Ezekiel 37:8
As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
As I looked
This phrase indicates the active engagement and attentiveness of the prophet Ezekiel. In Hebrew, the verb "looked" (רָאָה, ra'ah) implies not just a casual glance but a deep, discerning observation. Ezekiel is not merely a passive recipient of God's revelation; he is an active participant, fully engaged in the vision God is unfolding before him. This teaches us the importance of being spiritually alert and attentive to God's workings in our lives.

tendons
The Hebrew word used here is "גִּידִים" (gidim), which refers to sinews or tendons. In the context of Ezekiel's vision, the tendons symbolize the initial stages of restoration and reanimation. They are the connectors that begin to bring the bones together, signifying the first steps of God's redemptive work. This reminds us that God's restoration often begins with unseen, foundational work that prepares us for greater transformation.

and flesh appeared
The appearance of flesh (בָּשָׂר, basar) signifies the next phase of restoration. Flesh covers the bones and tendons, providing form and substance. In a broader biblical context, flesh can represent humanity and life. Here, it symbolizes the renewal of life and vitality, pointing to God's power to bring life where there was once death. This encourages us to trust in God's ability to renew and revitalize every aspect of our lives.

and skin covered them
The skin (עוֹר, or) serves as the final covering, completing the physical restoration of the bodies. Skin is a protective layer, signifying wholeness and completion. In the biblical narrative, this covering can be seen as God's provision and protection over His people. It reminds us that God's work in our lives is comprehensive, covering and protecting us as He brings us to fullness in Him.

but there was no breath in them
Despite the physical restoration, the absence of breath (רוּחַ, ruach) indicates that true life is still missing. In Hebrew, "ruach" can mean breath, spirit, or wind, often symbolizing the presence of God's Spirit. This highlights the essential truth that physical or external restoration is incomplete without the spiritual life that only God can provide. It serves as a powerful reminder that true life and vitality come from the Spirit of God dwelling within us, transforming us from the inside out.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God, Ezekiel is the one receiving the vision of the valley of dry bones. He is tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile.

2. Valley of Dry Bones
This is the setting of Ezekiel's vision, symbolizing the spiritual and national death of Israel during their exile.

3. The Bones
Represent the whole house of Israel, which feels cut off and without hope during their captivity.

4. Tendons, Flesh, and Skin
These elements symbolize the initial stages of restoration and renewal, indicating that God is beginning to bring life back to His people.

5. Breath
In Hebrew, the word for breath is "ruach," which also means spirit. The absence of breath signifies that while there is physical restoration, spiritual life is still needed.
Teaching Points
The Necessity of Spiritual Life
Physical restoration is incomplete without spiritual renewal. Just as the bones needed breath, we need the Holy Spirit to truly live.

God's Power to Restore
No situation is beyond God's ability to restore. The vision of dry bones coming to life demonstrates God's power to revive and renew.

Hope in Despair
Even in the darkest times, God offers hope. The Israelites felt cut off, yet God promised restoration, reminding us to trust in His promises.

The Role of Prophecy and Obedience
Ezekiel's obedience in prophesying to the bones shows the importance of following God's commands, even when the outcome seems impossible.

The Importance of Community
The bones coming together symbolize unity and the collective restoration of God's people, highlighting the importance of community in spiritual life.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37:8 relate to your personal experiences of feeling spiritually dry or lifeless?

2. In what ways can you invite the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into areas of your life that feel stagnant or dead?

3. How does the restoration of the bones in Ezekiel 37 encourage you to trust in God's power to restore seemingly hopeless situations?

4. What role does community play in your spiritual life, and how can you contribute to the spiritual renewal of your community?

5. How can the themes of prophecy and obedience in Ezekiel 37:8 inspire you to act on God's calling in your life, even when the outcome is uncertain?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 2:7
This verse describes God breathing life into Adam, paralleling the need for divine breath to bring true life to the bones in Ezekiel's vision.

John 20:22
Jesus breathes on His disciples, imparting the Holy Spirit, which connects to the idea of spiritual life being given through God's breath.

Romans 8:11
This verse speaks of the Spirit giving life to our mortal bodies, echoing the theme of spiritual resurrection found in Ezekiel 37.
No Life Apart from the Spirit of GodC. Clemance, D. D.Ezekiel 37:8
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
Appeared, Beheld, Behold, Breath, Cover, Covered, Flesh, Grew, Muscles, None, Sinews, Skin, Spirit
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 37:8

     5182   skin

Ezekiel 37:1-14

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

Ezekiel 37:4-14

     4804   breath

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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