And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them …: The connector And marks a continuation of the prophecy, but in many languages it is more natural to omit it (so New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). Here God promises to remake internally the exiles who return, so that they obey and follow him properly in the future. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh means he will remove their stubborn, disobedient nature, and make them compliant and obedient. The theme here is found elsewhere in Ezekiel (18.31; 36.26) and in Jer 32.39.
In Hebrew culture the heart was the organ with which a person thought and made decisions; it was not just a person’s emotional center (see the comments on 3.7). Care must be taken in translation to avoid the impression of a physical heart transplant here. Heart is used in a figurative sense in this verse. Therefore some translations have left out any reference to the heart; for example, Contemporary English Version renders this verse as “Then I will take away your stubbornness and make you eager to be completely faithful to me. You will want to obey me.” This is a good model for those languages in which the term “heart” may conjure up an image of the physical organ. But for those languages that have comparable idioms to the Hebrew (for example, liver, kidneys or neck as the seat of thinking and the will), the image of a metaphorical transplant is very powerful. A person’s spirit is very similar to the heart in Hebrew culture. It refers to the mind and will, and is the means by which someone makes decisions (see the comments on 1.12).
In Revised Standard Version and most other translations God promises to give the returning exiles one heart. This means an undivided heart, totally and completely obedient and devoted to God. Good News Translation, New American Bible, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch follow a different reading by saying “a new heart.” The similar passages of 18.31 and 36.26 refer to “a new heart,” and some Hebrew manuscripts read “a new heart” here also. New English Bible, on the other hand, reads “a different heart.” The Hebrew word for new (ʾechad) is very similar to the word for “different” (ʾacher) The only difference in consonants is between the Hebrew letters for “d” and “r.” Scribes often confused these two letters when they were copying texts (see the comments on 6.14). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends this third alternative. It is impossible to be sure which of these readings is best, so translators will need to decide for themselves which one is most appropriate in the context.
Instead of and put a new spirit within them, the Hebrew actually has “and put a new spirit within you.” This change from third person to second person occurs frequently in the Bible and is used to make the discourse more vivid. In most languages it is confusing to make a change like this, so it is better to retain the third person, as some Hebrew manuscripts and many early versions do, as well as most modern translations. This is the best way to make the translation clear.
A model for this verse is:
• I will give them a different [or, new] way of thinking and they will want to live in a new way. I will take away their stubborn nature [which is hard like stone] and make them obedient [or, willing to obey me].
Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .