@Eze 37:1-28. THE VISION OF DRY BONES REVIVIFIED, SYMBOLIZING ISRAEL'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
Three stages in Israel's revival present themselves to the prophet's eye. (1) The new awakening of the people, the resurrection of the dead (@Eze 37:1-14). (2) The reunion of the formerly hostile members of the community, whose contentions had affected the whole (@Eze 37:15-28). (3) The community thus restored is strong enough to withstand the assault of Gog, &c. (@Eze 38:1-39:29) [EWALD].
1. carried . . . in the spirit--The matters transacted, therefore,
were not literal, but in vision.
the valley--probably that by the Chebar (@Eze 3:22). The valley
represents Mesopotamia, the scene of Israel's sojourn in her state of
national deadness.
2. dry--bleached by long exposure to the atmosphere.
3. can these bones live? . . . thou knowest--implying that, humanly speaking, they could not; but faith leaves the question of possibility to rest with God, with whom nothing is impossible (@De 32:39). An image of Christian faith which believes in the coming general resurrection of the dead, in spite of all appearances against it, because God has said it (@Joh 5:21 Ro 4:17 2Co 1:9).
4. Prophesy--Proclaim God's quickening word to them. On account of this innate power of the divine word to effect its end, prophets are said to do that which they prophesy as about to be done (@Jer 1:10).
5. I . . . cause breath to enter into you--So @Isa 26:19,
containing the same vision, refers primarily to Israel's
restoration. Compare as to God's renovation of the earth and all its
creatures hereafter by His breath, @Ps 104:30.
ye shall live--come to life again.
6. ye shall know that I am the Lord--by the actual proof of My divinity which I will give in reviving Israel.
7. noise--of the bones when coming in mutual collision. Perhaps
referring to the decree of Cyrus, or the noise of the Jews' exultation
at their deliverance and return.
bones came together--literally, "ye bones came together"; as in
@Jer 49:11 (Hebrew), "ye widows of thine shall trust in Me."
The second person puts the scene vividly before one's eyes, for the
whole resurrection scene is a prophecy in action to render more
palpably to the people the prophecy in word (@Eze 37:21).
8. So far, they were only cohering in order as unsightly skeletons. The next step, that of covering them successively with sinews, skin, and flesh, gives them beauty; but still "no breath" of life in them. This may imply that Israel hereafter, as at the restoration from Babylon was the case in part, shall return to Judea unconverted at first (@Zec 13:8,9). Spiritually: a man may assume all the semblances of spiritual life, yet have none, and so be dead before God.
9. wind--rather, the spirit of life or life-breath (Margin). For it is distinct from "the four winds" from which
it is summoned.
from the four winds--implying that Israel is to be gathered from the
four quarters of the .earth (@Isa 43:5,6 Jer 31:8), even as they were
"scattered into all the winds" (@Eze 5:10 12:14 17:21; compare
@Re 7:1,4).
10. Such honor God gives to the divine word, even in the mouth of a man. How much more when in the mouth of the Son of God! (@Joh 5:25-29). Though this chapter does not directly prove the resurrection of the dead, it does so indirectly; for it takes for granted the future fact as one recognized by believing Jews, and so made the image of their national restoration (so @Isa 25:8 26:19 Da 12:2 Ho 6:2 13:14; compare Note, see on Eze 37:12).
11. Our bones are dried--(@Ps 141:7), explained by "our hope is
lost" (@Isa 49:14); our national state is as hopeless of resuscitation,
as marrowless bones are of reanimation.
cut off for our parts--that is, so far as we are concerned. There is
nothing in us to give hope, like a withered branch "cut off" from a
tree, or a limb from the body.
12. my people--in antithesis to "for our parts" (@Eze 37:11). The
hope that is utterly gone, if looking at themselves, is sure for them
in God, because He regards them as His people. Their covenant
relation to God ensures His not letting death permanently reign over
them. Christ makes the same principle the ground on which the literal
resurrection rests. God had said, "I am the God of Abraham," &c.; God,
by taking the patriarchs as His, undertook to do for them all that
Omnipotence can perform: He, being the ever living God, is necessarily
the God of, not dead, but living persons, that is, of those whose bodies
His covenant love binds Him to raise again. He can--and because He
can--He will--He must
[FAIRBAIRN]. He calls them "My people" when
receiving them into favor; but "thy people," in addressing His servant,
as if He would put them away from Him (@Eze 13:17 33:2 Ex 32:7).
out of your graves--out of your politically dead state, primarily in
Babylon, finally hereafter in all lands (compare @Eze 6:8 Ho 13:14).
The Jews regarded the lands of their captivity and dispersion as their
"graves"; their restoration was to be as "life from the dead"
(@Ro 11:15). Before, the bones were in the open plain
(@Eze 37:1,2); now, in the graves, that is, some of the Jews were in
the graves of actual captivity, others at large but dispersed. Both
alike were nationally dead.
16. stick--alluding to @Nu 17:2, the tribal rod. The union of
the two rods was a prophecy in action of the brotherly union which is to
reunite the ten tribes and Judah. As their severance under Jeroboam was
fraught with the greatest evil to the covenant-people, so the first
result of both being joined by the spirit of life to God is that they
become joined to one another under the one covenant King, Messiah-David.
Judah, and . . . children of Israel his companions--that is, Judah
and, besides Benjamin and Levi, those who had joined themselves to him
of Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, Asher, Zebulun, Issachar, as having the
temple and lawful priesthood in his borders
(@2Ch 11:12,13,16 15:9 30:11,18). The latter became identified with
Judah after the carrying away of the ten tribes, and returned with Judah
from Babylon, and so shall be associated with that tribe at the future
restoration.
For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim--Ephraim's posterity took the lead,
not only of the other descendants of Joseph (compare @Eze 37:19), but
of the ten tribes of Israel. For four hundred years, during the period
of the judges, with Manasseh and Benjamin, its dependent tribes, it had
formerly taken the lead: Shiloh was its religious capital; Shechem, its
civil capital. God had transferred the birthright from Reuben (for
dishonoring his father's bed) to Joseph, whose representative, Ephraim,
though the younger, was made (@Ge 48:19 1Ch 5:1). From its pre-eminence
"Israel" is attached to it as "companions." The "all" in this case, not
in that of Judah, which has only attached as "companions" the children
of Israel" (that is, some of them, namely, those who followed the
fortunes of Judah), implies that the bulk of the ten tribes did not
return at the restoration from Babylon, but are distinct from Judah,
until the coming union with it at the restoration.
18. God does not explain the symbolical prophecy until the Jews have been stimulated by the type to consult the prophet.
19. The union effected at the restoration from Babylon embraced but
comparatively few of Israel; a future complete fulfilment must therefore
be looked for.
stick of Joseph . . . in the hand of Ephraim--Ephraim, of the
descendants of Joseph, had exercised the rule among the ten tribes: that
rule, symbolized by the "stick," was now to be withdrawn from him, and
to be made one with the other, Judah's rule, in God's hand.
them--the "stick of Joseph," would strictly require "it"; but
Ezekiel expresses the sense, namely, the ten tribes who were subject to
it.
with him--that is, Judah; or "it," that is, the stick of Judah.
22. one nation--(@Isa 11:13 Jer 3:18 Ho 1:11).
one king--not Zerubbabel, who was not a king either in fact or name,
and who ruled over but a few Jews, and that only for a few years;
whereas the King here reigns for ever. MESSIAH iS meant
(@Eze 34:23,24). The union of Judah and Israel under King Messiah
symbolizes the union of Jews and Gentiles under Him, partly now,
perfectly hereafter (@Eze 37:24 Joh 10:16).
23. (@Eze 36:25).
out of . . . their dwelling-places--(@Eze 36:28,33). I will remove
them from the scene of their idolatries to dwell in their own land, and
to serve idols no more.
24. David--Messiah (See on Eze 34:23,24).
25. for ever--(@Isa 60:21 Joe 3:20 Am 9:15).
26. covenant of peace--better than the old legal covenant, because
an unchangeable covenant of grace (@Eze 34:25 Isa 55:3 Jer 32:40).
I will place them--set them in an established position; no longer
unsettled as heretofore.
my sanctuary--the temple of God; spiritual in the heart of all true
followers of Messiah (@2Co 6:16); and, in some "literal" sense, in
the restored Israel (@Eze 40:1-44:31).
27. My tabernacle . . . with them--as foretold (@Ge 9:27); @Joh 1:14, "The Word . . . dwelt among us" (literally, "tabernacled"); first, in humiliation; hereafter, in manifested glory (@Re 21:3).
28. (@Eze 36:23).
sanctify Israel--set it apart as holy unto Myself and inviolable
(@Ex 19:5,6).