Ezekiel 37:8

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.)

Ezekiel 37:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 37:8

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon
them
And they began to look like men, in the shape of men, and were a body of them, as the Jews did when gathered together: and the skin covered them above;
and so looked comely and beautiful, as in the proper form of men; as did the Jews enriched and protected by Cyrus: and this may be an image of such persons so far wrought upon under the word as to look like Christians; to have the form of godliness, and appear outwardly righteous before men, submitting to ordinances, and performing the duties of religion; and yet no principle of spiritual life in them; but, like Adam's body, of the earth, earthly, and breathless, before the breath of life was breathed into it; so here, but there was no breath in them; no spirit in the Jews to return to their land, though they had liberty, till the Lord stirred up their spirits, ( Ezra 1:5 ) , all this, in a spiritual sense, shows how far persons may go under temporary convictions by the word, and yet not be living Christians.

Ezekiel 37:8 In-Context

6 And I shall give sinews on you, and I shall make fleshes to wax on you, and I shall stretch forth above skin in you, and I shall give a spirit to you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know, that I am the Lord. (And I shall make sinews upon you, and I shall make flesh to grow upon you, and I shall stretch forth skin over you, and I shall give breath to you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know, that I am the Lord.)

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.)