Ezekiel 37:7-17

7 So I prophesied ¹as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, ²a rattling,^[a] and the bones came together, bone to its bone.

8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But ³there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, ⁴"Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, ⁵son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from ⁶the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."

10 So I prophesied ⁷as he commanded me, and ⁸the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then he said to me, ⁹"Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and ¹⁰our hope is lost; ¹¹we are indeed cut off.'

12 Therefore ¹²prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, ¹³I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And ¹⁴I will bring you into the land of Israel.

13 And ¹⁵you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.

14 And ¹⁶I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; ¹⁷I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."

I Will Be Their God, They Shall Be My People

15 The word of the LORD came to me:

16 ¹⁸"Son of man, ¹⁹take a stick^[b] and write on it, 'For ²⁰Judah, and ²¹the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For ²²Joseph (the stick of ²³Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.'

17 And ²⁴join them one to another into one stick, that ²⁵they may become ²⁶one in your hand.

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Ezekiel 37:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 37

This chapter contains a prophecy of the Jews' return from captivity to their own land; of the union of the each tribes with one another; and of the glorious kingdom of Christ among them. Their restoration is represented by a vision of dry bones made alive; the place in which they were; the condition they were in; and the manner in which they were made to live, are described, Eze 37:1-10, the explication and application of this vision to the Jews, Eze 37:11-14, their union is signified by a sign or emblem of two sticks, which became one in the hand of the prophet, Eze 37:15-17, the meaning of this is shown, Eze 37:18-20, then follow promises of their return to their own land, in express words; of their being one kingdom, under one King, Christ, the antitype of David, of their sanctification; of their covenant interest in God, made manifest to them; and of his presence, and dwelling among them, Eze 37:21-28.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 26

1. Ezekiel 12:7; Ezekiel 24:18
2. [1 Kings 19:11]
3. [ver. 5]
4. [See ver. 4 above]
5. [See ver. 3 above]
6. Daniel 7:2; Daniel 11:4; Revelation 7:1
7. [See ver. 7 above]
8. Revelation 11:11
9. [See ver. 3 above]
10. [Ezekiel 33:10; Isaiah 49:14]
11. Lamentations 3:54
12. [See ver. 4 above]
13. [Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 13:14]
14. ver. 21, 25; Ezekiel 36:24
15. See Ezekiel 6:7
16. Ezekiel 36:27
17. See Ezekiel 17:24
18. See Ezekiel 2:1
19. [Numbers 17:2]
20. [Zechariah 10:6]
21. 2 Chr. 11:12, 13, 16; 2 Chronicles 15:9; 2 Chronicles 30:11, 18
22. [Zechariah 10:6]
23. Gen. 48:13, 14, 19; [Hosea 5:3, 5]
24. [ver. 22, 24]
25. [Isaiah 11:13]
26. [Ezekiel 35:10]

Footnotes 2

[a]. Or an earthquake (compare 3:12, 13)
[b]. Or one piece of wood; also verses 17, 19, 20

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.