Ezekiel 37:4–5

Context

Ezekiel 37:1–14 is a vision in which the prophet Ezekiel is carried by the Spirit of the LORD 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, and when breath enters them, they stand up as an exceedingly 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 makes clear, 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 same word is used in all three senses in this chapter, which is understood to show that it is the Spirit of God who gives life. The passage is often read alongside Genesis 2:7 and John 20:22.
• As a type of the resurrection: Since the early church there has been a tradition of reading this vision as a type of the bodily resurrection. Some hold, however, that because the text itself is a metaphor for national restoration, caution is needed in treating it as direct support for the doctrine of the resurrection.

Debates and Issues

In dispensationalist interpretation, the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 is often regarded 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 commonly noted that this is a figurative application of the text.

In the Korean Church

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