Yechezkel 37

1 7 The Yad Hashem was upon me, and carried me out in the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of atzmot,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about; and, hinei, there were rabbot me’od in the open valley; and, hinei, they were very dry.

3 And He said unto me, Ben Adam, can these atzmot live? And I answered, Adonoi Hashem, Thou knowest.

4 Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these atzmot, and say unto them, O ye atzmot hayeveshot, hear the Devar Hashem.

5 Thus saith Adonoi Hashem unto these atzmot: Hinei, I will cause ruach to enter into you, and ye shall live;

6 And I will lay gidim (sinews, tendons) upon you, and will bring up basar upon you, and cover you with ohr (skin), and put ruach in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall have da’as that I am Hashem.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and hinei a rattling, and the atzmot came together, etzem to its etzem.

8 And when I beheld, hinei, the gidim and the basar came up upon them, and the ohr covered them above; but there was no ruach in them.

9 Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the ruach; prophesy, Ben Adam, and say to the ruach, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Come from the arba ruchot, O ruach, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the ruach came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their raglayim, a chayil gadol me’od me’od.

11 Then He said unto me, Ben Adam, these atzmot are the kol Bais Yisroel. Hinei, they say, Our atzmot are dried up, and tikvateinu (our hope) is gone; nigzarnu lanu (we are cut off).

12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, O My people, I will open your keverot, and cause you to come up out of your keverot, and bring you into Admat Yisroel (the Land of Israel).

13 And ye shall know that I am Hashem, when I have opened your keverot, O My people, and brought you up out of your keverot,

14 And shall put My Ruach in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land; then shall ye know that I Hashem have spoken it, and performed it, saith Hashem.

15 The Devar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

16 Moreover, thou ben adam, take thee Etz Echad, and write upon it, For Yehudah, and for the Bnei Yisroel his chaverim; then take another Etz Echad, and write upon it, For Yosef, the Etz Ephrayim and for kol Bais Yisroel his chaverim;

17 And join them one to another into Etz Echad; and they shall become achadim (one) in thine yad.

18 And when the Bnei Amecha speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

19 Say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, I will take the Etz Yosef, which is in the Yad Ephrayim, and the Shivtei Yisroel his chaverim, and will put them with him, even with the Etz Yehudah, and make them Etz Echad, and they shall be Echad in Mine Yad.

20 And the Etzim whereon thou writest shall be in thine yad before their eyes.

21 And say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, I will take the Bnei Yisroel from among the Goyim, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land;

22 And I will make them Goy Echad in the land upon the mountains of Yisroel; and Melech Echad shall be Melech to them all; and they shall be no more two Goyim, neither shall they be divided into two Mamlachot any more at all.

23 Neither shall they make themselves tameh any more with their gillulim, nor with their shikkutzim, nor with any of their peysha’im; but I will save them out of all their moshavot wherein they have sinned, and will make them tahor; so shall they be My people, and I will be their Elohim.

24 And Avdi Dovid [Moshiach] shall be Melech over them; and they all shall have Ro’eh Echad; they shall also walk in My mishpatim, and observe My chukkot, and do them.

25 And they shall dwell in HaAretz that I have given unto Avdi Ya’akov, wherein your Avot have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their banim, and their bnei banim ad olam; and Dovid Avdi [Moshiach] shall be their Nasi l’olam.

26 Moreover I will make a Brit Shalom with them; it shall be a Brit Olam with them; and I will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My Mikdash in the midst of them l’olam.

27 My Mishkan also shall be with them; yes, I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

28 And the Goyim shall know that I Hashem set apart as kodesh Yisroel, when My Mikdash shall be in the midst of them l’olam (forever).

Yechezkel 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.

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.