Ezekiel 37:1

The Valley of Dry Bones

1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

Ezekiel 37:1 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
English Standard Version (ESV)
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
New Living Translation (NLT)
1 The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones.
The Message Bible (MSG)
1 God grabbed me. God's Spirit took me up and sat me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones.
American Standard Version (ASV)
1 The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
1 The power of the LORD came over me. The LORD brought me out by his Spirit and put me down in the middle of a valley. The valley was filled with bones.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
1 The LORD put his strong hand on me. His Spirit brought me away from my home. He put me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones.

Ezekiel 37:1 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 37:1

The hand of the Lord was upon me
The Spirit of the Lord, a powerful impulse of his upon the prophet; the Targum interprets it a spirit of prophecy; (See Gill on Ezekiel 1:3): and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord:
out of the place where he was to another; not really, but visionally, as things appeared to him, and as they were represented to his mind by the Spirit of God: and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones:
of men, as the Targum adds: this valley, Kimchi thinks, was the same by the river Chebar, where the prophet had his visions at first. R. Jochanan says it was the valley of Dura, and these the bones of them that were slain by Nebuchadnezzar there, ( Daniel 3:1 ) . Rab says these were the children of Ephraim, slain by the men of Gath, ( 1 Chronicles 7:20 1 Chronicles 7:21 1 Chronicles 7:22 ) . Some of the Jewish Rabbins think there was a real resurrection at this time. R. Eliezer says, the dead Ezekiel quickened stood upon their feet, sung a song, and died. R. Eliezer, the son of R. Jose the Galilean, says, they went up into the land of Israel, married wives, and begat sons and daughters. R. Judah ben Bethira stood upon his feet, and said, I am of their children's children, and these are the "tephillim" my father's father left me F18; but these are all fabulous and romantic: others of them understand the whole in a parabolical way: these bones, and the quickening of them, were an emblem of the restoration of the Jews from their captivity, who were in a helpless and hopeless condition, as appears from ( Ezekiel 37:11-14 ) , and of the conversion of that people in the latter day, which will be as life from the dead; and of the revival of the interest and church of Christ, when the slain witnesses shall rise, and ascend to heaven; and of the resurrection of the dead at the last day; and may be applied unto and be used to illustrate the quickening of dead sinners, by the efficacious grace of the Spirit of God.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 92. 2. Vid. Kimchi & Abendana in loc.

Ezekiel 37:1 In-Context

1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.
2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.
3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

Cross References 4

  • 1. S Ezekiel 1:3; Ezekiel 8:3
  • 2. S Ezekiel 11:24; Luke 4:1; Acts 8:39
  • 3. Jeremiah 7:32
  • 4. S Jeremiah 8:2; Ezekiel 40:1
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