36:10 promises that God will greatly increase the number of people in Israel, repopulating the land so that its towns will be filled with inhabitants and its ruined places rebuilt. This verse describes a future restoration where the people of Israel will return and their cities and desolate areas will be renewed.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the land of Israel, which had suffered devastation and exile. The verse is part of a larger message where God reassures the people that their land, once empty and destroyed, will again be full of life, homes, and activity. This restoration is described as a complete reversal of the destruction that had taken place.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 36:10

• "multiply" (רָבָה, ravah): This word means to increase or make many. Here, it emphasizes not just a return, but a significant growth in the population, highlighting abundance after a period of loss.
• "men" (אָדָם, adam): This word can mean "people" or "humankind" in general, not just males. The promise is for all the people of Israel, not just a segment.
• "wastes" (חָרְבָּה, chorbah): This word refers to places that have been ruined or left desolate. Its use underlines the severity of the destruction and the dramatic nature of the promised rebuilding.
• "builded" (בָּנָה, banah): This verb means to build or rebuild. The focus is on restoration, not just physical construction, but also the renewal of community life.

Why Ezekiel 36:10 matters

• Ezekiel 36:10 clarifies that the restoration God promises is not partial; it is for "all the house of Israel" and includes every city and ruined place, showing the completeness of the renewal.
• The verse connects to the wider passage where God is addressing the land itself, personifying it as if it can hear and respond, which highlights the deep relationship between the people and their land in Israel’s story.
• This promise would have offered hope to exiles who had seen their homeland destroyed, assuring them that desolation was not the end and that God intended a future full of life and community.