EzekielChapter 37

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Show the phases of the visionEzekiel's vision of Israel's restoration

Ezekiel receives a dramatic vision of a valley full of dry bones coming back to life. The vision is a prophecy about Israel's restoration from exile, but it also points to spiritual awakening and the final resurrection.

The Valley of Dry Bones

The Lord's Spirit brought Ezekiel out into a valley full of bones - very many and completely dried up. God asked: 'Can these bones live?'

v.1, 2, 3

Prophesy to the Bones

Ezekiel was told to prophesy: 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.'

v.4, 5, 6

The Bones Come Together

There was a rattling sound, and the bones came together. Tendons and flesh appeared on them, and skin covered them - but there was no breath in them.

v.7, 8

The Breath Brings Life

Ezekiel prophesied to the breath: 'Come from the four winds and breathe on these slain!' The breath entered them, they came to life and stood up - an exceedingly great army.

v.9, 10

The Interpretation: Israel Will Rise Again

The bones represent the whole house of Israel. They said: 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost.' But God will open their graves and bring them back to the land of Israel.

v.11, 12, 13, 14

The Two Sticks

Two sticks - one for Judah and one for Joseph/Ephraim - will become one in Ezekiel's hand. In this way, God will gather the divided kingdoms of Israel into one people under one king.

v.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

One King, One Covenant

David (the Messiah) will be their king. They will keep God's commands, and he will make an everlasting covenant of peace with them. His sanctuary will be among them forever.

v.23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

He led me all around them, and I saw that there were very many of them on the floor of the valley, and they were very dry.

He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know."

Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I am going to put breath in you, and you will live.

I will fasten sinews on you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD."

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied there was a sound, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

I looked, and there were sinews on them; flesh had grown, and skin had covered them over. But there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live."

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them. They came to life and stood on their feet—an army, vast beyond measure.

Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. See how they say, 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone; we are cut off.'

Therefore prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves and bring you up out of them, my people, and I will bring you home to the land of Israel.

And you will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up out of them, my people.

I 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 have done it, declares the LORD."

The word of the LORD came to me:

"Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah and the Israelites associated with him.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him.'

Join them together, one to the other, into a single stick, so that they become one in your hand.

And when your people ask you, 'Won't you tell us what you mean by this?'

say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in Ephraim's hand, together with the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will join them to the stick of Judah, making them one stick, so that they become one in my hand.

Hold the sticks on which you have written where they can see them,

and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land.

I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Never again will they be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.

They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and detestable images and all their transgressions. I will save them from all the places where they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my judgments and keep my statutes and carry them out.

They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.

I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set my sanctuary among them forever.

My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Then the nations will know that I, the LORD, make Israel holy, when my sanctuary stands among them forever."

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Summary2

Chapter 37

Main Theme: God promises to give new life to His people and reunite Israel under one king with an everlasting covenant of peace.

Content: Ezekiel sees a valley full of dry bones symbolizing Israel's hopelessness in exile. At God's command, he prophesies over the bones, which then receive tendons, flesh, skin, and breath—and rise up as a great army. Then Ezekiel is instructed to join two sticks together as a sign that Judah and Israel will become one people. God promises to gather them to their land, cleanse them, and set His servant David as their eternal prince over them, with His sanctuary in their midst.

Key Words/Images:

The Valley of Dry Bones: Symbolizes Israel's spiritual death and hopelessness in exile, but also God's power to give new life.
The Spirit/Ruach: The life-giving power from God that makes the dead alive—both physical and spiritual restoration.
The Two Sticks: Represent the reunification of the northern kingdom (Ephraim/Josef) and the southern kingdom (Judah) into one people.
My Servant David: The future Messianic king who will rule over reunited Israel forever.
Everlasting Covenant of Peace: God's promise of a lasting relationship with His people, with His sanctuary in their midst.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Ezekiel 37

Places

The Valley (הַבִּקְעָה, ha-biq'ah) in verses 1–2 is not identified with a specific geographical location, but the word is also used in Ezekiel 3:22–23 and 8:4 to describe the place where Ezekiel previously encountered God's glory. The term denotes a wide, flat plain or valley floor. Some scholars have suggested that this may be a visionary depiction of a battlefield or mass grave, which was a well-known reality in the ancient Near East following major military confrontations. Unburied bodies on the battlefield were considered a great shame and calamity in ancient Near Eastern culture.

Key Terms

Ruach (רוּחַ) is a central word in this chapter and appears with several meanings: "wind," "breath," "spirit," and "Spirit." In verse 9, the word is used four times with different nuances: Ezekiel is to prophesy to the "ruach" (the wind/spirit), which will come from the four "ruchot" (directions of the wind) and breathe upon the dead so that they receive "ruach" (the breath of life). This ambiguity is intentional and connects to the creation account in Genesis 2:7, where God breathes the breath of life into humanity.

The Dry Bones (עֲצָמוֹת יְבֵשׁוֹת) represent a state of complete hopelessness. In verse 11, the people's lament is quoted: "Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost; we are cut off." The expression "our bones are dried up" was likely an idiom describing total despair and physical exhaustion among the exiles.

Tree/Stick (עֵץ, 'ets) in verses 16–17 can be translated as either "tree" or "stick." This probably refers to a writing stylus or a piece of wood used for writing, possibly a precursor to a scroll or a marker indicating tribal affiliation.

Events and Customs

The Symbolic Action with the Two Sticks (verses 15–28) was a typical prophetic sign-act. Ezekiel was to write on two pieces of wood—one for Judah and one for Joseph/Ephraim—and join them together into one. This illustrated the reunification of the southern kingdom (Judah) and the northern kingdom (Israel/Ephraim), which had been divided since the time of Rehoboam (around 930 BC, see 1 Kings 12). For the exiles, this was a powerful promise: not only would they return, but the historical division that had weakened the nation for over 300 years would also be healed.

Opening the Graves (verses 12–13) was a radical image. In Israelite thought, the grave was the final resting place, and Sheol was the realm where one was cut off from God. That God would open graves and bring the people up was an unprecedented promise that shatters ordinary notions of death and demonstrates God's power over even the most extreme boundaries.

People

My Servant David (verses 24–25) does not refer to the historical King David, who had been dead for more than 400 years, but to a future Davidic ruler. In verses 22 and 24, the title "king" (מֶלֶךְ, melech) is used, while verse 25 uses "prince" (נָשִׂיא, nasi). This alternation may reflect Ezekiel's nuanced view of future leadership, where נָשִׂיא possibly points to a different kind of leadership in the restored community than the failed monarchy.

People5

Ephraim (the tribe of Ephraim/men as a group, not the patriarch himself)1 David2 Judah1 Joseph1 Jacob2

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Key words7

Prophecy — A divinely inspired message, often delivered through a prophet, that provides insight into future events or God's will.
Ezekiel — A prophet in the Old Testament who received visions and messages from God, including the prophecy about the dry bones in chapter 37.
Dry bones — A symbol of the people of Israel in exile, who felt hopeless and lifeless. God used this image to show that He would restore them and give them new life.
Revival — The process of bringing something back to life or restoring it to its former state. In Ezekiel 37, it represents God's promise to restore Israel and give them new life.
Israel — God's chosen people and the nation founded by Jacob's descendants. In Ezekiel 37, it refers to the two kingdoms, Judah and Israel, which are to be reunited under one king.
Restoration — The gathering of separated parts or groups. In Ezekiel 37, it describes the process by which God will gather His people from all nations and restore them as a united nation.
Spirit — In this context, it refers to God's life-giving power that will bring new life to Israel and their dry bones. It is also a symbol of God's presence and activity among His people.