Ezekiel 37:1-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 37:1-14

Here is, I. The vision of a resurrection from death to life, and it is a glorious resurrection. This is a thing so utterly unknown to nature, and so contrary to its principles (a privatione ad habitum non datur regressus?from privation to possession there is no return), that we could have no thought of it but by the word of the Lord; and that it is certain by that word that there shall be a general resurrection of the dead some have urged from this vision, ?For? (say they) ?otherwise it would... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:1

The hand of the Lord was upon me ,.... The Spirit of the Lord, a powerful impulse of his upon the prophet; the Targum interprets it a spirit of prophecy; See Gill on Ezekiel 1:3 , and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord : out of the place where he was to another; not really, but visionally, as things appeared to him, and as they were represented to his mind by the Spirit of God: and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones : of men, as the Targum adds:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:2

And caused me to pass by them round about ,.... Round, round F19 סביב סביב "circum circa", Pagninus; "undique undique", Montanus. ; several times round, that he might take exact notice of them, of their number, situation, and condition: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley ; as the Jews were in captivity; and as they will be when they shall be converted; and as the number of Christians will be in the spiritual reign of Christ; and as the dead will be at the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:3

And he said unto me, son of man, can these bones live ?.... Is there any probability of it? is there any reason to believe they shall live? can any ways and means be devised, or any methods taken, to cause them to live? and I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest ; the prophet does not pronounce at once that it was improbable and impossible; he knew indeed it was not probable, or possible, that these bones should revive of themselves; and he knew that neither he nor any creature could... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:4

Again he said unto me, prophesy upon these bones ,.... Or, "over these bones" F20 על העצמות האלה "super ossa haec", Starckius. ; or, "concerning these bones" F21 "De ossibus istis", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, Piscator. ; foretell that they shall live; tell others of it, and them also: and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord ; the word of prophecy concerning you, as the Jews did in Babylon: so unconverted sinners may be preached unto, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:5

Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones ,.... By the prophet, who was sent to prophesy over them: behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live ; and none could do this but the living God, who breathed the breath of life into Adam at first, and he became a living soul; to which there seems to be an allusion here; and when the Lord puts his Spirit into men, or bestows his grace on them, then they shall live, and not till then. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:6

And I will lay sinews upon you, and I will bring up flesh upon you ,.... That is, before he should cause breath to enter into them; for though it is first mentioned, it is the last done: this is the orderly process; first sinews are laid to join the bones together; then flesh is laid to cover them, and fill up all vacancies, and form muscles to make the bones capable of motion: and cover you with skin ; both bones, sinews, and flesh; for this is uppermost of all, and which makes the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:7

So I prophesied as I was commanded ,.... The prophet was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; he was right to observe the orders and instructions given, whatever were the issue and success of them; that he was to leave with the Lord, and did. So Gospel ministers prophesy or preach according to the commission given them, and leave their work with the Lord: this was the first prophesying; for there is another after mentioned: these two are carefully to be observed and distinguished,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:8

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them ,.... And they began to look like men, in the shape of men, and were a body of them, as the Jews did when gathered together: and the skin covered them above ; and so looked comely and beautiful, as in the proper form of men; as did the Jews enriched and protected by Cyrus: and this may be an image of such persons so far wrought upon under the word as to look like Christians; to have the form of godliness, and appear... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 37:9

Then said he unto me, prophesy unto the wind ,.... Before he had been prophesying to the bones, and over them; and something was done, but not to purpose, breath being wanting; wherefore he is bid to prophesy a second time, and that not to bones, but to the "wind", afterwards rendered "breath"; and may allude to the soul or breath of man reentering the body, as at a resurrection, which causes it to live: it signifies the "spirit" F24 הרוח "ad spiritum", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius,... read more

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