1.
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .
in the spirit = by the spirit. Compare Ezekiel 1:1 , Ezekiel 1:3 ; Ezekiel 8:3 ; Ezekiel 11:24 , Ezekiel 11:25 ; Ezekiel 40:2 , Ezekiel 40:3 . These expressions show the meaning of Revelation 1:10 .
spirit. Hebrew. ruach . App-9 .
valley = plain. Some word as in Ezekiel 3:22 , Ezekiel 3:23 , and Ezekiel 8:4 .
2.
And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
round about = on every side. Hebrew. sabib sabib = on this side and on that side. Figure of speech Epizeuxis ( App-6 ), for emphasis.
behold . . . lo . Figure of speech Asterismos . ( App-6 ), calling special attention to that which was seen.
3.
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
Son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1 .
Lord GOD. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah . See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .
4.
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
upon = over. Hebrew. 'al .
5.
Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
breath = spirit. Hebrew. ruach . App-9 .
6.
And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Put breath, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 2:7 ), App-92 .
ye shall know , &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:7 .
7.
So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
as = according as.
noise = voice.
shaking = commotion.
8.
And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9.
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
unto . Hebrew ' el . Compare Ezekiel 37:4 , and see the Structure above.
wind = spirit. Same as "breath" in Ezekiel 37:5 .
breathe = blow. Hebrew. naphah .
slain deed (by violent death). Septuagint renders it tous nekrous . = corpses, as distinct from nekrous , which (without the Article) refers to the dead as having been once alive (compare Matthew 22:31 .Luke 24:5 . Cor Eze 15:29 (first and third words), 35, 42, 52); while, with the Article it denotes corpses. See Deuteronomy 14:1 .Matthew 22:32 .Mark 9:10 . Luke 16:30 , Luke 16:31 ; Luke 24:46 . Acts 23:6 ; Acts 24:15 ; Acts 26:8 . Romans 6:13 ; Romans 10:7 ; Romans 11:15 .Hebrews 11:19 ; Hebrews 11:13 , Hebrews 11:20 ; 1 Corinthians 15:12 , 1 Corinthians 15:13 , 1 Corinthians 15:15 , 1 Corinthians 15:16 , 1 Corinthians 15:20 , 1 Corinthians 15:21 , 1 Corinthians 15:29 (second word), 32. Especially ep, 1 Peter 4:6 . See App-139 .
10.
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11.
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
are = they [are]. Figure of speech Metaphor . App-6 .
the whole house. As distinct from "the house",
we are cut off for our parts = as for us, we are quite cut off, or clean cut off.
12.
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
graves = sepulchres, or burying-places. Hebrew.
keber , not Sheol . See App-35 . The repetition of this must include resurrection as well as restoration.
into the land of Israel = upon the soil of Israel. Hebrew. 'admath . See note on Ezekiel 11:17 .
13.
And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
when I have opened = by My opening.
and brought yo up = by My causing you to come up.
14.
And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach . App-9 . Same word es "breath" and "wind" above.
place = settle.
in your own land = upon your own soil. Hebrew ' adamah . Compare Ezekiel 37:21 , and see note on Eze 37:32 .
saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle.
15.
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
16.
Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
stick. Hebrew "wood": put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for anything made of it.
children = sons,
companions: i.e. Benjamin and Levi. Hebrew text reads "companion" (singular); but margin, with some codices and one early printed edition, reads "companions" (plural)
Joseph. Who held the primogeniture of the other tribes (1 Chronicles 6:1 ), forfeited by Reuben; and was represented by Ephraim, the head of the ten tribes. Compare 1 Kings 11:26 , Isaiah 11:13 .Jeremiah 31:6 . Hosea 5:3 , Hosea 5:6 .
his companions: i.e. the other tribes.
17.
And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
hand. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "hands" (plural)
18.
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
19.
Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
fellows. Same word as "companions" in Ezekiel 37:16 , and same note as to the readings.
him: or, it.
20.
And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
21.
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
Behold. heathen; and. land. These words were chosen for the legend on the Zionist medal commemorating the National Federation (of 1896), which is a landmark in the history of the Jewish nation.
I even I. Figure of speech Epizeuxis ( App-6 ).
heathen = nations.
land, Hebrew ' eretz . Not the same word as in at Ezekiel 12:14 , Ezekiel 12:21 .
22.
And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
upon = among.
mountains. A special various readirg called Sevir ( App-34 ) reads "cities".
23.
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
idols = dirty gods.
detestable = abominable. Referring to idolatry, and its accompaniments.
transgressions = rebellions. Bob. pasha '. App-44 .
dwellingplaces . Septuagint reads "lawlessnesses". Compare Jeremiah 2:19 ; Jeremiah 3:22 ; Jeremiah 5:6 . So Houbigant, Bishops Newcombe and Horsley, with Ginsburg.
wherein = whereby.
sinned. Hebrew. chata '. App-44 .
My People = to Me a People.
their God = to them a God.
God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .
24.
And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
David My servant = Hebrew My servant David. Occurs five times (Ezekiel 34:23 , Ezekiel 34:24 ; Eze 37:24 . 1 Kings 11:32 ; 1 Kings 14:8 ). In Ezekiel 37:25 and 2 Samuel 3:18 tis (in Hebrew) "David My servant" (though the Authorized Version there renders it "My servant David").
shepherd = ruler.
judgments . . . statutes. See note on Deuteronomy 4:1 .
25.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
And they shall dwell . Repeated in middle of the verse by the Figure of speech Mesarchia ( App-6 ), for emphasis. given unto Jacob. And not any other land.
My servant David . Here, it is (in Hebrew) "David My servant".
26.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
covenant of peace. Compare Ezekiel 34:25 .
everlasting covenant. See notes on Genesis 9:16 , and Isaiah 44:7 .
27.
My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
tabernacle. Her. mishkan . See App-42 . Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:11 , Leviticus 26:12 ). App-92 .
28.
And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
shall know . See note on Eze 6:30 .
when, &c. = by the existence of My sanctuary in, &c.
for evermore. Therefore this prophecy yet awaits its fulfilment.