John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 36:17
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land ,.... The land of Canaan, which the Lord their God gave unto them; a land abounding with all good things, where they dwelt in great ease, plenty, and prosperity; and which also was a holy land, peculiarly chosen of God for his worship and service: they defiled it by their own way and by their doings : by their sinful ways and evil works: sin is of a defiling nature; it defiles the bodies and souls of men; it defiles their own,... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 36:16-24
When God promised the poor captives a glorious return, in due time, to their own land, it was a great discouragement to their hopes that they were unworthy, utterly unworthy, of such a favour; therefore, to remove that discouragement, God here shows them that he would do it for them purely for his own name's sake, that he might be glorified in them and by them, that he might manifest and magnify his mercy and goodness, that attribute which of all others is most his glory. And, the restoration... read more