Albert Barnes Commentary Ezekiel 37
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezekiel 37
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezekiel 37
"The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones." — Ezekiel 37:1 (ASV)
The valley - The same word as “the plain” (Ezekiel 3:22; Ezekiel 8:4). The “dry bones” represented the Israelites dispersed abroad, destitute of national and spiritual life.
"Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah." — Ezekiel 37:4 (ASV)
Prophesy - Not in the sense of predicting what was to happen, but simply in the sense of speaking under the inspiration of God. In Ezekiel 37:5, not I will cause, but I cause or am causing.
"So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and, behold, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone." — Ezekiel 37:7 (ASV)
Bone to his bone - that is, to its proper place in the frame.
"Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." — Ezekiel 37:9 (ASV)
The wind - Rather, as noted in the margin and as in Ezekiel 37:5. The bones are the bones of the "slain," because the scene was one which was likely to occur during the Chaldaean invasion, and the fact of violent death reminded the prophet of the miserable condition of the people.
"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." — Ezekiel 37:11 (ASV)
We are cut off for our parts—That is, “as for us, we are cut off.” The people had fallen into despair.
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