Ezekiel 11:19

And I will give them one heart - A whole system of renewed affections. And I will put a new spirit within you - To direct and influence these new affections. And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh - That which would not receive the impressions of my Spirit. And will give them a heart of flesh - One that is capable of receiving and retaining these impressions.

I will give them--lest they should claim to themselves the praise given them in Eze 11:18, God declares it is to be the free gift of His Spirit. one heart--not singleness, that is, uprightness, but oneness of heart in all, unanimously seeking Him in contrast to their state at that time, when only single scattered individuals sought God (Jer 32:39; Zep 3:9) [HENGSTENBERG]. Or, "content with one God," not distracted with "the many detestable things" (Eze 11:18; Kg1 18:21; Hos 10:2) [CALVIN]. new spirit-- (Psa 51:10; Jer 31:33). Realized fully in the "new creature" of the New Testament (Co2 5:17); having new motives, new rules, new aims. stony heart--like "adamant" (Zac 7:12); the natural heart of every man. heart of flesh--impressible to what is good, tender.

And I will give them one heart,.... In opposition to a divided heart, Hos 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, Jer 32:40; a heart sincere to God and man, in opposition to a double or hypocritical one, Psa 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, Act 4:32; and an unity of judgment, an oneness of principle and practice, as there ought to be, Co1 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 Jews (p) as the same with the Spirit of the Messiah that moved upon the face of the waters, Gen 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", Eph 4:24; 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 al…

This chapter concludes the vision which Ezekiel saw, and this part of it furnished him with two messages: - I. A message of wrath against those who continued still at Jerusalem, and were there in the height of presumption, thinking they should never fall (Eze 11:1-13). II. A message of comfort to those who were carried captives into Babylon and were there in the depth of despondency, thinking they should never rise. And, as the former are assured that God has judgments in store for them notwithstanding their present security, so the later are assured that God has mercy in store for them notwithstanding their present distress (Eze 11:14-21). And so the glory of God removes further (Eze 11:22, Eze 11:23). The vision disappears (Eze 11:24), and Ezekiel faithfully gives his hearers an account of it (Eze 11:25).

11:19 The external change in the fortunes of God’s people would be matched by an internal change; their singleness of heart would mark undivided loyalty to the Lord and replace their wayward affections of the past. A tender, responsive heart (literally a heart of flesh) would replace their stony, stubborn heart (literally the heart of stone), and in place of the old idolatrous spirit they would receive a new spirit (see 36:26-27).