So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

EZEKIEL 39:7KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 39:7 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 39:7 mean?

Ezekiel 39:7 says that God will make His holy name known among the people of Israel and will no longer allow His name to be dishonored. The surrounding nations (“the heathen”) will recognize that He is the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel during a time of exile and trouble. The verse comes in a section where God promises to defend Israel from its enemies and restore His reputation among both Israel and the nations. The focus is on God’s determination to protect the honor of His name and to show everyone, both Israelites and outsiders, who He truly is.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 39:7

  • “holy” (קָדוֹשׁ, qadosh): This word means “set apart” or “sacred.” Calling God’s name “holy” stresses that He is unique and pure, different from anything common or ordinary.
  • “name” (שֵׁם, shem): In Hebrew thought, a “name” often stands for a person’s character or reputation. Here, God’s “name” means His identity and the respect due to Him.
  • “pollute” (חָלַל, chalal): This word means to “profane” or “treat as common.” God says He will not let His name be treated as ordinary or disrespected anymore.
  • “heathen” (גּוֹי, goy): This term refers to the nations outside Israel. The verse highlights that even these nations will come to recognize God’s true identity.

Why Ezekiel 39:7 matters

  • Ezekiel 39:7 clears up the idea that God’s concern is not just for Israel’s safety but also for the honor and recognition of His name among all people.
  • The verse emphasizes that God’s actions are meant to reveal His true character, both to His own people and to the wider world.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme in Ezekiel that God’s reputation and holiness are central, and that He acts so that everyone will know who He is.

Where else these words appear

“One” Hebrew H6918 · used in 106 verses

  • Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
  • 2 Kings 19:22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
  • Isaiah 17:7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.

“pollute” Hebrew H2490 · used in 131 verses

  • Genesis 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
  • Judges 20:31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
  • Isaiah 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;