Study notes

Ezekiel 37

Introducing EzekielWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

33:1–37:28 Section

After God appointed Ezekiel to be a prophet, he stopped Ezekiel from being able to talk. Ezekiel was only to speak when sharing messages from God. God would allow Ezekiel to be able to talk normally again after important news reached him. That news came seven years later. It was the news that Jerusalem had been destroyed by Babylon.

During those seven years Ezekiel had faithfully shared God’s messages with the Jews in Babylon. He had tried to get them to change their ways. The Jews had finally recognised that they had sinned against God. But they didn’t put into practice what Ezekiel taught them. They talked about loving God. But their actions showed that they didn’t serve God with their whole heart. God described this as treating God’s name as if it were not holy.

It was clear that God’s people weren’t going to be faithful to his covenant with them. So God explained the new covenant that he had announced in Ezekiel chapter 16. God would make this new covenant for the honour of his holy name. He wanted all people everywhere to know that he is the holy Lord and King. God chose to make this clear to all nations by making a new covenant with Israel.

The new covenant was based on God’s Spirit being inside his people. This would change their hearts. They would no longer be stubborn but would want to obey God. God promised to save his people from all their uncleanness. He would make them pure from all their sins. This meant that he would save them from the power that sin had over them. He would forgive them and make them able to choose to obey him.

The new covenant included covenant blessings. These were even greater than the covenant blessings of the Mount Sinai covenant. They included more than peace, food, land and safety. They included a leader from the family line of David. This person would be a good and faithful shepherd. He would rule over the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom as one nation again. God himself would live with his people and would make Israel holy. This would last for ever.

The Spirit being breathed into the dry bones was a picture of new life. It showed that God’s people would live in their land again after the exile. It was also a picture of the new life they would have in the new covenant. God’s people would have new life because God’s Spirit would be in them. Some of the promises in these messages were fulfilled after the Jews returned from exile. Jews came to understand that some of Ezekiel’s prophecies would come true in the future. That would happen when the messiah came. New Testament writers showed that Jesus is the Messiah. He put the new covenant into effect.

37:1–14

The prophet saw a lively city full of life (Ezekiel 36:38). Then, he found himself in a valley filled with bones. This symbolized the promise that the spirit of the Lord gives life (Ezekiel 36:16–38).

37:2

This death scene seemed hopeless. These were not recently dead bodies, but scattered bones, completely dried out. This scene symbolized the people's attitude. Their hopes were not just dead. Their hopes were broken and dried up.

37:3

Son of man, can these bones come to life?: The expected answer was no, but Ezekiel knew that God's power is unlimited. So, he asked God the question again. The real issue was not if the Lord could make these bones live, but if he wanted to do so.

37:4–6

  • God wanted these bones to live. He communicated this through the message that Ezekiel was to deliver to the bones. Ezekiel declared they would become living, breathing bodies again, with flesh, muscles, and breath.

  • The word translated as breath can also mean "spirit" or "wind," a wordplay that continues throughout this chapter.

37:7–8

Ezekiel followed his task to prophesy to the bones, and they formed complete bodies. However, a body with bones, muscles, flesh, and skin is still lifeless. These people needed breath to live, as described in Genesis 2:7.

37:9–10

When Ezekiel spoke to the four winds, breath entered the re-formed bodies. They stood up as a great army ready for action. This breath, symbolizing being filled with the Spirit, gave them life and strength for action, just as it had happened to the prophet on two earlier occasions (Ezekiel 1:28–2:2 and 3:23–24).

37:11–14

The oracle that follows explains this vision. The people in exile felt as lifeless as old, dry bones. They believed all hope was lost. However, the Lord could and would restore them to life. God would call them his people again. He promised to open their graves of exile and bring them back to the land of Israel.

37:14

The Lord would give his life-giving Spirit to his people. If the sovereign Lord decided to raise them, their dryness would not stop him.

37:15–28

The prophet then performed a sign action (see “Prophetic Sign Acts” Theme Note) that showed the future reunification of God's people and the healing of the division between the northern and southern tribes (see 1 Kings 12).

37:19

The Lord, who has complete authority and power, would bring Israel back together by his own power.

37:20–25

When the kingdoms were joined together again, the problems that had caused the division would also be solved.

In the past, King Rehoboam’s harsh and unfaithful leadership divided the nation (1 Kings 12). Now God would give his people one servant leader, a shepherd king. Like David, this king would unite the tribes.

The restored people would also be made clean again. God would remove their idols and other sinful practices. The Lord would once again be their God.

After being made pure, they would obey the Lord’s laws and live in the land forever.

37:25–28

The covenant of peace is the blessing that comes from obeying the covenant. This covenant would last forever.

In the past, the people’s sin made them unclean. Because of this, the Lord allowed the temple to be destroyed. Now their new purity would be shown in a new sanctuary. God would live among them there forever.

This final temple would show the success of God’s work to make his people holy. It would demonstrate that the Lord is the one who makes Israel holy (see Ezekiel 40–48).

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources