For Son of man, see Ezek 36.1.
When the house of Israel dwelt in their own land refers to the time before the Israelites went into exile in Babylonia. For the house of Israel, that is, the Israelites, see verse 10. Good News Translation provides a helpful model for this clause, saying “when the Israelites were living in their land.”
They defiled it by their ways and their doings: They defiled it may be rendered “they made the land [ritually] unclean” (Contemporary English Version), “they made it unfit for me,” or “they made it unfit for my worship.” Their ways and their doings refers to the wicked behavior and actions of the Israelites (see 14.22). This phrase may be translated “their way of life and their actions” (similarly Christian Community Bible). Contemporary English Version says “the way they behaved.”
Their conduct before me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity: The Hebrew word for conduct is the same one rendered ways. Before me focuses attention on the effect of Israel’s behavior on God (compare Good News Translation, which begins this sentence with “I regarded their behavior”). Some languages may say “in my sight” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible), “in my eyes,” or “in my view.” To God, the Israelites’ wicked behavior was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity (compare Good News Translation “as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period”). According to Lev 15.19-24, a woman is ritually unclean for worship for seven days during her period. Translators may use an appropriate euphemism to refer to a woman’s monthly menstrual period (see 18.6), but they should not go too far in trying to remove the possibility of causing offense that the meaning is lost (as is the case in New Living Translation [1996] with “as filthy as a bloody rag”). New Century Version provides a helpful model here, saying “like a woman’s uncleanness in her time of monthly bleeding.” The focus here is on ritual uncleanness, not a physical uncleanness that can be washed away with water. In some languages translators can convey this by saying “like the way a woman is not able [or, allowed] to worship me during her time of the month.”
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 .