Ezekiel 36:15 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Ezekiel 36:15 kjv
Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 36:15 nkjv
"Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore," says the Lord GOD.' "
Ezekiel 36:15 niv
No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign LORD.'?"
Ezekiel 36:15 esv
And I will not let you hear anymore the reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord GOD."
Ezekiel 36:15 nlt
I will not let you hear those other nations insult you, and you will no longer be mocked by them. You will not be a land that causes its nation to fall, says the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 36 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Promises of Restoration and Dignity | ||
| Isa 25:8 | He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces... | God removes shame permanently. |
| Isa 60:14 | The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you... | Nations will respect Israel. |
| Zeph 3:19-20 | I will deal with all your oppressors... I will give you praise and renown... | End of shame, exaltation among nations. |
| Joel 2:26-27 | You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied... my people shall never again be put to shame. | Material and spiritual restoration, no more shame. |
| Mic 7:16 | The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might... | Oppressor nations put to shame. |
| Zech 8:13 | So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing... do not fear, but let your hands be strong. | Israel becomes a blessing, fear banished. |
| God's Name Vindicated and Israel's Role | ||
| Ezek 36:22-23 | It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake... | God restores Israel for His name's glory. |
| Isa 60:3 | Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. | Israel as a light to the nations. |
| Jer 33:9 | It shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations... | Israel's restored state glorifies God. |
| Isa 62:2-3 | The nations shall see your righteousness... You shall be a crown of beauty... | Nations witnessing Israel's renewed glory. |
| Internal Transformation and Stability | ||
| Ezek 36:26-27 | And I will give you a new heart... and cause you to walk in my statutes... | Promise of internal spiritual renewal. |
| Jer 31:33-34 | I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts... | New Covenant, internal obedience. |
| Deut 30:6 | The LORD your God will circumcise your heart... so that you will love the LORD... | Spiritual transformation enabling obedience. |
| Rom 11:26-27 | All Israel will be saved... I will take away their sins. | Future spiritual salvation of Israel. |
| 1 Pet 2:9-10 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession... | Spiritual Israel's role, echoing national holiness. |
| Heb 8:10-12 | This is the covenant that I will make... I will put my laws into their minds... | The new covenant leading to internal obedience. |
| Reversal of Former Curses/Sufferings | ||
| Lev 26:33 | And I will scatter you among the nations... | Consequence of disobedience reversed. |
| Deut 28:37 | And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples... | Prophecy of curse reversed to blessing. |
| Ps 79:4 | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. | Acknowledging past shame and seeking relief. |
| Neh 1:3 | The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire. | Emblem of the national disgrace. |
| Sovereignty of God's Word | ||
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. | God's faithfulness to His promises. |
| Tit 1:2 | ...God, who never lies, promised before the ages began. | God's inherent truthfulness. |
Ezekiel 36 verses
Ezekiel 36 15 meaning
Ezekiel 36:15 conveys God's solemn promise to the people of Israel that He will completely reverse their condition of disgrace and bring an end to the shame and reproach they suffered from the surrounding nations during their exile. Furthermore, it affirms that Israel, in their restored state, will no longer be a source of internal moral stumbling, which previously led to their downfall. This declaration emphasizes a future of secure dignity and integrity, divinely guaranteed.
Ezekiel 36 15 Context
Ezekiel chapter 36 delivers a message of restoration and hope to the desolate mountains of Israel and, by extension, to the exiled people. It opens by directly addressing the physical land that has been ravaged, scoffed at by nations, and considered permanently forsaken (Ezek 36:1-7). God then promises to restore the land's fertility and to return the people of Israel to it (Ezek 36:8-12). However, a significant theme is that Israel's past defilement and shedding of blood had provoked God to scatter them among the nations, where their conduct continued to profane His holy name (Ezek 36:16-21). Ezekiel 36:15 is part of God's overarching pledge to cleanse His name, restore Israel for His own glory, and effect a profound spiritual transformation within them, which begins with the removal of shame and the prevention of further self-inflicted spiritual stumbling. The promise is made not primarily for Israel's sake, but for the vindication of God's holy name among the nations who had observed Israel's disgrace.
Ezekiel 36 15 Word analysis
- And I will not let you hear shame:
w'lōʾ 'ašmîʿāh(וְלֹא אַשְׁמִיעֲךָ - lit. "and not cause you to hear").Šmʿ(שׁמע), to hear, is used here in the Hiphil causative stem, meaning God Himself will actively prevent Israel from hearing or being made to hear thebūšāh(בּוּשָׁה - shame, humiliation, confusion). This is an active divine intervention to halt external humiliation.- Significance: God takes personal responsibility for removing the outward taunts and derision that Israel had experienced, emphasizing His active role in their restoration.
- from the nations anymore:
mēhagôyim ʿôd(מֵהַגּוֹיִם עוֹד).gôyim(גּוֹיִם - nations, gentiles) specifically refers to the non-Israelite peoples who observed and mocked Israel's exile and suffering, perceiving it as a sign of their God's weakness.ʿôd(עוֹד - anymore, no longer) marks the complete cessation of this negative experience.- Significance: The shame Israel experienced was public, rooted in their visible downfall among other cultures who often attributed it to the weakness of Israel's God. God vows to end this particular form of disgrace permanently.
- nor will you bear reproach:
wḵelem lōʾ tiśśāʾ(וְכֶלֶם לֹא תִשָּׂא - lit. "and reproach not you will carry/bear").Kelem(כֶּלֶם - reproach, insult, disgrace) is parallel tobūšāhbut often carries a stronger sense of insult or taunt.Nāśāʾ(נָשָׂא - to bear, carry, lift) indicates the internal suffering or enduring of this disgrace.- Significance: This moves beyond just hearing shame to internalizing and bearing its burden, pointing to the deep psychological and spiritual pain the exiles endured. God promises to remove this burden.
- from the peoples anymore:
mēhāʿammîm ʿôd(מֵהָעַמִּים עוֹד).ʿammîm(עַמִּים - peoples) functions synonymously withgôyimin this context, reinforcing the widespread nature of Israel's disgrace among the nations.- Significance: Underscores the universal public humiliation of Israel, with God's promise providing an all-encompassing reversal.
- nor will you cause your nation to stumble anymore:
w'lōʾ taḵšîlî 'ôḏ et-goyîḵ(וְלֹא תַכְשִׁילִי עוֹד אֶת-גּוֹיִךְ - lit. "and not you will cause to stumble your nation anymore").Kāšal(כָּשַׁל - to stumble, totter) is used in the Hiphil causativetaḵšîlî(you cause to stumble).Goyîḵ(גּוֹיִךְ - your nation/people). This refers to Israel itself.- Significance: This is a crucial internal aspect. Previously, Israel's sin and disobedience led to their spiritual and national "stumbling" – moral collapse, idolatry, social injustice, and ultimately, exile. This divine promise implies an internal moral transformation, facilitated by God, that will prevent a return to the self-destructive patterns of sin. This links back to the future promise of a new heart (Ezek 36:26-27). It prevents their collective
goy(nation) from stumbling or causing itself to stumble, ending the cycle of divine judgment.
- declares the Lord Yahweh:
nəʾum Adōnāy YHWH(נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה).Nəʾum(נְאֻם - utterance, declaration) introduces a formal divine oracle.Adōnāy(אֲדֹנָי - Lord) expresses God's sovereignty, andYHWH(יהוה - Yahweh), the covenantal personal name of God, signifies His faithfulness to His promises.- Significance: This solemn affirmation underscores the absolute certainty and authoritative nature of God's promise. It is an unchangeable decree from the all-powerful and covenant-keeping God.
Words-group Analysis:
- "And I will not let you hear shame from the nations anymore, nor will you bear reproach from the peoples anymore...": This dual structure emphasizes the complete removal of external and internalized disgrace. "Hearing shame" points to the taunts, "bearing reproach" to the burden of enduring insult. The repetition and slight variation solidify God's comprehensive restoration of Israel's honor and dignity among the Gentile world.
- "...nor will you cause your nation to stumble anymore...": This phrase shifts from external judgment to internal responsibility. It identifies that Israel's own moral failing led to their previous downfall. God's promise includes not only protection from external disgrace but also an internal renewal that prevents self-destruction, foreshadowing the new covenant of the heart where they will walk in His statutes (Ezek 36:26-27). This implies both God's preserving power and a new internal obedience.
Ezekiel 36 15 Bonus section
Ezekiel 36:15 is intrinsically linked to the broader theme of God's jealousy for His holy name. The shame and reproach that Israel bore from the nations were seen by God as a direct affront to His character and power, as the nations questioned how His chosen people could suffer such defeat (Ezek 36:20). Therefore, the removal of this shame is not primarily for Israel's comfort, but for the vindication of God's own glory among the nations. The prophecy indicates that when Israel is fully restored in holiness and security, it will serve as a powerful testimony to the one true God, proving His sovereignty and faithfulness to His covenants, thereby removing any basis for future mockery or disparagement. This ultimate redemption is both physical, with the return to the land, and spiritual, with the promise of a renewed heart.
Ezekiel 36 15 Commentary
Ezekiel 36:15 marks a pivotal point in God's message of hope and restoration for Israel. It stands as a divine assurance of reversal for the deep shame and humiliation they had suffered among the nations during their exile. This shame was twofold: external (the nations' mockery) and internal (the burden of disgrace Israel carried). The prophet had previously detailed how Israel's own defilement and shedding of blood had provoked God to scatter them, profaning His holy name among the very nations who now scoffed at them. This verse declares a comprehensive end to this ignominious period.
The promise moves beyond mere external vindication, extending to an internal transformation. God vows that Israel will no longer "cause their nation to stumble." This means a cessation of the idolatry, disobedience, and moral decay that historically led to their national downfall and the resulting disgrace. This profound internal shift implies the impartation of a new spirit and a new heart, enabling them to obey God's laws (as further revealed in Ezek 36:26-27). Thus, God addresses both the symptoms (external shame) and the root cause (internal sinfulness) of Israel's degradation. This divine decree is presented as an unshakeable promise from "the Lord Yahweh," signifying its covenantal faithfulness and ultimate fulfillment, driven primarily by God's commitment to His own holy name.