Ezekiel 39:15
in Ezekiel 39As they pass through the land, anyone who sees a human bone will set up a pillar next to it, until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they that pass through the land shall pass through; and when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.
KJV
And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon–gog.
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This verse in Ezekiel 39
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
men will be employed
on Ezekiel 39:14-16
After the seven months, men employed to pass through the land search for any exposed bone and set a pillar beside it for the gravediggers. A city takes the multitude's name, Hamonah. The older commentators set this search beside the exact measuring of the sanctuary in the chapters ahead.
This site's exposition
will set up a pillar next to it
The marker warns passersby so that no one touches the bone and becomes unclean, the concern of Numbers 19:16. Travelers and gravediggers work together. Later Jewish practice whitewashed tombs for the same reason, the custom behind Matthew 23:27.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 39, Verse 1 onwards) \"But you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you.'
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the passengers that pass through the land,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And when they that pass through the land shall pass Wayfarers who see a human bone
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Men of continuous employment Men designed to continuously devote themselves to this. Israel will separate out in order to [be able to] pass through the land and gather the scattered [corpses].
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. 4 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
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָבְר֤וּ | veaveru | and they will pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| הָעֹֽבְרִים֙ | haoerim | those [who] pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| בָּאָ֔רֶץ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְרָאָה֙ | veraah | and they will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| עֶ֣צֶם | ʾetzem | a bone of | H6106 → | 126 times |
| אָדָ֔ם | ʾadam | a human | H120 → | 551 times |
| וּבָנָ֥ה | uvanah | and he will build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| אֶצְל֖וֹ | ʾetzlo | beside it | H681 → | 61 times |
| צִיּ֑וּן | tziyun | a marker | H6725 → | |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| קָבְר֤וּ | kaveru | they have buried | H6912 → | 133 times |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַֽמְקַבְּרִ֔ים | hamkaberim | those [who] bury | H6912 → | 133 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גֵּ֖יא | gei' | [the] valley of | H1516 → | 59 times |
| הֲמ֥וֹן | hamon | Hamon- | H1996 → | 4 times |
| גּֽוֹג׃ | gog | Gog | H1996 → | 4 times |
וְעָבְר֤וּand they will pass
veaveruH5674 →556 times
הָעֹֽבְרִים֙those [who] pass
haoerimH5674 →556 times
בָּאָ֔רֶץin the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
וְרָאָה֙and they will see
veraahH7200 →1300 times
עֶ֣צֶםa bone of
ʾetzemH6106 →126 times
אָדָ֔םa human
ʾadamH120 →551 times
וּבָנָ֥הand he will build
uvanahH1129 →376 times
אֶצְל֖וֹbeside it
ʾetzloH681 →61 times
צִיּ֑וּןa marker
tziyunH6725 →
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
קָבְר֤וּthey have buried
kaveruH6912 →133 times
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
הַֽמְקַבְּרִ֔יםthose [who] bury
hamkaberimH6912 →133 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גֵּ֖יא[the] valley of
gei'H1516 →59 times
הֲמ֥וֹןHamon-
hamonH1996 →4 times
גּֽוֹג׃Gog
gogH1996 →4 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Luke 11:44Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even noticing.”
it leads to
- Matthew 23:27–28
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.
- Psalms 5:9
For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.
- Acts 23:3
Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
- Numbers 19:16
Anyone in the open field who touches someone who has been killed by the sword or has died of natural causes, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean…
- Hosea 9:8
The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God, yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God!
- Matthew 23:27–28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.