Ezekiel 37:12
in Ezekiel 37Therefore 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
KJV
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
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This verse in Ezekiel 37
Commentary
4 notes on this verseI will open your graves - Here is a pointed allusion to the general resurrection; a doctrine properly credited and understood by the Jews, and to which our Lord refers, Joh 5:25, Joh 5:28, Joh 5:29: “The hour is coming when they that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth.” And cause you to come up out of your graves - I am determined that ye shall be restored; so that were ye even in your graves, as mankind at the general resurrection, yet my all-powerful voice shall call you forth.
This site's exposition
these bones are the whole house of Israel
on Ezekiel 37:11-14
The vision interprets itself, and the exposition keeps the text's own referent at full strength: these bones are the whole house of Israel, the exiles who say our bones are dried, and our hope is lost. The promise answers with graves opened, a return to the land of Israel named twice, and my spirit put in you, the same order as the vision, regathering and then life. The church's readings are carried as the readings they are, with holders named: the fathers and many since heard the general resurrection here, and Jerome records the passage read at funerals; the site's ruling stands with the text, the promise is to named Israel, and the larger hearings stand beside it rather than in its place.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
on Ezekiel 37:11-14
That they were so divided among themselves, too much of the old enmity between Judah and Ephraim remaining even in their captivity. But, as to this, by a sign of two sticks made one in the hand of the prophet is foreshown the happy coalition that should be, at their return, between the two nations of Israel and Judah,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The hope that is utterly gone, if looking at themselves, is sure for them in God, because He regards them as His people. Their covenant relation to God ensures His not letting death permanently reign over them. Christ makes the same principle the ground on which the literal resurrection rests.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Therefore, prophesy that I am destined to resurrect you a second time.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
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
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵן֩ | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| הִנָּבֵ֨א | hinave' | prophesy | H5012 → | 115 times |
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַר֮ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִה֒ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| הִנֵּה֩ | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֲנִ֨י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| פֹתֵ֜חַ | foteach | [am] about to open | H6605 → | 144 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קִבְרֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם | kivroteikhem | graves your | H6913 → | 67 times |
| וְהַעֲלֵיתִ֥י | vehaaleiti | and I will bring up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֛ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִקִּבְרוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם | mikivroteikhem | from graves your | H6913 → | 67 times |
| עַמִּ֑י | ʾami | O people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י | veheveti | and I will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַדְמַ֥ת | ʾadmat | [the] land of | H127 → | 225 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
לָכֵן֩<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
הִנָּבֵ֨אprophesy
hinave'H5012 →115 times
וְאָמַרְתָּ֜and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֗םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַר֮he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִה֒Yahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
הִנֵּה֩here!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אֲנִ֨יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
פֹתֵ֜חַ[am] about to open
foteachH6605 →144 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קִבְרֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗םgraves your
kivroteikhemH6913 →67 times
וְהַעֲלֵיתִ֥יand I will bring up
vehaaleitiH5927 →890 times
אֶתְכֶ֛ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
מִקִּבְרוֹתֵיכֶ֖םfrom graves your
mikivroteikhemH6913 →67 times
עַמִּ֑יO people my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
וְהֵבֵאתִ֥יand I will bring
vehevetiH935 →2568 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַדְמַ֥ת[the] land of
ʾadmatH127 →225 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
1 Thessalonians 4:16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:51–52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
- Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
- Matthew 24:30–31
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds…
- 1 Corinthians 15:23
But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.
- Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- 1 Corinthians 15:51–52
Through
Isaiah 26:19Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her…
it leads to
- Daniel 12:2
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.
- Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 37:1–14
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.
- Daniel 12:2
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Resurrection34 verses
On this page
Studies4
On this chapter
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.