Ezekiel 11:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The divine message reaches those held captive in Babylon, the brothers of the prophet Ezekiel, and their kin, who remind the dwellers in Jerusalem that they have distanced themselves from the Lord, while they have been granted the land as their possession. The message continues: I will gather you from the nations, and I will restore your inheritance of the land of Israel. When you arrive, I will eradicate all the idols that have provoked My anger, and I will instill in you a singular heart filled with reverence and dedication to God, so that you may not worship other idols or harbor a heart unlike the one you possessed before. I will provide you with a new spirit according to the Scripture: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

I will remove your heart of stone, characterized by hardness, as Stephen, the first martyr, noted about stubborn and uncircumcised hearts (Acts 7:51), and as it was with Pharaoh, whose heart was hardened against letting the people of Israel go (Exodus 7). Instead, I will give you a heart of flesh, tender and receptive, capable of understanding God’s commandments, ensuring they are inscribed upon the tablets of your hearts. A soft heart will be bestowed, while the hard heart will be taken away, allowing you to walk in My commandments, keep My decrees, and embody the people of God, with the Lord, who was once an opponent, now as your God.

On the other hand, those who have not cleansed their past sins through genuine repentance and continue in their abominations will face the consequences of their actions, their paths turned against them. Many believe this transpired during the era of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and of Joshua, the high priest, son of Jozadak, alongside Ezra and Nehemiah, in collective kinship with Judah, upon their return. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, having been taken captive under King Zedekiah or having fled to Egypt with Jeremiah, became dispersed without returning to the city.

Yet, the true transformation of the captives and the remnant of Israel is realized in Christ, marked by the salvific events when, in a single day, three thousand and later five thousand souls came to faith (Acts 2). Paul, as noted by James, acknowledged the multitude of Jews who believed and remained zealous for the law (Acts 21:20). However, the proud citizens of Jerusalem, whose hearts are caught up in their own stumbling blocks and transgressions, are subject to divine wrath. Conversely, those who once took on hearts of stone and were granted tender hearts, will through repentance return to the Church, adhere to the Lord’s commandments, respect His decrees, and become the people of the Lord, with the God whom they once displeased, embracing them once more.

A rational person would recognize that a heart of stone does not denote a literal stone; instead, it represents a rebellious and obstinate heart that refuses to heed God, whereas a heart of flesh signifies one that is humble and compliant.

If you wish to understand these concepts through examples, consider this: Just as educators and orators take children who speak inappropriately and help them to speak correctly—without altering their tongues, which is impossible—but rather instilling skill in them and eliminating their complacency, so too does Divine wisdom, by removing vice and ignorance, instill reason and understanding.