Ezekiel 36 · Verse 4

Ezekiel 36:4

Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;
Ezekiel 36:4, King James Version

Ezekiel 36:4 in other translations

BSBtherefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become a spoil and a mockery to the rest of the nations around you.
WEBtherefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: The Lord GOD says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around;
ASVtherefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are round about;
YLTTherefore, O mountains of Israel, Hear a word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah, to mountains, and to hills, To streams, and to valleys, And to wastes that are desolate, And to cities that are forsaken, That have been for a prey, And for a scorn, to the remnant of the nations who are round about.
DARBYtherefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the water-courses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and a derision to the remnant of the nations that are round about,
BBEFor this reason, you mountains of Israel, give ear to the word of the Lord; this is what the Lord has said to the mountains and to the hills, to the streams and to the valleys, to the unpeopled wastes and to the towns where no one is living, from which the goods have been taken and which have been put to shame by the rest of the nations who are round about:
WebsterTherefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are around;

What does Ezekiel 36:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. Inanimate creatures are addressed, to imply that the creature also, as it were, groans for deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Ro 8:19-21) [Polanus]. The completeness of the renewed blessedness of all parts of the land is implied. derision--(Psa 79:4).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Therefore - thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, etc. - They shall neither possess mountain nor valley, hill nor dale, fountain nor river; for though in my justice I made you desolate, yet they shall not profit by your disasters. See Eze 36:5-7.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 36:1-15

The land shall be delivered from heathen oppressors. (Ezek 36:1-15) The people are reminded of former sins, and promised deliverance. (Ezek 36:16-24) Also holiness, and gospel blessings. (Ezek 36:25-38) Verses 1-15 Those who put contempt and reproach on God's people, will have them turned on themselves. God promises favour to his Israel. We have no reason to complain, if the more unkind men are, the more kind God…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 36:1-15 →

Ezekiel 36:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לָכֵן֙la.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
הָרֵ֣יha.ReiO mountains ofH2022
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
שִׁמְע֖וּshim.'UhearH8085
דְּבַר\־de.var-[the] word ofH1697
אֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.Nai[the] LordH136
יְהוִ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3069
כֹּֽה\־koh-thusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
אֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.Nai[the] LordH136
יְ֠הוִהYah.wehYahwehH3069
לֶהָרִ֨יםle.ha.Rimto the mountainsH2022
וְלַגְּבָע֜וֹתve.la.ge.va.'otand to the hillsH1389
לָאֲפִיקִ֣יםla.'a.fi.Kimto the ravinesH650
וְלַגֵּאָי֗וֹתve.la.ge.'a.Yotand to the valleysH1516
וְלֶחֳרָב֤וֹתve.le.cho.ra.Votand to the waste placesH2723
הַשֹּֽׁמְמוֹת֙ha.sho.me.mOt<the> desolateH8076
וְלֶעָרִ֣יםve.le.'a.Rimand to the citiesH5892
הַנֶּעֱזָב֔וֹתha.ne.'e.za.Vot<the> forsakenH5800
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhichH834
הָי֤וּha.Yuthey have becomeH1961
לְבַז֙le.Vaz<into> spoilH957
וּלְלַ֔עַגu.le.La.'agand <into> mockeryH3933
לִשְׁאֵרִ֥יתlish.'e.Ritto [the] rest ofH7611
הַגּוֹיִ֖םha.go.Yimthe nationsH1471
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
מִסָּבִֽיב\׃\ \סmi.sa.Viv[are] from round aboutH5439

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 36:4

  • Deuteronomy 11:11

    But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:

  • Ezekiel 34:28

    And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

  • Ezekiel 36:1

    Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord:

  • Psalms 79:4

    We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

  • Ezekiel 36:6

    Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:

  • Jeremiah 29:10

    For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

  • Isaiah 64:10-11

    Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.

  • 2 Chronicles 36:17-21

    Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: …

  • Ezekiel 6:3

    And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.

  • Jeremiah 25:9-13

    Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. …

  • Isaiah 24:1-12

    Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. …

  • Ezekiel 36:33-35

    Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
mountains.
1,6; De 11:11
rivers. or, bottoms, or dales. desolate.
33-35; 6:14; 2Ch 36:17-21; Isa 6:11; 24:1-12
a prey.
34:28; Ps 79:4; Isa 64:10,11; Jer 25:9-13; 29:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 36:3

    Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:

  • Ezekiel 36:4

    Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;

  • Ezekiel 36:5

    Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

Read all of Ezekiel 36

Ezekiel 36:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Por tanto, montes de Israel, oid palabra del Señor Jehová: Así ha dicho el Señor Jehová á los montes y á los collados, á los arroyos y á los valles, á las ruinas y asolamientos, y á las ciudades desamparadas, que fueron puestas á saco y en escarnio á las otras gentes alrededor;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
à cause de cela, montagnes d’Israël, écoutez la parole du Seigneur, l’ Éternel: Ainsi dit le Seigneur, l’ Éternel, aux montagnes et aux collines, aux ravins et aux vallées, et aux lieux déserts et désolés, et aux villes abandonnées, qui ont été la proie et la raillerie du reste des nations qui sont tout alentour;
German
Elberfelder 1871
darum, ihr Berge Israels, höret das Wort des Herrn, Jehovas! So spricht der Herr, Jehova, zu den Bergen und zu den Hügeln, zu den Gründen und zu den Tälern, und zu den wüsten Trümmern und zu den verlassenen Städten, welche dem Überrest der Nationen ringsum zur Beute und zum Spott geworden sind-
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
propterea, montes Israël, audite verbum Domini Dei. Hæc dicit Dominus Deus montibus et collibus, torrentibus, vallibusque et desertis, parietinis et urbibus derelictis, quæ depopulatæ sunt et subsannatæ a reliquis gentibus per circuitum.