Ezekiel 37:10
So I prophesied as He had commanded me, and the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet--a vast army.
So I prophesied
The act of prophesying here is a direct response to God's command. The Hebrew root for "prophesied" is "נָבָא" (naba), which means to speak or sing by inspiration. This highlights the obedience of Ezekiel to God's directive, emphasizing the importance of speaking God's truth as revealed. In a broader scriptural context, prophecy is a divine communication, and Ezekiel's role as a prophet is to be a mouthpiece for God, demonstrating faithfulness and trust in God's power to fulfill His promises.

as He had commanded me
This phrase underscores the obedience and submission to divine authority. The Hebrew word for "commanded" is "צָוָה" (tsavah), which implies a charge or an order. Ezekiel's actions are not of his own volition but are in strict adherence to God's instructions. This reflects a key theme in the Bible: the importance of following God's commands precisely, as seen throughout the narratives of the Old Testament where obedience leads to blessing and fulfillment of God's plans.

and the breath entered them
The "breath" here is "רוּחַ" (ruach) in Hebrew, which can mean breath, wind, or spirit. This is a pivotal moment in the vision, symbolizing the life-giving power of God's Spirit. The breath entering the dry bones signifies the restoration and revival of Israel, pointing to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, this concept is echoed in the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, breathing new life into the early church.

and they came to life
The phrase "came to life" signifies resurrection and renewal. The Hebrew root "חָיָה" (chayah) means to live or revive. This transformation from death to life is a powerful metaphor for spiritual renewal and regeneration. It reflects the hope of restoration for the people of Israel and, by extension, the promise of new life for all believers through faith in God.

and stood on their feet
Standing on their feet indicates readiness and strength. In the Hebrew context, standing is often associated with being established or prepared for action. This transformation from lifeless bones to a standing army symbolizes the empowerment and mobilization of God's people. It is a call to readiness and action, reflecting the Christian call to stand firm in faith and be prepared for spiritual battles.

a vast army
The vision culminates in the formation of "a vast army," symbolizing unity, strength, and purpose. The Hebrew word for "army" is "חַיִל" (chayil), which can also mean force or valor. This imagery conveys the idea of a restored and powerful nation, ready to fulfill God's purposes. For Christians, it serves as a reminder of the collective strength found in the body of Christ, united and empowered by the Holy Spirit to advance God's kingdom on earth.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God, called to deliver messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. He is the central figure in this vision, acting as God's mouthpiece.

2. The Valley of Dry Bones
A symbolic location representing the spiritual and national death of Israel. It is the setting for the vision where God demonstrates His power to restore life.

3. The Breath (Ruach)
In Hebrew, "ruach" means breath, spirit, or wind. It signifies the life-giving power of God, reminiscent of the breath of life given to Adam in Genesis.

4. The Vast Army
Represents the restored and revitalized people of Israel, symbolizing hope and renewal for the nation.

5. God
The ultimate source of life and restoration, commanding Ezekiel to prophesy and demonstrating His sovereignty and power over life and death.
Teaching Points
God's Power to Revive
Just as God revived the dry bones, He can bring new life to spiritually dead areas in our lives. Trust in His power to restore and renew.

The Role of Prophecy and Obedience
Ezekiel's obedience in prophesying as commanded is crucial. We are called to faithfully speak God's truth, trusting in His promises.

The Breath of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is essential for spiritual life. Seek the Spirit's presence and guidance daily to experience true vitality and purpose.

Hope for Restoration
No situation is beyond God's ability to redeem. Hold onto hope, knowing that God can transform even the most hopeless circumstances.

Unity and Purpose
The vision of a vast army signifies unity and purpose. As believers, we are called to stand together, empowered by the Spirit, to fulfill God's mission.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the vision of the dry bones coming to life challenge your understanding of God's power in seemingly hopeless situations?

2. In what ways can you relate the concept of "breath" or "spirit" in Ezekiel 37:10 to your personal spiritual journey?

3. How does Ezekiel's obedience to God's command inspire you to act on God's instructions in your life?

4. What parallels can you draw between the restoration of Israel in Ezekiel 37 and the promises of new life in Christ found in the New Testament?

5. How can the image of a "vast army" standing together encourage you to seek unity and purpose within your church or community?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 2:7
The creation of man, where God breathes life into Adam, parallels the breath entering the dry bones, signifying new life and creation.

John 11:25
Jesus declares Himself the resurrection and the life, connecting to the theme of God’s power to bring life from death.

Romans 8:11
The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in believers, highlighting the transformative power of the Spirit akin to the breath in Ezekiel's vision.
From Death to LifeW. Clarkson Ezekiel 37:1-12
A Moral ResurrectionJ. Gill.Ezekiel 37:1-14
Can These Bones LiveT. P. Forsyth, D. D.Ezekiel 37:1-14
Ezekiel's VisionR. Watson.Ezekiel 37:1-14
Faith Refers All Possibility to GodC. G. Macgregor.Ezekiel 37:1-14
Lessons from the Valley of VisionT. D. Anderson, B. A.Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Restoration and Conversion of the JewsEzekiel 37:1-14
The Valley of Dry BonesSermons by the Monday ClubEzekiel 37:1-14
The Valley of Dry Bones and the True PreacherHomilistEzekiel 37:1-14
The Valley of the DeadG. S. Barrett, B. A.Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Vision of a True RevivalUrijah R. Thomas.Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Vision of Dry BonesD. Moore, M. A.Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Vision of Dry BonesJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Vision of the Dry BonesCanon Liddon.Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Call to LifeJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 37:4 -10
People
Azariah, David, Ezekiel, Hosea, Israelites, Jacob, Joseph, Meshach
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Army, Breath, Commanded, Entered, Exceeding, Exceedingly, Force, Got, Host, Orders, Prophesied, Spirit, Stand, Stood, Vast
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 37:1-14

     3290   Holy Spirit, life-giver
     8145   renewal, people of God

Ezekiel 37:4-14

     4804   breath

Ezekiel 37:9-10

     8404   commands, in OT

Ezekiel 37:9-14

     3120   Holy Spirit, descriptions

Library
The Dry Bones and the Spirit of Life
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, 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. 3. And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, Thou knowest. 4. Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5. Thus
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Come from the Four Winds, O Breath!
"Thou wilt say unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, 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."--Ezekiel 37:9. ACCORDING to some commentators, this vision in the valley of dry bones may refer to three forms of resurrection. Holy Scripture is so marvellously full of meaning, that one interpretation seldom exhausts its message to us. The chapter before us is an excellent example of this fact; and supplies
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

1879-1880. Experiences among Indians --Picnic in the Bush --Distribution of Testaments --"Till He Come" --"A Home and a Hearty Welcome. "
Experiences among Indians--Picnic in the Bush--Distribution of Testaments--"Till He come"--"A Home and a hearty Welcome." Once more in Canada, Miss Macpherson records experience of an unusual kind:-- "In one of the large villages we visited, an all-day prayer-meeting was held from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M., which proved a season of rich blessing. We found openings for mission work all around, farmers and their families willing to gather and sit any length of time with Bible and hymn-book in hand. We feel
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers

The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered."
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Covenant of Grace
Q-20: DID GOD LEAVE ALL MANKIND TO PERISH 1N THE ESTATE OF SIN AND MISERY? A: No! He entered into a covenant of grace to deliver the elect out of that state, and to bring them into a state of grace by a Redeemer. 'I will make an everlasting covenant with you.' Isa 55:5. Man being by his fall plunged into a labyrinth of misery, and having no way left to recover himself, God was pleased to enter into a new covenant with him, and to restore him to life by a Redeemer. The great proposition I shall go
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Struggler;
CONTAINING THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IN WHICH MR. BUNYAN'S BOOKS WERE PUBLISHED, AND THE NUMBER OF EDITIONS THEY PASSED THROUGH DURING HIS LIFE. THIRTY REASONS WHY CHRISTIAN PEOPLE SHOULD PROMOTE THEIR CIRCULATION, AND THE STRUGGLER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THESE LABOURS.--PUBLISHED IN 1691. BY CHARLES DOE, ONE OF MR. BUNYAN'S PERSONAL FRIENDS. A CATALOGUE-TABLE OF MR. BUNYAN'S BOOKS. AND THEIR SUCCESSION IN PUBLISHING, MOST ACCORDING TO HIS OWN RECKONING. Note.--Those that are in Italic letter are
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Let us Now Examine the Conditions under which a Revelation May be Expected To...
2. Let us now examine the conditions under which a revelation may be expected to be given to the original recipients. It may be observed in the first place that a revelation must possess some distinctive character. Even, if it should turn out that there is no such thing in reality at all, at least the notion which we form in our minds must possess such points of difference as to distinguish it from all other notions. It appears needful to bear this in mind, obvious though it is, because there
Samuel John Jerram—Thoughts on a Revelation

The Disciple, -- Master, Some People Say that the Comfort and Joy that Believers Experience...
The Disciple,--Master, some people say that the comfort and joy that believers experience are simply the outcome of their own thoughts and ideas. Is this true? The Master,--1. That comfort and abiding peace which believers have within themselves is due to My presence in their hearts, and to the life-giving influence of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. As for those who say that this spiritual joy is the result only of the thoughts of the heart, they are like a foolish man who was blind from his birth,
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet

How Shall the Soul Make Use of Christ, as the Life, which is under the Prevailing Power of Unbelief and Infidelity.
That we may help to give some clearing to a poor soul in this case, we shall, 1. See what are the several steps and degrees of this distemper. 2. Consider what the causes hereof are. 3. Shew how Christ is life to a soul in such a case; and, 4. Give some directions how a soul in that case should make use of Christ as the Life, to the end it may be delivered therefrom. And, first, There are many several steps to, and degrees of this distemper. We shall mention a few; as, 1. When they cannot come
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Palestine Eighteen Centuries Ago
Eighteen and a half centuries ago, and the land which now lies desolate--its bare, grey hills looking into ill-tilled or neglected valleys, its timber cut down, its olive- and vine-clad terraces crumbled into dust, its villages stricken with poverty and squalor, its thoroughfares insecure and deserted, its native population well-nigh gone, and with them its industry, wealth, and strength--presented a scene of beauty, richness, and busy life almost unsurpassed in the then known world. The Rabbis never
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, that we May Get Our Case and Condition Cleared up to Us.
The believer is oft complaining of darkness concerning his case and condition, so as he cannot tell what to say of himself, or what judgment to pass on himself, and he knoweth not how to win to a distinct and clear discovery of his state and condition. Now, it is truth alone, and the Truth, that can satisfy them as to this. The question then is, how they shall make use of, and apply themselves to this truth, to the end they may get the truth of their condition discovered to them. But first let us
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Prayer.
A man may pray night and day, and yet deceive himself; but no man can be assured of his sincerity who does not pray. Prayer is faith passing into act; a union of the will and the intellect realising in an intellectual act. It is the whole man that prays. Less than this is wishing, or lip-work; a charm or a mummery. PRAY ALWAYS, says the apostle: that is, have the habit of prayer, turning your thoughts into acts by connecting them with the idea of the redeeming God, and even so reconverting your
Samuel Taylor Coleridge—Confessions of an Inquiring Spirit etc

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit as Revealed in his Names.
At least twenty-five different names are used in the Old and New Testaments in speaking of the Holy Spirit. There is the deepest significance in these names. By the careful study of them, we find a wonderful revelation of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. I. The Spirit. The simplest name by which the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Bible is that which stands at the head of this paragraph--"The Spirit." This name is also used as the basis of other names, so we begin our study with this.
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit

Meditations of the Blessed State of the Regenerate Man after Death.
This estate has three degrees:--1st, From the day of death to the resurrection; 2d, From the resurrection to the pronouncing of the sentence; 3d, After the sentence, which lasts eternally. As soon as ever the regenerate man hath yielded up his soul to Christ, the holy angels take her into their custody, and immediately carry her into heaven (Luke xvi. 22), and there present her before Christ, where she is crowned with a crown of righteousness and glory; not which she hath deserved by her good works,
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

Greeks Seek Jesus. He Foretells that He Shall Draw all Men unto Him.
(in the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^D John XII. 20-50. ^d 20 Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast [The language indicates that they were Greek converts to Judaism, such as were called proselytes of the gate. It is also noted that as Gentiles came from the east at the beginning of Jesus' life, so they also came from the west at the close of his ministry]: 21 these therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee [See p. 111. They were possibly
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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