Ezekiel 37:11

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.

Then he said {H559} unto me, Son {H1121} of man {H120}, these bones {H6106} are the whole house {H1004} of Israel {H3478}: behold, they say {H559}, Our bones {H6106} are dried {H3001}, and our hope {H8615} is lost {H6}: we are cut off {H1504} for our parts.

Then he said to me, "Human being! These bones are the whole house of Isra'el; and they are saying, 'Our bones have dried up, our hope is gone, and we are completely cut off.'

Then He said to me, โ€œSon of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, โ€˜Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.โ€™

Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.

Commentary

Context

Ezekiel 37:11 serves as God's explicit interpretation of the preceding vision of the valley of dry bones, where the prophet Ezekiel witnessed a desolate scene of scattered, parched human bones. This powerful imagery directly addresses the spiritual and national condition of the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. Having lost their land, their temple, and their political independence, the people were experiencing profound despair, believing their identity and future as a nation were utterly extinguished.

Key Themes

  • Profound Despair and Hopelessness: The lament, "Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts," vividly captures the nation's utter sense of spiritual death and abandonment. They felt irrevocably broken and separated from God's covenant promises, believing their national identity was extinguished. This was a deep, collective cry of despair.
  • Divine Identification: God Himself declares, "these bones are the whole house of Israel," leaving no ambiguity about the vision's meaning. It's not merely a metaphor for general despair, but a specific, divine diagnosis of Israel's lifeless national and spiritual state.
  • The Need for Divine Intervention: The verse emphasizes that Israel's situation was beyond human remedy. Their "dried bones" represented complete spiritual and national lifelessness, necessitating a miraculous act of God for any form of revival or restoration. This sets the stage for God's subsequent promise to breathe new life into them.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "cut off for our parts" (KJV) conveys a sense of being completely severed, fragmented, or annihilated. The Hebrew word `gazar` (ื’ึธึผื–ึทืจ) often means to cut off, divide, or determine. Here, it underscores their feeling of being irrevocably separated from their heritage, their land, and their future as a people, as if their very existence as a nation had been 'cut off' or decided to be over, leaving them scattered and without cohesion.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 37:11 speaks powerfully to situations of deep despair, whether personal or collective. It reminds us that even when hope seems utterly lost and circumstances appear insurmountable, God sees our condition. Just as He identified with the hopelessness of Israel, He acknowledges our own feelings of being 'dried up' or 'cut off' from purpose or vitality. The chapter's broader message, following this verse, is one of incredible hope: God's ability to bring life out of death, restoration out of ruin, and spiritual revival even when all seems lost. This encourages us to place our hope not in our circumstances, but in the sovereign power of God to resurrect and restore, just as He promises a new heart and a new spirit.

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Cross-References

  • Ephesians 2:1

    ยถ And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;

  • Psalms 77:7

    Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

  • Psalms 77:9

    Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

  • Ezekiel 39:25

    Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;

  • Jeremiah 31:1

    ยถ At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

  • Ezekiel 36:10

    And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, [even] all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:

  • Ezekiel 37:1

    ยถ 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,