Ezekiel 37

The Valley of Dry Bones

1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.

2 He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry.

3 Then He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I replied, "Lord God , [only] You know."

4 He said to me, "Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!

5 This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.

6 I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying,^[a] there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

8 As I looked, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath,^[b] prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!"

10 So I prophesied as He commanded me; the breath^[c] entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.

11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look how they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.

12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, My people, and lead you into the land of Israel.

13 You will know that I am the Lord, My people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

14 I will put My Spirit in you,^[d] and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do [it]." [This is] the declaration of the Lord.

The Reunification of Israel

15 The word of the Lord came to me:

16 "Son of man, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph-the stick of Ephraim-and all the house of Israel associated with him.

17 Then join them together into a single stick so that they become one in your hand.

18 When your people ask you: Won't you explain to us what you mean by these things?^[e]-

19 tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph-which is in the hand of Ephraim-and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in My hand.

20 "When the sticks you have written on are in your hand and in full view of the people,

21 tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land.

22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. They will no longer be two nations and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.

23 They will not defile themselves any more with their idols, their detestable things, and all their transgressions.^[f] I will save them from all their apostasies by which^[g] they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them.^[h] They will follow My ordinances, and keep My statutes and obey them.^[i]

25 "They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever.

26 I will make a covenant of peace with them;^[j] it will be an everlasting covenant^[k] with them. I will establish and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary among them forever.^[l]

27 My dwelling place will be with them;^[m] I will be their God, and they will be My people.

28 When My sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel."

Ezekiel 37 Commentary

Chapter 37

God restores dried bones to life. (1-14) The whole house of Israel is represented as enjoying the blessings of Christ's kingdom. (15-28)

Verses 1-14 No created power could restore human bones to life. God alone could cause them to live. Skin and flesh covered them, and the wind was then told to blow upon these bodies; and they were restored to life. The wind was an emblem of the Spirit of God, and represented his quickening powers. The vision was to encourage the desponding Jews; to predict both their restoration after the captivity, and also their recovery from their present and long-continued dispersion. It was also a clear intimation of the resurrection of the dead; and it represents the power and grace of God, in the conversion of the most hopeless sinners to himself. Let us look to Him who will at last open our graves, and bring us forth to judgment, that He may now deliver us from sin, and put his Spirit within us, and keep us by his power, through faith, unto salvation.

Verses 15-28 This emblem was to show the people, that the Lord would unite Judah and Israel. Christ is the true David, Israel's King of old; and those whom he makes willing in the day of his power, he makes to walk in his judgments, and to keep his statutes. Events yet to come will further explain this prophecy. Nothing has more hindered the success of the gospel than divisions. Let us study to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; let us seek for Divine grace to keep us from detestable things; and let us pray that all nations may be obedient and happy subjects of the Son of David, that the Lord may be our God, and we may be his people for evermore.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ezk 11:13
• [b]. Or wind, or spirit
• [c]. Or wind, or spirit
• [d]. Ezk 36:27; 39:29
• [e]. Ezk 24:19
• [f]. Ezk 11:18
• [g]. Some Hb mss, LXX, Sym; other Hb mss read their settlements where; Ezk 6:6,13-14
• [h]. Ezk 34:23-24
• [i]. Ezk 36:27
• [j]. Ezk 34:25; Nm 25:12
• [k]. Ezk 16:60
• [l]. Lv 26:11
• [m]. Ezk 40:2; Isa 2:2-3; Mc 4:1-2

Chapter Summary

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.