Ezekiel 36:26
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The promise isn't just about getting a new heart, but about God actively removing the old one. He doesn't just replace it; He takes away the "stony heart" entirely, signifying a complete, radical transformation where the old, unresponsive nature is gone. This isn't a slight adjustment, but a divine act of eradication and replacement.
God is speaking through Ezekiel to the people of Israel, who are scattered and exiled because of their sin. He's contrasting their current hardened, unfaithful hearts with a future promise of restoration and spiritual renewal. This promise of a new heart and spirit directly follows God's declaration that He will cleanse them from their impurity and restore them to their land, highlighting that this internal transformation is key to their future obedience and relationship with Him.
Have you ever felt like a stone when it comes to spiritual things – hard, unfeeling, and resistant? Ezekiel paints a vivid picture of this spiritual condition.
The verse describes a 'stony heart' as something that is hard, impenetrable, and cold. It's a heart that's unresponsive to God's word and ways, like dry, rocky ground that can't absorb water.
This hardness is a natural state for humanity, a result of sin that makes us insensitive to spiritual realities. It's not just about being stubborn; it's a deep-seated inability to feel or respond rightly to God and His love.
The promise here is radical: God Himself will remove this stony hardness. It’s not something we can chip away at ourselves. This signifies a complete removal of our natural resistance and insensitivity.
God doesn't just chip away at the old; He promises to build something entirely new. What does this divine creation entail?
The core of God's promise is the radical replacement of our inner selves. He doesn't just tweak; He gives a 'new heart' and puts in a 'new spirit.'
Think of it as a total overhaul. The 'heart' represents our deepest affections, desires, and will. The 'spirit' encompasses our motive, our very principle of action and thought.
This newness isn't just a superficial change; it's a fundamental renewal. It means new appetites, new passions, new ways of thinking and understanding, all oriented towards God. It's about receiving a heart that can truly feel, love God, and respond to Him.
God promises to give a new heart, yet Scripture also calls us to make one for ourselves. How do these fit together?
Ezekiel's prophecy contains a beautiful paradox found throughout Scripture: God's sovereign grace and human responsibility working together.
On one hand, God declares, 'I will give you a new heart.' This highlights that this transformation is purely God's work. It's an act of His power and grace, something we are incapable of achieving on our own. As commentators note, it's a gift, not earned effort.
Understand the original words
leb · Hebrew Noun
In biblical usage, the heart is the center of the human personality, encompassing the intellect, the will, and the emotions; it is the seat of moral and spiritual decision-making.
ruach · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the inner core of a person—their disposition, attitude, or the motivating force of their life—often denoting the seat of moral agency or the capacity for spiritual response to God.
eben · Hebrew Noun
In a theological context, this symbolizes a stubborn, unyielding, and unresponsive nature toward God and His word, devoid of spiritual life or sensitivity.
This promise of a new heart and spirit comes to Ezekiel's audience during their exile, a time when their hearts were hardened by sin and judgment. The prophecy points beyond their immediate suffering to a future, radical transformation God will bring about through His Spirit, a renewal that echoes in the New Testament's concept of spiritual regeneration.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrians, leading to the exile of many Israelites. This event marks a significant loss of the northern tribes and a foreshadowing of future judgment.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captures Jerusalem and deports thousands of Judeans, including prominent figures and King Jehoiachin. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces, under Nebuchadnezzar, destroy Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, sending most of the remaining population into exile. This is a catastrophic event for Judah.
c. 593-571 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Ministry in Babylon
Ezekiel, a priest, prophesies to the exiled Judeans in Babylon. His message blends judgment for their sin with powerful promises of future restoration and spiritual renewal.
This passage echoes Ezekiel's promise by stating God will put His law within His people, writing it on their hearts, which is a core aspect of the 'new heart' described.
Ezekiel 11:19This earlier prophecy to Ezekiel contains a similar promise of God giving His people 'one heart' and putting a 'new spirit' within them, directly paralleling the transformation promised here.
2 Corinthians 5:17This New Testament passage speaks of believers being 'new creations' in Christ, which aligns with the radical internal change and renewal that Ezekiel's prophecy of a new heart signifies.
Romans 2:29Paul describes a 'heart changed by the Holy Spirit,' which directly relates to Ezekiel's promise of an inward transformation that moves away from a hardened, unresponsive heart to one that is receptive and obedient.
clarkeEzekiel 36:26: "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."
A new heart also will I give you - I will change the whole of your infected nature; and give you new appetites, new passions; or, at least, the old ones purified and refined. The heart is generally understood to mean all the affections and passions. And a new spirit will I put within you - I will renew your mind…
pulpitEzekiel 36:26: "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."
Verses 26, 27. - A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. The third step in the progress of sanctifying Jehovah's Name (comp. Ezekiel 11:19, where a similar promise is made, and Ezekiel 18:31, where the new heart is represented as a thing Israel must make for herself). This antin…
The promise isn't just about getting a new heart, but about God actively removing the old one. He doesn't just replace it; He takes away the "stony heart" entirely, signifying a complete, radical transformation where the old, unresponsive nature is gone. This isn't a slight adjustment, but a divine act of eradication and replacement.
God is speaking through Ezekiel to the people of Israel, who are scattered and exiled because of their sin. He's contrasting their current hardened, unfaithful hearts with a future promise of restoration and spiritual renewal. This promise of a new heart and spirit directly follows God's declaration that He will cleanse them from their impurity and restore them to their land, highlighting that this internal transformation is key to their future obedience and relationship with Him.
God is speaking through Ezekiel to the people of Israel, who are scattered and exiled because of their sin. He's contrasting their current hardened, unfaithful hearts with a future promise of restoration and spiritual renewal. This promise of a new heart and spirit directly follows God's declaration that He will cleanse them from their impurity and restore them to their land, highlighting that this internal transformation is key to their future obedience and relationship with Him.
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Yet, in other places (like Ezekiel 18:31), God tells Israel, 'Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!' This doesn't contradict God's promise. Instead, it calls us to respond to the grace God offers. When God gives us a new heart, we are then empowered and enabled to 'walk in His statutes' and keep His judgments, willingly and joyfully.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to their homelands.
516 BC
Dedication of the Second Temple
Exiled Judeans return and complete the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, a significant symbol of their restored community and covenant relationship with God.
"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." — The promise isn't just about getting a new heart, but about God actively removing the old one. He doesn't just replace it; He takes away the "stony heart" entirely, signifying a complete, radical…
