Ezekiel 37 Study Notes: The Valley of Dry Bones
In a vision Ezekiel prophesies over a valley of dry bones, and God brings them back to life as a great army. The bones picture exiled Israel, whom God will raise and fill with His Spirit. Ezekiel then joins two sticks to show Judah and Israel reunited under God’s servant David, with God dwelling among them forever.
General
After Ezekiel first prophesied to the bones, what were the bodies still missing (37:7-8)?
Answer: Breath within the bodies
God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and promised to give them tendons, flesh, skin and breath so that they would live (37:4-6). As Ezekiel prophesied, a rattling sound arose as bone joined to bone. Tendons and flesh appeared, and skin was stretched over them, yet still they had no breath (37:7-8). The bodies were complete in form yet still dead. The scene recalls the creation of the first man, who was formed from dust but came alive only when God breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7). Jesus taught the same truth: it is the Spirit who gives life, and the flesh is of no help (John 6:63).
- Ezekiel 37:4-6 (BSB)“And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’””God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and promises tendons, flesh, skin and breath.
- Ezekiel 37:7-8 (BSB)“So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And as I prophesied, there was suddenly a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.”The bones assemble and are covered with tendons, flesh and skin, but they still have no breath.
- Genesis 2:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.”The first man was formed from dust and came alive only when God breathed life into him.
- John 6:63 (BSB)“The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”Jesus teaches that life comes from the Spirit, while human flesh accomplishes nothing.
Theological
What was still lacking in the reassembled bodies after Ezekiel’s first prophecy (37:7-8)?
Answer: Breath within the bodies
The LORD’s word to the bones promised tendons, flesh, skin and breath (37:4-6). At Ezekiel’s prophesying the bones rattled together and were clothed with tendons, flesh and skin, yet they remained without breath (37:7-8). The two-stage scene distinguishes outward restoration from life itself: the bodies are whole in form but dead until breath is given. The sequence echoes the creation of man, formed from dust and made a living being only by the divine inbreathing (Genesis 2:7), and Jesus’ teaching that the Spirit is the life-giver while the flesh is of no help (John 6:63).
- Ezekiel 37:4-6 (BSB)“And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’””God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and promises tendons, flesh, skin and breath.
- Ezekiel 37:7-8 (BSB)“So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And as I prophesied, there was suddenly a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.”The bones assemble and are covered with tendons, flesh and skin, but they still have no breath.
- Genesis 2:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.”The first man was formed from dust and came alive only when God breathed life into him.
- John 6:63 (BSB)“The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”Jesus teaches that life comes from the Spirit, while human flesh accomplishes nothing.
General
Whom does God say the dry bones represent, and what were they saying (37:11)?
Answer: All Israel, who said that their hope had died
God explains the vision: the bones represent all the people of Israel. The exiles were saying that their bones were dried up, their hope was gone, and they were cut off (37:11). The nation, scattered in exile and with Jerusalem fallen, felt as good as dead and beyond any future. The vision answers that despair. The same mood appears earlier, when the exiles said they were wasting away under the weight of their sins and asked how they could live (33:10). Lamentations voices the same sense that strength and hope had perished (Lamentations 3:18), and Zion complains in Isaiah that the LORD had forsaken and forgotten her (Isaiah 49:14).
- Ezekiel 37:11 (BSB)“Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’”God identifies the bones as Israel and quotes their despairing words.
- Ezekiel 33:10 (BSB)“Now as for you, son of man, tell the house of Israel that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy upon us, and we are wasting away because of them! How can we live?’”Earlier the exiles admitted that their sins were crushing them and wondered whether they could survive.
- Lamentations 3:18 (BSB)“So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.””The lament over Jerusalem’s fall voices the same despair, with strength gone and hope in the LORD lost.
- Isaiah 49:14 (BSB)“But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!””Zion likewise complains that the LORD has abandoned her and no longer remembers her.
Theological
What does God identify the bones as in 37:11, and what lament does He quote?
Answer: All Israel, who said that their hope had died
The interpretation is explicit: the bones are Israel as a whole, who lament that their bones have dried out, their hope has perished and they are cut off (37:11). The image depicts a nation in exile that regards itself as dead, without prospect of national or covenant future. Ezekiel had already quoted the exiles’ despair under the weight of their sins (33:10), and the same desolation is voiced in Lamentations 3:18 and in Zion’s complaint of being forsaken (Isaiah 49:14). The vision is God’s answer to a people who could do nothing to revive themselves.
- Ezekiel 37:11 (BSB)“Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’”God identifies the bones as Israel and quotes their despairing words.
- Ezekiel 33:10 (BSB)“Now as for you, son of man, tell the house of Israel that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy upon us, and we are wasting away because of them! How can we live?’”Earlier the exiles admitted that their sins were crushing them and wondered whether they could survive.
- Lamentations 3:18 (BSB)“So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.””The lament over Jerusalem’s fall voices the same despair, with strength gone and hope in the LORD lost.
- Isaiah 49:14 (BSB)“But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!””Zion likewise complains that the LORD has abandoned her and no longer remembers her.
General
True or False: When Ezekiel prophesied to the breath, it entered the bodies, and the slain revived and rose to their feet as a huge army (37:9-10).
Answer: True
This is true. God told Ezekiel to speak a prophecy to the breath and call it from all four winds to breathe into the slain so they might live (37:9). Ezekiel did as he was commanded; the breath came into them, and they revived and stood up, a very large army (37:9-10). The chapter moves from breath, to the four winds, to God’s own Spirit in 37:14: life comes from God alone. The psalmist credits God’s Spirit with creating living things and renewing the earth (Psalm 104:30). Jesus compared the Spirit’s work in new birth to the wind, which moves wherever it pleases (John 3:8). As with the first man, life comes only when God supplies the breath (Genesis 2:7).
- Ezekiel 37:9-10 (BSB)“Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!” 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.”At God’s command Ezekiel calls the breath from the four winds, and the slain revive as a great army.
- Psalm 104:30 (BSB)“When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.”The psalmist credits God’s Spirit with creating living things and renewing the earth.
- John 3:8 (BSB)“The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.””Jesus compares everyone born of the Spirit to the wind, which moves freely and cannot be traced.
- Genesis 2:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.”As at creation, life comes only when God supplies the breath.
Theological
True or False: At Ezekiel’s prophecy to the breath, breath entered the slain, and they revived and stood as a vast host (37:9-10).
Answer: True
This is true. Commanded to address the breath, Ezekiel summons it from all four winds to breathe on the slain, and they revive and stand as an exceedingly great army (37:9-10). Life is given by the sovereign word of God through the prophet, and the chapter links breath, the four winds and God’s own Spirit (37:14). The Spirit is the life-giver of creation (Psalm 104:30), the free and sovereign agent of the new birth, compared by Jesus to the wind blowing where it wills (John 3:8), and it is God who breathed life into Adam’s formed body (Genesis 2:7).
- Ezekiel 37:9-10 (BSB)“Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!” 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.”At God’s command Ezekiel calls the breath from the four winds, and the slain revive as a great army.
- Psalm 104:30 (BSB)“When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.”The psalmist credits God’s Spirit with creating living things and renewing the earth.
- John 3:8 (BSB)“The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.””Jesus compares everyone born of the Spirit to the wind, which moves freely and cannot be traced.
- Genesis 2:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.”As at creation, life comes only when God supplies the breath.
General
When God asked Ezekiel whether the bones in the valley could live, how did Ezekiel answer (37:3)?
Answer: Lord GOD, You alone know the answer to that
The LORD’s hand came on Ezekiel, and the Spirit brought him out and set him in a valley filled with bones. He was led all around them; there were a great many, and they were extremely dry (37:1-2). Then God asked him whether these bones could come back to life. Ezekiel neither said yes nor no; he answered that only the Lord GOD knew (37:3). From any human point of view the answer was obviously no, so Ezekiel left it with the only one who can give life. Scripture says that God alone puts to death and makes alive (Deuteronomy 32:39), that the LORD both takes life and grants it (1 Samuel 2:6), and Paul describes Him as the God who raises the dead to life (Romans 4:17).
- Ezekiel 37:1-3 (BSB)“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. He led me all around among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, and indeed, they were very dry. Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” “O Lord GOD,” I replied, “only You know.””The Spirit sets Ezekiel in a valley of very dry bones, and God asks whether they can live.
- Deuteronomy 32:39 (BSB)“See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”God declares that He alone puts to death and makes alive, and none can rescue from His hand.
- 1 Samuel 2:6 (BSB)“The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.”Hannah confesses that the LORD holds the power of death and life, of the grave and of rescue from it.
- Romans 4:17 (BSB)“As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.”Paul describes the God Abraham trusted as the one who raises the dead and calls new things into being.
Theological
How did Ezekiel reply when the LORD asked whether the dry bones could live (37:3)?
Answer: Lord GOD, You alone know the answer to that
Brought out by the Spirit into a valley strewn with a great many very dry bones (37:1-2), Ezekiel is asked whether these bones can live. His reply, that the Lord GOD alone knows (37:3), is neither unbelief nor presumption. Humanly the case is hopeless; the outcome rests entirely with God’s sovereign will and power. The question is framed to expose that only God can do what is about to be done. Scripture consistently ascribes the giving of life to God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6), and Paul identifies the object of Abraham’s faith as the God who raises the dead to life (Romans 4:17).
- Ezekiel 37:1-3 (BSB)“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. He led me all around among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, and indeed, they were very dry. Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” “O Lord GOD,” I replied, “only You know.””The Spirit sets Ezekiel in a valley of very dry bones, and God asks whether they can live.
- Deuteronomy 32:39 (BSB)“See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”God declares that He alone puts to death and makes alive, and none can rescue from His hand.
- 1 Samuel 2:6 (BSB)“The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.”Hannah confesses that the LORD holds the power of death and life, of the grave and of rescue from it.
- Romans 4:17 (BSB)“As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.”Paul describes the God Abraham trusted as the one who raises the dead and calls new things into being.
General
What does God promise in 37:26-28 about His covenant and His dwelling?
Answer: A lasting peace covenant, with His sanctuary in their midst
God promises His people a covenant that brings peace, one that will last forever. A covenant is a binding agreement in which God commits Himself to His people. He will establish them, multiply them, and set His sanctuary, His holy dwelling, among them forever (37:26). He will make His home with them, and He and they will belong to each other as God and people (37:27). The nations will then recognize that the LORD sets Israel apart as holy, because His sanctuary remains with them for all time (37:28). This echoes God’s promise in the law to live among Israel and move among them (Leviticus 26:11-12). Paul applies the promise of God dwelling with His people to the church as the living God’s temple (2 Corinthians 6:16), and at the end of the Bible John hears that God’s dwelling will be with mankind and He will be God to them (Revelation 21:3).
- Ezekiel 37:26-28 (BSB)“And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’””God promises an everlasting covenant of peace and His sanctuary and dwelling among His people forever.
- Leviticus 26:11-12 (BSB)“And I will make My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not despise you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.”The covenant blessings in the law promised that God would live among Israel and be present with them.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 (BSB)“What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.””Paul applies the promise of God dwelling among His people to the church as the living God’s temple.
- Revelation 21:3 (BSB)“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”John hears a voice from the throne announce that God will live among people as their God.
Theological
What do 37:26-28 promise concerning God’s covenant and His presence?
Answer: A lasting peace covenant, with His sanctuary in their midst
The LORD promises an everlasting covenant that brings peace, the establishment and multiplication of His people, and His sanctuary in their midst forever (37:26). The covenant formula is joined to His dwelling: He will make His dwelling with them, He belonging to them as God and they to Him as people (37:27), and the nations will recognize that the LORD sanctifies Israel by His abiding presence (37:28). The promise takes up the covenant blessing of God dwelling and walking among Israel (Leviticus 26:11-12). Paul applies it to the church as the living God’s temple (2 Corinthians 6:16), and Revelation 21:3 uses the same language of God dwelling with His people.
- Ezekiel 37:26-28 (BSB)“And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’””God promises an everlasting covenant of peace and His sanctuary and dwelling among His people forever.
- Leviticus 26:11-12 (BSB)“And I will make My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not despise you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.”The covenant blessings in the law promised that God would live among Israel and be present with them.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 (BSB)“What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.””Paul applies the promise of God dwelling among His people to the church as the living God’s temple.
- Revelation 21:3 (BSB)“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”John hears a voice from the throne announce that God will live among people as their God.
General
What does God promise to do for His people in 37:12-14?
Answer: Open their graves, bring them home, and give them His Spirit
God tells Ezekiel to prophesy that He will open His people’s graves, bring them up out of them, and bring them back to Israel’s land (37:12). The graves stand for the exile, where the nation seemed dead and buried. When God does this, His people will recognize that He is the LORD (37:13). He will put His Spirit in them so they will live, and He will settle them in their own land; then they will know that He has spoken and will do it (37:14). This repeats the promise of the previous chapter, where God said He would put His Spirit within His people (36:27). A similar pattern of God raising the dead appears in salvation: Paul says that people who were dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1) are made alive with Christ because of God’s mercy and grace (Ephesians 2:4-5).
- Ezekiel 37:12-14 (BSB)“Therefore prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O My people, I will open your graves and bring you up from them, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, My people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.’””God promises to open His people’s graves, bring them back to the land, and put His Spirit in them.
- Ezekiel 36:27 (BSB)“And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.”The previous chapter had already promised the gift of God’s own Spirit dwelling in His people.
- Ephesians 2:1 (BSB)“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,”Paul describes people apart from God’s grace as spiritually lifeless because of sin.
- Ephesians 2:4-5 (BSB)“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!”God, rich in mercy, made the spiritually dead alive with Christ by grace.
Theological
What promise does the LORD give in 37:12-14 to the people represented by the bones?
Answer: Open their graves, bring them home, and give them His Spirit
The vision’s application is first to Israel’s national restoration: God will open the graves of His people, raise them, and bring them back to Israel’s land (37:12-13), and He will put His Spirit in them so that they live and settle in their own land, knowing that He has spoken and will do it (37:14). The exile is pictured as burial, and return as resurrection accomplished by God’s word and Spirit, taking up the promise of the indwelling Spirit in 36:27. A similar sovereign pattern appears in individual salvation: those who were dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1) are made alive together with Christ by God’s mercy alone (Ephesians 2:4-5).
- Ezekiel 37:12-14 (BSB)“Therefore prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O My people, I will open your graves and bring you up from them, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, My people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.’””God promises to open His people’s graves, bring them back to the land, and put His Spirit in them.
- Ezekiel 36:27 (BSB)“And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.”The previous chapter had already promised the gift of God’s own Spirit dwelling in His people.
- Ephesians 2:1 (BSB)“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,”Paul describes people apart from God’s grace as spiritually lifeless because of sin.
- Ephesians 2:4-5 (BSB)“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!”God, rich in mercy, made the spiritually dead alive with Christ by grace.
General
Whom does God name in 37:24-25 as king and shepherd over His reunited people?
Answer: His servant David, as prince forever
God says His servant David will reign as king, and all of them will have a single shepherd; they will keep His rules and decrees (37:24). They will dwell for all time in the land He gave to Jacob, they and the generations after them, and His servant David will rule them as prince for all time (37:25). David had died long before Ezekiel’s day, so this promise points to a coming king from David’s line who would reign without end. Ezekiel had given the same promise in his shepherd prophecy (34:23-24), and Jeremiah also speaks of a future King David whom God would raise up (Jeremiah 30:9). Many Christians have seen this fulfilled in Jesus, whom the angel said would receive David’s throne and reign forever (Luke 1:32-33), and who called Himself the good shepherd (John 10:11).
- Ezekiel 37:24-25 (BSB)“My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes. They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever.”God promises that His servant David will be king, one shepherd, and prince of His people forever.
- Ezekiel 34:23-24 (BSB)“I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd. I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.”The shepherd prophecy had already promised one shepherd, God’s servant David, set over His flock.
- Jeremiah 30:9 (BSB)“Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.”Jeremiah also speaks of a future David whom God will raise up as His people’s king.
- Luke 1:32-33 (BSB)“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!””The angel tells Mary that Jesus will receive David’s throne and reign forever.
- John 10:11 (BSB)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.
Theological
Who, according to 37:24-25, will be king and the one shepherd of the reunited people?
Answer: His servant David, as prince forever
The LORD promises that His servant David will rule the reunited nation as king, one shepherd over all, under whom they will walk in His ordinances and statutes (37:24), dwelling forever in the land given to Jacob with David as their prince forever (37:25). Since David was long dead, the promise looks to a Davidic king whose reign is everlasting, consistent with the covenant made with David’s house. The same figure appears in 34:23-24 and in Jeremiah 30:9. Many Christians have seen this fulfilled in Jesus, to whom the angel promised David’s throne and an unending reign (Luke 1:32-33) and who identified Himself as the good shepherd (John 10:11).
- Ezekiel 37:24-25 (BSB)“My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes. They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever.”God promises that His servant David will be king, one shepherd, and prince of His people forever.
- Ezekiel 34:23-24 (BSB)“I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd. I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.”The shepherd prophecy had already promised one shepherd, God’s servant David, set over His flock.
- Jeremiah 30:9 (BSB)“Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.”Jeremiah also speaks of a future David whom God will raise up as His people’s king.
- Luke 1:32-33 (BSB)“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!””The angel tells Mary that Jesus will receive David’s throne and reign forever.
- John 10:11 (BSB)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.
General
What did the two sticks joined into one in Ezekiel’s hand signify (37:19-22)?
Answer: Judah and the northern tribes made one nation under one king
God told Ezekiel to write on one stick for Judah and the Israelites allied with it, and on another for Joseph (that is, Ephraim) along with the rest of Israel joined to him, and then to hold them together as one (37:16-17). When the people asked what this meant, God said He would join the two into one in His hand (37:19). He would gather the Israelites from the nations, bring them home, and make them a single nation in their land under one king over them all; they would never again be two nations or two kingdoms (37:21-22). He would also cleanse them from their idols and they would be His people (37:23). The split went back to the days after Solomon, when the northern tribes rejected David’s house and made Jeroboam king (1 Kings 12:19-20). Isaiah and Hosea also foresee Judah and Ephraim reunited (Isaiah 11:13; Hosea 1:11).
- Ezekiel 37:16-17 (BSB)““And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’ Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.”Ezekiel labels two sticks for Judah and for Joseph and joins them in his hand.
- Ezekiel 37:21-22 (BSB)“you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.”God explains that He will gather the Israelites and make them a single nation with one king.
- 1 Kings 12:19-20 (BSB)“So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.”The split began when the northern tribes rejected David’s house and made Jeroboam their king.
- Isaiah 11:13 (BSB)“Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer envy Judah, nor will Judah harass Ephraim.”Isaiah also foresees the end of the rivalry between Ephraim and Judah.
- Hosea 1:11 (BSB)“Then the people of Judah and of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and will go up out of the land. For great will be the day of Jezreel.”Hosea foretells Judah and Israel reunited behind a single head.
Theological
What is the meaning of the two sticks joined in Ezekiel’s hand (37:19-22)?
Answer: Judah and the northern tribes made one nation under one king
The sign-act joins a stick inscribed for Judah and its associates with one for Joseph, which is Ephraim’s, and the Israelites allied with him (37:16-17). The LORD interprets it: He will make the two one in His hand (37:19), regather the Israelites from the nations, and constitute them a single nation in their own land under one king, never again split into two realms (37:21-22), cleansed from their idols and bound to Him in covenant (37:23). The schism that began when the northern tribes rejected the Davidic house under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:19-20) is healed by God Himself, as Isaiah and Hosea also foresee (Isaiah 11:13; Hosea 1:11).
- Ezekiel 37:16-17 (BSB)““And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’ Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.”Ezekiel labels two sticks for Judah and for Joseph and joins them in his hand.
- Ezekiel 37:21-22 (BSB)“you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.”God explains that He will gather the Israelites and make them a single nation with one king.
- 1 Kings 12:19-20 (BSB)“So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.”The split began when the northern tribes rejected David’s house and made Jeroboam their king.
- Isaiah 11:13 (BSB)“Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer envy Judah, nor will Judah harass Ephraim.”Isaiah also foresees the end of the rivalry between Ephraim and Judah.
- Hosea 1:11 (BSB)“Then the people of Judah and of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and will go up out of the land. For great will be the day of Jezreel.”Hosea foretells Judah and Israel reunited behind a single head.