_The hand of the Lord was upon me_ I was actuated by a divine power; _and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord_ Or, by the Spirit of the Lord. It is highly probable that all this passed in vision. _And set me down in the midst of the valley full of bones_ The first and great object of this proph... [ Continue Reading ]
_He caused me to pass by them round about_ To take an exact view of them; _and behold, there were very many in the open valley _ As if it had been a place where a great battle had been fought, and a vast multitude slain, who had been left unburied till the flesh was all consumed, and the bones were... [ Continue Reading ]
_Again he said, Prophesy upon these bones_ Here sense and understanding are attributed to the dry bones; and as these bones signified the captive Jews, they are with strict propriety called upon to _hear the word of the Lord._ But this is also to be considered, as has been intimated on Ezekiel 37:1,... [ Continue Reading ]
_So I prophesied as I was commanded_ I declared these promises or gracious purposes of God concerning these bones. _And as I prophesied there was a noise_, &c. Such a noise as we may suppose would arise from the motion of the bones. _And behold a shaking_ A trembling, or commotion among the bones, e... [ Continue Reading ]
_These bones are the whole house of Israel_ These bones represent the forlorn and desperate condition to which the whole nation of Israel is reduced; _they say, Our bones are dried_, &c. Our affairs are in the most desperate condition; there is not so much as any hope left of their being retrieved.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Take thee one stick_ That is, one rod. The expression seems to allude to Numbers 17:2; where Moses was commanded to take twelve rods, one for each tribe, and to write the name of the tribe upon the rod; _for Judah, and the children of Israel his companions_ That is, the tribe of Benjamin, and a par... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest_ Ezekiel foretold many things by signs; and the Jews were very inquisitive into the meaning of them: but sometimes their curiosity proceeded rather from a secret contempt of the prophet and his predictions, than a real desire of information. _Say, I will take... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen_ See the margin. _I will make them one nation_ They shall not be divided any more into separate kingdoms; the consequence of which was, their setting up separate ways of worship, and espousing separate interests: compare Isaiah 11:13... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will make a covenant of peace with them_ I will grant them the blessing of peace and prosperity. Or rather, the words are to be understood in a spiritual sense, that God will be reconciled to them through Christ, and admit them into that covenant of peace of which Christ is the Mediator, and ther... [ Continue Reading ]