INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 37 This chapter contains a prophecy of the Jews' return from captivity to their own land; of the union of the each tribes with one another; and of the glorious kingdom of Christ among them. Their restoration is represented by a vision of dry bones made alive; the place in wh... [ Continue Reading ]
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; 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 appeare... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAUSED ME TO PASS BY THEM ROUND ABOUT,.... ROUND, ROUND s; 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 conver... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN HE SAID UNTO ME, PROPHESY UPON THESE BONES,.... Or, "over these bones" t; or, "concerning these bones" u; 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 Baby... [ Continue Reading ]
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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
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, a... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 m... [ Continue Reading ]
SO I PROPHESIED AS HE COMMANDED ME,.... The second time he prophesied to the wind, as he had done to the bones, as he was ordered: and the issue of it was, AND BREATH CAME INTO THEM; or, "the spirit"; a spirit of courage in the Jews, to go up to their own land; the Spirit of life from Christ, which... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE SAID UNTO ME, SON OF MAN,.... Here follow the explication and application of the above vision: THESE BONES ARE THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL; an emblem of them, of their state and condition in the Babylonish captivity, and of them in their present state; and of the whole Israel of God, while in... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE PROPHESY, AND SAY UNTO THEM,.... For their comfort, in order to revive their hope, and encourage their faith, in these distressed circumstances: THUS SAITH THE LORD, BEHOLD, O MY PEOPLE: they were his people still, and he had a covenant interest in them, and they in him, though in such a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD,.... Ezekiel 37:6: WHEN I HAVE OPENED YOUR GRAVES, O MY PEOPLE, AND BROUGHT YOU UP OUT OF YOUR GRAVES; which is doing that for them which none but the omnipotent God could do; and they seeing his hand and power, his grace and mercy in it, will know, own, and ac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL PUT MY SPIRIT IN YOU, AND YE SHALL LIVE,.... Not only a spirit of courage to go up into their own land, and live a civil and comfortable life there; but the Spirit of God, as a spirit of grace and supplication, of truth and holiness, of faith and adoption; and as a spirit of life, having p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME AGAIN,.... Immediately or quickly after he had the above vision of the dry bones, and the explanation of it: SAYING: as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, THOU SON OF MAN, TAKE THEE ONE STICK,.... Or "wood" a; a stick of wood; or table, as the Targum; a board or plank. The Septuagint version renders it a "rod"; and so the Arabic; an emblem of a kingdom or government, as this was: AND WRITE UPON IT; the following words: FOR JUDAH, AND THE C... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOIN THEM ONE TO ANOTHER INTO ONE STICK,.... Clap the sticks, planks, boards, or tables, to one another; glue them together, or set them so close to one another, that they may seem as one stick, plank, board, or table: AND THEY SHALL BECOME ONE IN THINE HAND; they shall look as if they were one... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE SHALL SPEAK UNTO THEE, SAYING,.... The children of Israel and Judah in captivity, of which people Ezekiel was and to whom he was sent as a prophet; who seeing him take two sticks, and write on them, and then join them together, would naturally put such a question... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY UNTO THEM, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Here follows the explanation of the sign or emblem: BEHOLD, I WILL TAKE THE STICK OF JOSEPH, WHICH IS IN THE HAND OF EPHRAIM, AND THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL HIS FELLOWS: that is, the kingdom of Israel, consisting of the ten tribes, of which Ephraim was the chie... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE STICKS WHEREON THOU WRITEST,.... Or art about to write the above things, according to order and direction: SHALL BE IN THINE HAND BEFORE THEIR EYES; shall be held up to them to look at for some time, and observe the cement of the two sticks; and learn and lay up in their minds what is meant... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAY UNTO THEM, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Or, as the Targum, "thou shalt prophesy to them;'' for what follows is a prophecy of what shall be in the latter day: BEHOLD, I WILL TAKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FROM AMONG THE HEATHEN, WHITHER THEY BE GONE, or, "from among the Gentiles" b; not only... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE THEM ONE NATION IN THE LAND UPON THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, c] As they were in the times of David and Solomon, who were both types of the Messiah; and to whose times is referred this prophecy by the ancient Jews e, as then to have its accomplishment: AND ONE KING SHALL BE KING TO THEM... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL THEY DEFILE THEMSELVES ANY MORE WITH THEIR IDOLS,.... WITH THEIR DUNG, or dunghill gods g; either with the idols of the Gentiles, or their own: after their return from the Babylonish captivity, the Jews were no more addicted to idolatry; and the image worship of the Papists is an abho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DAVID MY SERVANT SHALL BE KING OVER THEM,.... The King Messiah, as Kimchi interprets it; and so Abarbinel i and others; being of the seed of David, and of whom David was an eminent type; and who, as Mediator, is the Lord's servant, and as man appeared in the form of one: this shows that this pro... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL DWELL IN THE LAND WHICH I HAVE GIVEN TO JACOB MY SERVANT,.... Abraham and Isaac are not mentioned, as Kimchi observes, because they had other children, who did not inherit the land; only Jacob, because the land was given to him, and his seed alter him: WHEREIN YOUR FATHERS HAVE DWELT... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER I WILL MAKE A COVENANT OF PEACE WITH THEM,.... So the covenant of grace is called, Isaiah 54:10, one principal article of which is peace and reconciliation made between God and his people by the blood of Christ, agreed on in that covenant, from whence it has its name: now here it signifies... [ Continue Reading ]
MY TABERNACLE ALSO SHALL BE WITH THEM,.... The symbol of his presence: the meaning is, that he shall dwell in them by his Spirit and grace; and everyone of them shall be the temple of the living God, in whom he will walk and dwell: YEA, I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE; which is rep... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE HEATHEN SHALL KNOW THAT I THE LORD DO SANCTIFY ISRAEL,.... Or the Gentiles, the converted Gentiles, shall observe and take notice of the gracious dealings of God with his people the Jews; that he calls them with an holy calling; implants principles of grace and holiness in them; separates an... [ Continue Reading ]