Ezekiel 36:26 kjv
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 nkjv
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 niv
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 esv
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 nlt
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
Ezekiel 36 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 11:19 | And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh. | Echoes the promise of a new heart and spirit. |
| Jer 31:33 | But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. | Links the new covenant with internalizing God's law. |
| 2 Cor 3:3 | Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. | Confirms the New Testament fulfillment of a heart written on by God's Spirit. |
| John 3:5-6 | Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. | Connects the work of the Spirit to spiritual rebirth and transformation. |
| Rom 8:4 | That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. | Emphasizes living by the Spirit, aligning with the verse's outcome. |
| Gal 5:16 | This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. | Reinforces the practical implication of having the Spirit. |
| Acts 2:18 | And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: | Prophetic fulfillment of God's Spirit being poured out. |
| John 14:26 | But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. | Explains the role of the Spirit in teaching and guiding. |
| Eze 36:27 | And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. | The direct continuation and elaboration of the promise. |
| Deut 30:6 | And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them which hate thee, which persecuted thee. | Prefigures a complete spiritual cleansing and restoration. |
| Psa 51:10 | Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. | David's prayer for internal renewal, a prototype. |
| Ezek 18:31 | Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? | God's direct exhortation for Israel to repent and receive a new heart. |
| Col 2:11 | In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; | New covenant spirituality that removes the "body of the sins of the flesh." |
| Eph 2:1-5 | And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) | Describes a past state of spiritual death and the quickening by God through Christ. |
| Titus 3:5 | Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; | Emphasizes salvation and renewal by the Holy Spirit. |
| Heb 8:10 | For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: | Directly quotes Jeremiah 31:33 and highlights internalizing God's law as the essence of the new covenant. |
| Rom 2:14-15 | For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things of the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) | Contrasts Gentile understanding through natural law with internal transformation by God's law. |
| Phil 2:13 | For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. | Asserts God's sovereign work in enabling both desire and action. |
| Jer 24:7 | And I will give them an heart to know that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. | Highlights the renewed heart as a means to know God and return to Him. |
| Hos 2:19-20 | And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. | Describes a future espousal characterized by God's enduring qualities and renewed knowledge of Him. |
Ezekiel 36 verses
Ezekiel 36 26 Meaning
This verse signifies a profound internal transformation promised to Israel. God will remove their stony hearts, which are hard, resistant, and unfeeling, and replace them with fleshly hearts. This signifies a heart capable of love, obedience, and responsiveness to God. Furthermore, God will put His Spirit within them, enabling them to walk in His statutes, keep His judgments, and do them, thus leading to spiritual life and restoration.
Ezekiel 36 26 Context
This verse is part of God's extensive promises of restoration to Israel after their exile and purification. Ezekiel's prophecy was delivered to the exiled Judeans in Babylon. The context is a significant turning point in the prophetic message, shifting from pronouncements of judgment to detailed assurances of future redemption and renewal. The preceding chapters (Ezekiel 33-37) depict God’s cleansing judgment, the scattering and regathering of His people, and the vision of the dry bones revived, all pointing towards a revitalized national and spiritual existence for Israel. This specific verse is embedded within God’s explicit promise to re-establish His people on their own land and to bestow upon them a new spiritual reality, ensuring their future faithfulness and intimate relationship with Him. It directly addresses the sin of Israel's hard, rebellious heart that led to their exile.
Ezekiel 36 26 Word Analysis
"And I will take away": The Hebrew verb is lāqaḥ (לקח), meaning "to take," "to grasp," or "to remove." Here it signifies a decisive action of God’s removing something permanently.
"the stony heart": The Hebrew term for "heart" is lēḇ (לב) or lēḇāḇ (לבב). The heart in the Old Testament is considered the seat of intellect, emotion, will, and personality. "Stony" (’ēḇen, אבן – stone) describes a heart that is unfeeling, unyielding, hard, and resistant to God’s word and will. This represents the state of spiritual insensitivity and disobedience that characterized Israel’s sin.
"out of their flesh": "Flesh" (bāśār, בשר) here represents the human body and person, indicating that this hardened heart is an integral part of their being. God will remove this detrimental aspect from within their physical existence.
"and will give them": The Hebrew verb nāṯan (נתן) means "to give," "to put," or "to grant." It denotes God as the active agent bestowing this new spiritual endowment.
"a heart of flesh": This contrasts with the stony heart. A "heart of flesh" implies a responsive, living, sensitive heart capable of feeling, loving, and obeying God. It symbolizes a heart that is receptive to God's presence and commands.
Group Analysis:
- "Take away the stony heart out of their flesh": This phrase highlights God’s decisive act of removing the deeply ingrained hardness and resistance to Him. It’s not merely a superficial change but a removal of the very core of their sinful disposition, the hardened condition of their being.
- "give them a heart of flesh": This group signifies the supernatural impartation of a new inner life. It’s God’s creative and restorative work, granting the capacity for spiritual experience, relationship, and obedience, transforming them from the inside out.
Ezekiel 36 26 Bonus Section
This promise of a new heart and Spirit is foundational to understanding the New Covenant in Christian theology. It addresses the human inability to perfectly keep God's law due to an inherently sinful nature. The "stony heart" is understood as the old, unregenerate self, while the "heart of flesh" signifies the regenerated spirit filled with God's presence. The verse highlights that this transformation is an act of divine grace, not human effort, preparing the way for a genuine, intimate relationship with God based on love and obedience flowing from within. This internalization of God's law, enabled by His Spirit, is the essence of a truly spiritual life.
Ezekiel 36 26 Commentary
Ezekiel 36:26 is a pivotal prophecy detailing the internal transformation God will bring about for His people. The "stony heart" represents the stubborn, rebellious nature that characterized Israel’s spiritual condition, leading to judgment and exile. God's promise to replace it with a "heart of flesh" signifies a radical internal renewal, where the heart becomes sensitive, receptive, and capable of responding to God. This internal change is directly linked to the impartation of God’s Spirit, who will empower them to live according to God's will. This prophetic promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, believers receive a new nature and the ability to walk in obedience, marking a profound shift from outward adherence to inward transformation.