Ezekiel 36:2
New International Version
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession."’

New Living Translation
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Your enemies have taunted you, saying, ‘Aha! Now the ancient heights belong to us!’

English Standard Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the enemy said of you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient heights have become our possession,’

Berean Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’

King James Bible
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:

New King James Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’ ” ’

New American Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: “Since the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’

NASB 1995
‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’

NASB 1977
‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’

Amplified Bible
Thus says the Lord GOD, “Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient heights have become our property,’

Christian Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said about you, “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,” ’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said about you, ‘Good! The ancient heights have become our possession,’

American Standard Version
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are ours in possession;

Contemporary English Version
that I, the LORD God, am saying: Your enemies sneered and said that you mountains belonged to them.

English Revised Version
Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are ours in possession:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is what the Almighty LORD says: Your enemies said this about you, "Aha! The ancient worship sites now belong to us."'

Good News Translation
the Sovereign LORD, have for them: Israel's enemies gloated and said, 'Now those ancient hills are ours!'

International Standard Version
"This is what the Lord GOD says: 'The enemy has been saying about you, "Good! The ancient heights are back in our possession!"'"'

Majority Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ?Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,?

NET Bible
This is what the sovereign LORD says: The enemy has spoken against you, saying "Aha!" and, "The ancient heights have become our property!"'

New Heart English Bible
Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because the enemy has said against you, 'Aha.' and, 'The ancient high places are ours in possession'"';

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy had said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:

World English Bible
The Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Thus said Lord YHWH: Because the enemy said against you, Aha! The high places of old have also become our possession,

Young's Literal Translation
Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy said against you, Aha, and the high places of old for a possession have been to us,

Smith's Literal Translation
Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy said against you, Aha! and the heights of old were for a possession to us:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thus saith the Lord God: Because the enemy hath said of you: Aha, the everlasting heights are given to us for an inheritance.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy has said about you: ‘It is well! The everlasting heights have been given to us as an inheritance!’

New American Bible
Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the enemy said about you, “Ha! the ancient heights have become our possession,”

New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the enemy said of you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient heights have become our possession,”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thus says the LORD God: Because the enemy has said against you. Aha, the ancient high places are ours for a possession;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Thus says THE LORD OF LORDS: because the enemy said against you, ‘Aha!’, and he said, ‘The hills are our inheritance from eternity’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because the enemy hath said against you: Aha! even the ancient high places are ours in possession;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thus saith the Lord God; Because the enemy has said against you, Aha, the old waste places are become a possession for us:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel
1“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’ 3therefore prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you on every side, so that you became a possession of the rest of the nations and were taken up in slander by the lips of their talkers,…

Cross References
Psalm 83:4
saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

Obadiah 1:10-14
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame and cut off forever. / On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them. / But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress. ...

Jeremiah 50:7
All who found them devoured them, and their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’

Lamentations 2:16
All your enemies open their mouths against you. They hiss and gnash their teeth, saying, “We have swallowed her up. This is the day for which we have waited. We have lived to see it!”

Isaiah 34:8
For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Zephaniah 2:8-10
“I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their borders. / Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.” / This they shall have in return for their pride, for taunting and mocking the people of the LORD of Hosts.

Psalm 137:7
Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: “Destroy it,” they said, “tear it down to its foundations!”

Isaiah 63:1-6
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.” / Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? / “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. ...

Amos 1:11-12
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Edom, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and stifled all compassion; his anger raged continually, and his fury flamed incessantly. / So I will send fire upon Teman to consume the citadels of Bozrah.”

Malachi 1:4
Though Edom may say, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins,” this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Land of Wickedness, and a people with whom the LORD is indignant forever.

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Romans 11:11-12
I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. / But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

Luke 1:71-74
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, / to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, / the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us ...

Acts 13:46-47
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. / For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Romans 15:8-12
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, / so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.” / Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

Thus said the Lord GOD; Because the enemy has said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:

Because

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.

Ezekiel 25:3
And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;

Ezekiel 26:2
Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste:

even

Deuteronomy 32:13
He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;

Psalm 78:69
And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

Isaiah 58:14
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

our's

Ezekiel 35:10
Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there:

Jeremiah 49:1
Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?

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Aha Ancient Enemy Everlasting Hater Heights Heritage High Ours Places Possession Sovereign Waste
Ezekiel 36
1. The land of Israel is comforted, by destruction of the heathen, who spitefully used it
8. and by the blessings of God promised unto it
16. Israel was rejected for their sin
21. and shall be restored without their desert
25. The blessings of Christ's kingdom














This is what the Lord GOD says
This phrase introduces a divine proclamation, emphasizing the authority and sovereignty of God. In Hebrew, "Adonai Yahweh" is used, underscoring God's lordship and covenant relationship with Israel. This introduction sets the stage for a message of hope and restoration, reminding the audience that the words to follow are not merely human opinions but divine declarations.

Because the enemy has said of you
The "enemy" here refers to the surrounding nations that have taken advantage of Israel's downfall. Historically, these nations, such as Edom and others, saw Israel's defeat as an opportunity to expand their own territories. The phrase highlights the arrogance and opportunism of these nations, who wrongly assumed that Israel's God had abandoned His people.

‘Aha!
This exclamation is a taunt, a cry of triumph over Israel's misfortune. In the Hebrew context, it conveys a sense of gloating or malicious joy. The enemies of Israel are depicted as reveling in the nation's downfall, believing that they have gained the upper hand. This word captures the disdain and contempt they held for God's chosen people.

The ancient heights
This term refers to the high places of Israel, which were often sites of worship and held significant cultural and religious importance. In the ancient Near Eastern context, high places were seen as closer to the divine realm. The enemies' claim over these "ancient heights" symbolizes not just a physical conquest but an attempt to usurp Israel's spiritual heritage and identity.

have become our possession
The enemies' declaration of ownership over the "ancient heights" signifies their belief that they have permanently taken what belonged to Israel. This phrase reflects a common practice in the ancient world where conquering nations would claim the lands and gods of the defeated. However, this assumption is challenged by the prophetic message that follows, as God asserts His ultimate control and promises restoration to His people.

(2) The ancient high places.--This is very nearly the same expression as in Genesis 49:26; Deuteronomy 33:15, where it is translated "everlasting (or lasting) hills," and is probably an allusion to those passages. "The enemy" is a general term, which may refer to Edom; but from the following verses it is more likely that it is used for the heathen at large. When Israel's land had been left desolate, the surrounding nations claimed that God's promise to His people had failed, and that they themselves might now enter upon its secure possession.

Verse 2. - Because the enemy hath said against you. The ground of Jehovah's purposed proceeding against Edom and the surrounding heathen peoples (vers. 3, 5) is expressly declared to be the jubilation over the downfall of Israel, and the eagerness with which they sought to appropriate to themselves her forsaken land. Aha! Exulting over Israel's misfortune (comp. Ezekiel 25:3; Psalm 40:16). The ancient high places, which Israel's enemies fancied had become theirs in possession, were probably "the everlasting hills" of Genesis 49:26 and Deuteronomy 33:15, the principal mountains of Palestine, which, as Havernick finely observes, were "the honorable witnesses and indestructible monuments of that ancient blessing spoken by Israel's ancestor, and still resting on the people;" and to assail which was, in consequence, not only to sin against Jehovah, but to attempt an enterprise foredoomed to failure and shame. At the same time, Plumptre's suggestion ('Ezekiel: an Ideal Biography,' Expositor, vol. 8:284; and Unpublished Notes) is not without plausibility, that, considering the special significance of the term bamoth in Ezekiel, the phrase should be held as referring to the sanctuaries which stood upon those heights - including, of course, the chief sanctuary, or temple (Schroder); in support of which the dean cites the frequency with which the enemies of Israel, as, for instance, the Assyrians and the Moabites, in their inscriptions, boasted that they had captured these sanctuaries (see 'Records of the Past,' 2nd series, tel. 1. p. 107; 2:203).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
This is what
כֹּ֤ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD
יְהוִ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

says:
אָמַר֙ (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Because
יַ֣עַן (ya·‘an)
Adverb
Strong's 3282: Heed, purpose, to indicate the reason, cause

the enemy
הָאוֹיֵ֛ב (hā·’ō·w·yêḇ)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

has said
אָמַ֧ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

of you,
עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם (‘ă·lê·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

“Aha!
הֶאָ֑ח (he·’āḥ)
Interjection
Strong's 1889: Aha!

The ancient
עוֹלָ֔ם (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

heights
וּבָמ֣וֹת (ū·ḇā·mō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1116: An elevation

have become
הָ֥יְתָה (hā·yə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

our
לָּֽנוּ׃ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

possession,”
לְמֽוֹרָשָׁ֖ה (lə·mō·w·rā·šāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4181: A possession


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 36:2 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 36:1
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