Ezekiel 37:10
in Ezekiel 37So 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
KJV
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
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This verse in Ezekiel 37
Commentary
4 notes on this verseon Ezekiel 37:4-10
In minute detail the holy prophet Ezekiel teaches and describes how strength will be restored to our dry bones, feeling return and motion added; how, with the return of sinews, the whole structure of the human body will grow strong, and how the driest bones will be clothed with restored flesh and the openings of the veins and the streams of the blood will be concealed by a veil of skin drawn tautly over them.
This site's exposition
Prophesy unto the wind
on Ezekiel 37:9-10
The second word is to the breath itself: come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. The Hebrew ruach runs through the whole vision as wind, breath and Spirit in one word, the philology every careful commentator carries, and Genesis 2:7 stands behind the shape, dust formed first and breath breathed after. The breath comes, they live, and they stand upon their feet, an exceeding great army: the valley of the slain ends as a muster.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
on Ezekiel 37:7-10
But we call in vain, still they are dead, still they are very dry; we must therefore be earnest with God in prayer for the working of the Spirit with the word: Come, O breath! and breathe upon them. God's grace can save souls without our preaching, but our preaching cannot save them without God's grace, and that grace must be sought by prayer.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
on Ezekiel 37:1-10
THIS vision has been used, from the time of Jerome onwards, as a description of the resurrection and certainly it may be so accommodated with much effect. What a vision of the great day the words picture before the mind's eye! The great army of the quick, who once were dead, seem to start up as we read. Here, too, we have a very fit and appropriate question to be asked in a tomb—"Son of man, can these bones live?"
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
these bones are all the house of Israel They are an intimation and an example of the entire house of Israel in their exile, for they say, “Our bones have become dried up from the troubles; our hope is lost, and what further hope can we have for salvation?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִנַּבֵּ֖אתִי | vehinabeti | and I prophesied | H5012 → | 115 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֑נִי | tzivani | he commanded me | H6680 → | 494 times |
| וַתָּבוֹא֩ | vatavo' | and it came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בָהֶ֨ם | vahem | in them | ||
| הָר֜וּחַ | haruach | the breath | H7307 → | 378 times |
| וַיִּֽחְי֗וּ | vaiyichyu | and they lived | H2421 → | 282 times |
| וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ֙ | vaiyaamdu | and they stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם | ragleihem | feet their | H7272 → | 247 times |
| חַ֖יִל | chayil | an army | H2428 → | 246 times |
| גָּד֥וֹל | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| מְאֹד־ | meod- | very | H3966 → | 300 times |
| מְאֹֽד׃ ס | meod | very | H3966 → | 300 times |
וְהִנַּבֵּ֖אתִיand I prophesied
vehinabetiH5012 →115 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֑נִיhe commanded me
tzivaniH6680 →494 times
וַתָּבוֹא֩and it came
vatavo'H935 →2568 times
בָהֶ֨םin them
vahem
הָר֜וּחַthe breath
haruachH7307 →378 times
וַיִּֽחְי֗וּand they lived
vaiyichyuH2421 →282 times
וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ֙and they stood
vaiyaamduH5975 →521 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רַגְלֵיהֶ֔םfeet their
ragleihemH7272 →247 times
חַ֖יִלan army
chayilH2428 →246 times
גָּד֥וֹלgreat
gadolH1419 →526 times
מְאֹד־very
meod-H3966 →300 times
מְאֹֽד׃ סvery
meodH3966 →300 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 104:30When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.
it leads to
- Job 33:4
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
- Ezekiel 37:9
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…
- Revelation 21:5
And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”
- Job 26:13
By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
- Isaiah 65:17
For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
- Job 33:4
Through
Revelation 11:11But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them.
it leads to
- Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
- Romans 8:11
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His…
- Romans 8:2
For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.
- Genesis 2:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Ambrose of Milan, On the Death of Satyrus 2.69; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 582: “The Restoration And Conversion Of The Jews” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.