Ezekiel 37
37
The Valley of Dry Bones
1 The hand#tn Or “power.” sn Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s hand being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God (3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1). of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and placed#tn Heb “caused me to rest.” me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He made me walk all around among them.#tn Heb “and he made me pass over them, around, around.” I realized#tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and is here translated as “I realized” because it results from Ezekiel’s recognition of the situation around him. In Hebrew, the exclamation is repeated in the following sentence. there were a great many bones in the valley and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath#tn Heb “I am about to bring a spirit.” into you and you will live. 6 I will put tendons#tn The exact physiological meaning of the term is uncertain. In addition to v. 8, the term occurs only in Gen 32:33; Job 10:11; 40:17; and Jer 48:4. on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath#tn Or “a spirit.” in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard#tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb. a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I watched, I saw#tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb. tendons on them, then muscles appeared,#tn Heb “came up.” and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath#tn Or “spirit.” in them.
9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath,#tn Or “spirit,” and several times in this verse. – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope has perished; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. 14 I will place my breath#tn Or “spirit.” This is likely an allusion to Gen 2 and God’s breath which creates life. in you and you will live; I will give you rest in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord – I have spoken and I will act, declares the Lord.’”
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “As for you, son of man, take one branch, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another branch and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the branch of Ephraim and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17 Join#tn Heb “bring near.” them as one stick;#tn Heb “one to one for you for one stick.” they will be as one in your hand. 18 When your people#tn Heb “the sons of your people.” say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean?’ 19 tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place them on the stick of Judah,#tn Heb “I will place them on it, that is, on the stick of Judah.” and make them into one stick – they will be one in my hand.’#sn The reunification of Israel and Judah is envisioned as well in Ezek 33:23, 29; Jer 3:18; 23:5-6; Hos 1:11; Amos 9:11. 20 The sticks you write on will be in your hand in front of them. 21 Then tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from round about and bring them to their land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over them all. They will never again be two nations and never again be divided into two kingdoms.#sn Jeremiah also attested to the reuniting of the northern and southern kingdoms (Jer 3:12, 14; 31:2-6). 23 They will not defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, and all their rebellious deeds. I will save them from all their unfaithfulness#tc Heb “their dwellings.” The text as it stands does not make sense. Based on the LXX, a slight emendation of two vowels, including a mater, yields the reading “from their turning,” a reference here to their turning from God and deviating from his commandments. See BDB 1000 s.v. מְשׁוּבָה, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:407. by which they sinned. I will purify them; they will become my people and I will become their God.
24 “‘My servant David will be king over them; there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow#tn Heb “walk [in].” my regulations and carefully observe my statutes.#tn Heb “and my statutes they will guard and they will do them.” 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; they will live in it – they and their children and their grandchildren forever. David my servant will be prince over them forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a perpetual covenant with them.#sn See Isa 24:5; 55:3; 61:8; Jer 32:40; 50:5; Ezek 16:60, for other references to perpetual covenants. I will establish them,#tn Heb “give them.” increase their numbers, and place 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, when my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel.’”#sn The sanctuary of Israel becomes the main focus of Ezek 40-48.
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Ezekiel 37
37
The Valley of Dry Bones
1The 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. 2He 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.
3Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?”
“O Lord GOD,” I replied, “only You know.”
4And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath#37:5 Or spirit; also in verses 6, 9, and 10 to enter you, and you will come to life. 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.’”
7So 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. 8As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
9Then 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!”
10So 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.
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.’
12Therefore 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. 13Then you, My people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 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.’”
One Nation with One King
15Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16“And you, son of man, take a single stick#37:16 Or branch; also in verses 17, 19, and 20 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.’ 17Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.
18When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’ 19you 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.’
20When the sticks on which you write are in your hand and in full view of the people, 21you 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. 22I 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.
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,#37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also LXX); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. 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.
25They 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. 26And 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. 27My dwelling place#37:27 Or My tabernacle will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.#37:27 Cited in 2 Corinthians 6:16 28Then the nations will know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’”
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