Ezekiel37

Ezekiel is transported by the Spirit to a valley filled with dry bones, which the Lord commands him to prophesy over. The bones miraculously reassemble, gain flesh, and are then given breath, standing as a great army, symbolizing the restoration of the 'whole house of Israel' from their despair and captivity. Subsequently, Ezekiel is instructed to join two sticks, representing Judah and Joseph, into one, signifying the future reunification of the divided kingdoms of Israel under one king and an everlasting covenant of peace.
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The Vision of the Dry Bones

1
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, ​
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And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. ​
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And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. ​
4
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. ​
5
Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: ​
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And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
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So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
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And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. ​
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Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. ​
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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. ​
11
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. ​
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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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And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
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And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. ​

Reunification of Israel and Judah

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The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
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Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: ​
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And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. ​
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And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
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Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
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And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
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And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
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And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: ​
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Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. ​
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And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. ​
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And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. ​
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Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. ​
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My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ​
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And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 37

Verse 1

The setting is a prophetic vision experienced 'in the spirit of the LORD,' emphasizing that this is a divine revelation, not a physical event. The 'valley full of bones' symbolizes the desperate, lifeless state of the exiled nation of Israel.

Verse 2

The description 'very dry' emphasizes the permanence and hopelessness of the national death represented by the exile; it suggests a catastrophe long past redemption by human effort.

Verse 3

Ezekiel's response, 'O Lord GOD, thou knowest,' shows humility and acknowledges that the power required for such a miracle belongs solely to God, setting the stage for a dramatic display of divine sovereignty.

Verse 4

The method of restoration is through the powerful, creative Word of God. Ezekiel is commanded to 'prophesy,' underscoring that God’s life-giving power is channeled through the proclamation of His message.

Verse 5

The word translated 'breath' is *ruach*, which means wind, breath, or spirit. This links the physical revival directly to the life-giving power of God's Spirit.

Verse 8

The restoration occurs in two stages: physical reassembly (flesh and skin) followed by the infusion of life (*ruach*). This separation highlights that physical existence alone is not true life; it requires God's animating Spirit.

Verse 9

The second command to prophesy is directed to the *wind* (*ruach*), explicitly summoning the life-giving Spirit from all directions to animate the waiting bodies.

Verse 10

The result is an 'exceeding great army,' signifying that the restored nation will be strong, numerous, and ready for God's future purposes, reversing the shame of defeat and scattering.

Verse 11

This verse provides the essential interpretation: the dry bones represent the 'whole house of Israel,' who, in exile, felt totally abandoned and 'cut off' from their covenant relationship and homeland.

Verse 12

Opening their 'graves' is a metaphor for bringing the exiles out of Babylon, which they viewed as a place of national death and burial. God promises a miraculous resurrection and return to the land of Israel.

Verse 14

The promise of putting God's *spirit* (*ruach*) in them confirms that the physical restoration (return to the land) will be accompanied by spiritual renewal and cleansing (cf. Ezek 36:26-27).

Verse 16

The stick for Judah represents the Southern Kingdom (Judah and Benjamin), while the stick for Joseph/Ephraim represents the Northern Kingdom (the ten tribes), scattered centuries earlier by Assyria.

Verse 17

The symbolic action of joining the two sticks illustrates the promised future political reunification, reversing the division that occurred after the death of Solomon (1 Kings 12).

Verse 22

The promise of 'one king' signifies the end of the civil war and political division that plagued the nation for centuries, establishing a unified monarchy under God’s authority.

Verse 23

Cleansing from *idols* and *transgressions* is essential. The physical restoration is intrinsically linked to a future spiritual purity, ensuring the people will maintain their covenant obligations.

Verse 24

'David my servant' refers to the future Messianic King. Since the historical David was long dead, this title points to the ideal, eternal ruler who will perfectly fulfill the Davidic covenant. He will be the 'one shepherd' leading God's people.

Verse 25

The guarantee of perpetual dwelling in the land is tied directly to the eternal reign of the Davidic Prince (*Nasi*), emphasizing the permanence of God's covenant promises.

Verse 26

The 'covenant of peace' (*shalom*) is synonymous with the New Covenant (Jer 31) and guarantees security, wholeness, and an unbreakable relationship with God.

Verse 27

The climax of the restoration is the permanent return of God's presence (*tabernacle*) among His people, fulfilling the ultimate covenant promise: 'I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'

Verse 28

The final goal of Israel’s restoration is doxological: the surrounding 'heathen' nations will recognize God’s power and holiness because of His permanent, sanctifying presence in the midst of Israel.

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