And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

EZEKIEL 37:21KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 37:21 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 37:21 mean?

Ezekiel 37:21 says that God promises to gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered and bring them back to their own land. This verse is a message of hope, showing that God intends to restore the Israelites to their homeland after a time of exile.

In this verse, God tells Ezekiel to speak to the Israelites, who were living in exile far from their land. The context is a time when the people of Israel had been taken away from their home because of conquest and were living among other nations. The verse assures them that God has not forgotten them and will actively bring them back together from all the places they have been dispersed.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 37:21

  • "Heathen" (גּוֹיִם, goyim): This word means "nations" or "peoples" and refers to the foreign countries where the Israelites had been scattered. It highlights that the Israelites were living among many different groups, not just one nation.
  • "Gather" (קָבַץ, qavats): This word means to collect or bring together. It emphasizes the active effort God promises to make in reuniting the Israelites, not just letting them return on their own.
  • "Bring" (בּוֹא, bo): This word means to cause to enter or to bring in. It shows that God is not only gathering the people but also ensuring they arrive safely back in their own land.
  • "Land" (אֲדָמָה, adamah): This word means "land" or "ground" and refers specifically to the territory God gave to Israel, reinforcing the promise of a physical return to a real place.

Why Ezekiel 37:21 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the return from exile is not just a vague hope but a specific promise from God to bring the Israelites back to their ancestral land.
  • The verse connects to the larger vision in Ezekiel 37, where God shows Ezekiel a valley of dry bones coming to life, symbolizing the restoration of the nation.
  • It helps clear up any misunderstanding that the Israelites' situation in exile was permanent; instead, it emphasizes God's power and intention to reverse their fortunes and restore them as a people.

Where else these words appear

“among” Hebrew H996 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
  • Exodus 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
  • 2 Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

“gather” Hebrew H6908 · used in 121 verses

  • Genesis 41:35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
  • 2 Chronicles 32:4 So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
  • Jeremiah 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.