Ezekiel 37:3

3 He said to me, "Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?" I replied, "Sovereign Lord, only you can answer that!"

Ezekiel 37:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 37:3

And he said unto me, son of man, can these bones live?
&c.] Is there any probability of it? is there any reason to believe they shall live? can any ways and means be devised, or any methods taken, to cause them to live? and I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest;
the prophet does not pronounce at once that it was improbable and impossible; he knew indeed it was not probable, or possible, that these bones should revive of themselves; and he knew that neither he nor any creature could quicken them; but he wisely refers it to an omniscient and omnipotent God, who knew what he could and what he would do: the conversion of sinners is not of themselves, nor of ministers, but of God; it is wholly owing to his will and power, ( John 1:13 ) nothing else can make it probable, or possible.

Ezekiel 37:3 In-Context

1 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord, and his spirit took me and set me down in a valley where the ground was covered with bones.
2 He led me all around the valley, and I could see that there were very many bones and that they were very dry.
3 He said to me, "Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?" I replied, "Sovereign Lord, only you can answer that!"
4 He said, "Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the Lord.
5 Tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: I am going to put breath into you and bring you back to life.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.