Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel 37:3And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know."
When God asks if the bones can live, Ezekiel's humble answer acknowledges that only God has the power and knowledge to perform such a miracle.Ezekiel 37:14And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
This verse clarifies that the vision is about God putting His Spirit within His people so they can truly live and return to their land.Ezekiel 37:27My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
God promises that His very presence will dwell with His people, establishing a permanent relationship where He is their God and they are His people.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Vision of Life from Death
The chapter begins with Ezekiel being carried by the Spirit to a valley filled with bones that are very dry, signifying they have been dead for a long time. This follows the previous chapters where Ezekiel spoke about the judgment and scattering of Israel due to their unfaithfulness. The bones represent the people of Israel in exile, feeling as though their hope is completely lost and they are cut off from God.
The Promise of a United Kingdom
After the miracle in the valley, the scene shifts to a symbolic action involving two wooden sticks. Ezekiel is told to join them together in his hand to show how God will reunite the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel. This transition moves the focus from individual or national survival to a future of total unity and spiritual purity under God's chosen leader.
The Restoration of Israel
In Ezekiel 37:1-14, the prophet is placed in a desolate valley and commanded to speak to a graveyard of bones, setting the stage for a miraculous display of God's creative power.
The Question of Life (Ezekiel 37:1-6)
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
3 And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know."
4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord."
5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Commentary:
God shows Ezekiel a valley of dry bones and promises to bring them back to life through His word.
Related Verse Analysis
The Rattling and the Breath (Ezekiel 37:7-10)
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.
9 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 on these slain, that they may live."
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Commentary:
The bones come together and receive flesh, but they only truly live when God's breath enters them.
Related Verse Analysis
Hope for the Hopeless (Ezekiel 37:11-14)
11 Then he said to 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 indeed cut off.’
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
Commentary:
God explains that the vision is a promise to rescue His people from exile and restore their hope.
The Two Sticks Become One (Ezekiel 37:15-23)
37 The word of the Lord came to me:
16 "And you, son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel 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.'"
17 And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.
18 And when your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?'
19 say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him.
20 The sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.
21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land.
22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.
23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions.
Commentary:
Ezekiel joins two sticks to show how God will reunite and cleanse His divided people.
The Everlasting Covenant (Ezekiel 37:24-28)
24 "My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes."
25 They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore.
27 My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
28 Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.
Commentary:
God promises a future of eternal peace and unity under a faithful king where He dwells with His people.
God's Power to Rebuild and Reunite
The Spirit as the Source of Life
This chapter highlights that true life comes from the Spirit of God. Just as God breathed life into the first human in Genesis, He breathes His Spirit into the dry bones to create a living army, showing that spiritual renewal is a divine act.
Restoration from Exile
The passage speaks directly to people who feel abandoned and dead in their circumstances. It reveals that God is not finished with His people even when they are at their lowest point, promising to bring them home and give them a future.
Unity Under the Messiah
The image of the two sticks becoming one points to a future where all of God's people are united. By mentioning His servant David, the text looks forward to a perfect leader who will guide the people in peace and righteousness forever.
Applying the Vision of Life to Your Journey
Ezekiel 37:1-2 reminds us that God sees the dry, difficult areas of our lives that feel beyond repair. You can bring these hopeless situations to Him, trusting that His perspective is much bigger than the death or decay you see on the surface.
Just as the bones needed the breath to live in Ezekiel 37:10, we need the Holy Spirit to empower us. You can ask God to breathe His life into your work, relationships, and faith, moving you from a routine existence to living with purpose.
Ezekiel 37:17 shows God's desire to take what is broken and divided and make it one. This encourages you to seek reconciliation and peace in your own community, trusting that God is in the business of bringing people together under His love.
God Breathes Life Into Hopelessness
Ezekiel 37 declares that God is the master of restoration, capable of turning a valley of death into a vibrant army of life. Through the power of His word and the breath of His Spirit, He reaches into the most desolate situations to bring renewal and hope. The message is clear: God does not merely improve our lives. He resurrects them, inviting us into a unified, peaceful relationship where He dwells with us forever.
What This Means for Us Today
The vision of the dry bones is an invitation to trust God with the parts of our lives that seem lost or dead. It reminds us that when we feel cut off or hopeless, God's Spirit is ready to breathe new life into us and lead us into a community of peace. We are called to listen for His word and welcome His Spirit to move in our hearts today.
- Where in your life are you waiting for a 'rattling' of new life to begin?
- How can you rely more on God's Spirit rather than your own strength this week?
- Who in your life needs to hear the message that hope is never truly lost?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
God promises to give His people a new heart and a new spirit, setting the stage for the life-giving vision in chapter 37.
After the restoration of Israel, this chapter describes the protection of God's people against future enemies.
Connections Across Scripture
The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead serves as a New Testament parallel to God bringing life to the dry bones.
This passage echoes the promise in Ezekiel 37:27 that God will dwell among His people and be their God forever.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think God asked Ezekiel if the bones could live instead of performing the miracle immediately?
- In the vision, the bones were 'very dry.' What does this detail tell us about the depth of the hopelessness God is able to address?
- The two sticks became one in Ezekiel's hand. What are some ways we see God bringing unity to divided groups of people today?