Ezekiel 37:4–5

Context

Ezekiel 37:1–14 records a vision in which the Spirit of the LORD carries the prophet Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones. God asks, "Can these bones live?" and Ezekiel answers, "O Lord GOD, thou knowest" (v. 3). In verses 4–5 God commands him to prophesy to the bones. When Ezekiel prophesies, the bones come together and are covered with sinews, flesh, and skin (vv. 7–8). Yet there is no breath in them, so God commands him to prophesy to the breath. When breath enters them, they stand up as an exceeding great army (vv. 9–10). Verse 11 explains that these bones are "the whole house of Israel," who say, "our hope is lost."

Interpretation

• As national restoration: As the text itself states, the vision is a promise that God will revive Israel, which had lost hope during the exile, and bring the people back to their own land (vv. 12–14). The sign of the two sticks in verses 15–28 extends this promise to the reunification of the divided northern and southern kingdoms.
• Wordplay on breath and spirit: The Hebrew word ruach can mean "breath," "wind," or "spirit." The chapter uses the same word in all three senses, which is understood to show that the Spirit of God is the one who gives life. The passage is read alongside Genesis 2:7 and John 20:22.
• As a type of the resurrection: Since the early church, a tradition has read this vision as a type of the bodily resurrection. Some hold, however, that because the text itself is a figure for national restoration, caution is needed in treating it as direct support for the doctrine of the resurrection.

Debates and Issues

Dispensationalist interpreters often regard the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 as the fulfillment of this prophecy or as its beginning. Other interpreters argue that, because the text also speaks of spiritual restoration (v. 14, "And shall put my spirit in you"), identifying it directly with the establishment of a political state is unwarranted; some read the promise as fulfilled in the church and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The vision is also widely used as a symbol of church revival, though it is often noted that this is a figurative application of the text.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, the passage is frequently used at revival meetings and Holy Spirit gatherings, as well as in sermons for church plants and struggling congregations. The phrase "Dry bones, live!" is sometimes used as a motto for prayer meetings.

Related Passages

• Ezekiel 37:11–14
• Genesis 2:7
• John 20:22
• Romans 8:11