Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Ezekiel 11:19
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And I will give them one heart, &c.] In opposition to a divided heart, (<281002>Hosea 10:2); divided between the true God and idols, wavering and halting between two opinions, sometimes serving God, and sometimes Baal; a heart to pursue one way of worship, and to serve the Lord with one shoulder or consent, (<243240>Jeremiah 32:40 <360309>Zephaniah 3:9); a heart sincere to God and man, in opposition to a double or hypocritical one, (<191202>Psalm 12:2); a heart single to the honour and glory of God, and firmly attached to his word and worship: also concord, harmony, an unity of affections to one another, so as to be of one heart and one soul, as the first Christians were, who were Jews, (<440432>Acts 4:32); and an unity of judgment, an oneness of principle and practice, as there ought to be, (<460110>1 Corinthians 1:10); and all this is the gift of God, and flows from his grace and favour. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, “another heart”; different from what they had before; and I will put a new spirit within you; meaning either the Holy Spirit of God, the author of, regeneration and renovation: this is represented by the ancient Jewsf157 as the same with the Spirit of the Messiah that moved upon the face of the waters, (<010102>Genesis 1:2); or the spirit of man, the seat of this renewing work; or rather the work itself, called “a new man”, “a new creature”, (<490424>Ephesians 4:24 <470517>2 Corinthians 5:17); and this is a new frame and disposition of mind, in which are new principles of light and life, grace and holiness; a new understanding of themselves and state, of God and of Christ, of divine things and Gospel truths; new affections for God, and all that is good; new desires after grace and righteousness, after God and communion with him, after his word and ordinances, and conformity to Christ; new purposes and resolutions to serve the Lord, and glorify him; new delights and joys, and in short all things become new. Instead of “within you”, the Septuagint, and all the Oriental versions, read, “in them”; and to this the Targum agrees; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh; a heart hardened by sin, and confirmed in it; destitute of spiritual life, senseless and stupid as to spiritual things; stubborn and inflexible, on which no impressions are made by corrections, admonitions, and instructions of superiors; and so an impenitent one: this God only can remove; men cannot soften their own hearts; nor can ministers work upon them; nor will judgments themselves bring men to repentance: it is the work of God only; who does it by his word, with which he breaks the rock in pieces; by the discoveries of his love, with which he melts the heart that is harder than the nether millstone; by giving repentance to them, by working faith in them, to look to a crucified Christ and mourn, and all this by “his” Spirit: this is said to be taken “out of their flesh”; not their body, but their nature corrupted by sin, (<430306>John 3:6); which shows that this hardness is natural to men, and rooted in them, and that it requires omnipotence to remove it; and will give them an heart of flesh; a sensible and penitent one; a soft and tender one; a sanctified and spiritual one; one flexible and obsequious to the will of God; on which impressions are made; on which the laws of God are written; into which the doctrines of the Gospel are transcribed, Christ is formed, and the fear of God is implanted, with every other grace, all whic…
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