Ezekielchapter 37

A.Can these bones live? Breath from the four windsvv. 1-10

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, and indeed, they were very dry. 3 Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” “O Lord GOD,” I replied, “only You know.” 4 And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell 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 come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And as I prophesied, there was suddenly a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!” 10 So I prophesied as He had commanded me, and the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet—a vast army.

B.Our hope is lost — I will open your gravesvv. 11-14

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O My people, I will open your graves and bring you up from them, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, My people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.’”

C.Two sticks joined into one in his handvv. 15-23

15 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 16 “And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17 Then join them together into one 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?’ 19 you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick, and they will become one in My hand.’ 20 When the sticks on which you write are in your hand and in full view of the people, 21 you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and 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. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

D.One king, one sanctuary, forever in their midstvv. 24-28

24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes. 25 They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

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Set down in the midst of a valley full of very dry bones and asked, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' the prophet answers, 'O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest.' He prophesies, and there is a noise and a shaking, bone joining to bone, sinews and flesh and skin. But no breath, until he prophesies to the four winds and they stand up an exceeding great army. The interpretation is national resurrection: 'I will open your graves… and bring you into the land of Israel.' Then two sticks, Judah and Joseph, become one in his hand: one nation, one king, with David as their prince, a covenant of peace, and 'my tabernacle also shall be with them': the line Revelation 21 takes up.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

Prophecy · Ezekiel — Ezekiel overview

A. 1–10 Can these bones live? Breath from the four winds
B. 11–14 Our hope is lost — I will open your graves
C. 15–23 Two sticks joined into one in his hand
D. 24–28 One king, one sanctuary, forever in their midst

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Ezekiel 377 verses
- Ezekiel 37:5This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life.
- Ezekiel 37:6I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
- Ezekiel 37:11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’
- Ezekiel 37:14I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.’”
- Ezekiel 37:23They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.
- Ezekiel 37:24My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.
- Read Ezekiel 37: 1 more there →
John 53 verses
- John 5:21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.
- John 5:25Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
- John 5:28Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice
- Read John 5 →
Ezekiel 363 verses
- Ezekiel 36:24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
- Ezekiel 36:27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
- Ezekiel 36:28Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.
- Read Ezekiel 36 →
Ezekiel 342 verses
- Ezekiel 34:23I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- Ezekiel 34:25I will make with them a covenant of peace and rid the land of wild animals, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.
- Read Ezekiel 34 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Joel 22 verses
- Joel 2:27Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
- Joel 2:28And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
- Read Joel 2 →
2 Chronicles 102 verses
- 2 Chronicles 10:17but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.
- 2 Chronicles 10:19So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.
- Read 2 Chronicles 10 →
Amos 92 verses
- Amos 9:14I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
- Amos 9:15I will firmly plant them in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land that I have given them,” says the LORD your God.
- Read Amos 9 →
Jeremiah 501 verse
- Jeremiah 50:4“In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.
- Read Jeremiah 50 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.