Ezekiel 37:9

9 And he said to me, Prophesy thou to the spirit, prophesy thou, son of man; and thou shalt say to the spirit, The Lord God saith these things, Come, thou spirit, from four winds, and blow thou on these slain men, and live they again. (And he said to me, Prophesy thou to the wind, prophesy thou, son of man; and thou shalt say to the wind, The Lord God saith these things, Come, thou wind, from the four winds, and breathe thou into these slain, so that they can live again.)

Ezekiel 37:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 37:9

Then said he unto me, prophesy unto the wind
Before he had been prophesying to the bones, and over them; and something was done, but not to purpose, breath being wanting; wherefore he is bid to prophesy a second time, and that not to bones, but to the "wind", afterwards rendered "breath"; and may allude to the soul or breath of man reentering the body, as at a resurrection, which causes it to live: it signifies the "spirit" ^F24, for the same word is used for the wind, for breath, and for the spirit; and in the mystical sense may be applied to the Spirit of God: and if ever ministers prophesy or preach to purpose, it must be with a view to the Spirit of God, both to assist them in their work, and to make their ministrations effectual; without which, how many formal professors soever may be made, not one dead sinner will be quickened. The Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "concerning the Spirit": and to discourse concerning the person, operations, and grace of the Spirit, is one part of the Gospel ministry, and a means of the conversion of sinners. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind;
ministers must not only preach, but they must pray for the Spirit to accompany the word with his power, and make it the savour of life unto life: thus saith the Lord, come from the four winds, O breath;
or "spirit": because the Jews were to be brought from each of the parts where they were, as they will be at their conversion in the latter day; and so the Lord has a people in each of the parts of the world, that lie dead in sin, and must be quickened by the Spirit: and breathe upon these slain, that they may live;
though not slain with the sword, yet being as dead men, who are slain by death, are so called: so in a spiritual sense men are slain by sin, and are slain by the words of the Lord's mouth; killed with the law, the killing letter; and it is only the Spirit of God that can give them life; and the breath or spirit here is applied to the Spirit of the Messiah by the ancient Jews ^F25.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (xwrh) "ad spiritum", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Starckius; "alloquens spiritum", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus.
F25 Zohar in Nunb. fol. 92. 1.

Ezekiel 37:9 In-Context

7 And I prophesied, as he commanded to me; forsooth a sound was made, while I prophesied, and lo! a stirring together, and bones came to bones, each to his jointure (each one to its joint, or to its joining).

8 And I saw, and lo! sinews and fleshes waxed upon those, and skin was stretched forth above in them, and those had no spirit. (And I saw, and lo! sinews and flesh grew upon them, and skin was stretched forth over them, but they had no breath.)

9 And he said to me, Prophesy thou to the spirit, prophesy thou, son of man; and thou shalt say to the spirit, The Lord God saith these things, Come, thou spirit, from four winds, and blow thou on these slain men, and live they again. (And he said to me, Prophesy thou to the wind, prophesy thou, son of man; and thou shalt say to the wind, The Lord God saith these things, Come, thou wind, from the four winds, and breathe thou into these slain, so that they can live again.)

10 And I prophesied, as he commanded to me; and the spirit entered into those bones, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a full great host. (And I prophesied, as he commanded me; and breath entered into those bones, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, yea, a very great army.)

11 And the Lord said to me, Thou, son of man, all these bones is the house of Israel; they say, Our bones dried, and our hope perished, and we be cut away. (And the Lord said to me, Thou, son of man, all these bones be the house of Israel; lo! they say, Our bones have dried up, and our hope hath perished, and we be cut off.)