King James Version
Ezekiel 37
28 verses with commentary
The Valley of Dry Bones
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,
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KJV Study Commentary
The phrase <strong>"The hand of the LORD was upon me"</strong> (<em>hayetah alai yad-Yahweh</em>, הָיְתָה עָלַי יַד־יְהוָה) describes divine empowerment for prophetic ministry. This expression appears repeatedly in Ezekiel (1:3; 3:14, 22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; 40:1), indicating moments when God seized the prophet for supernatural revelation. The "hand" (<em>yad</em>) represents God's power, authority,...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **In the midst of the valley.—**The word is the same as in Ezekiel 3:22; Ezekiel 8:4, and having the definite article prefixed, is very probably the same plain, now seen in spirit, in which Ezekiel had seen his former visions.
**Which was full of bones.**—It is better, with the Hebrew, to put a stop after “plain” (valley), and then read, *this was full of bones.* The bones, as the subsequent v...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. beasts--**perhaps meaning destructive conquerors (Da 7:4). Rather, literal "beasts," which infest desolated regions such as Judea was to become (compare Eze 34:28; Ex 23:29; De 32:24; 2Ki 17:25). The same threat is repeated in manifold forms to awaken the careless.
**sword--**civil war.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →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. valley: or, champaign
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KJV Study Commentary
"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." The phrase "very many" emphasizes comprehensive death—not just a few bones but the entire nation. "Very dry" indicates long-dead, not recently deceased—hope has long since vanished. God ensures Ezekiel fully comprehends the hopelessness before revealing the solution. This...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Very dry**—as showing that it was a long time since life had left them, and that the possibility of their living again was far removed.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
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KJV Study Commentary
The divine question <strong>"Son of man, can these bones live?"</strong> (<em>ben-adam hatichyenah ha'atzamot ha'eleh</em>, בֶּן־אָדָם הֲתִחְיֶינָה הָעֲצָמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה) tests Ezekiel's faith and prepares him for God's revelation. The address "son of man" (<em>ben-adam</em>, בֶּן־אָדָם) appears 93 times in Ezekiel, emphasizing the prophet's humanity and mortality in contrast to God's divine power. ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Can these bones live?**—The question is put to the prophet in order to emphasise the human impossibility of that which is immediately brought about by the Divine omnipotence. (Comp. Matthew 9:5-6.) It was precisely this teaching which the people needed. As they had formerly refused to believe his announcements of impending judgment, so now that this had come, they were utterly incredulous in...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
God commands Ezekiel to 'prophesy upon these bones,' demonstrating that divine word creates life where death reigns. The imperative 'prophesy' (hannabe) requires the prophet to speak God's word as His authorized representative. The direct address 'O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD' personifies the lifeless remains, illustrating that God's word possesses creative power beyond natural capaci...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Prophesy upon these bones.**—“Prophesy” is here used (as frequently) in its original sense of “speak on God’s behalf,” and does not convey the idea of *prediction.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Eze 6:1-14. Continuation of the Same Subject.
**2. mountains of Israel--**that is, of Palestine in general. The mountains are addressed by personification; implying that the Israelites themselves are incurable and unworthy of any more appeals; so the prophet sent to Jeroboam did not deign to address the king, but addressed the altar (1Ki 13:2). The mountains are specified as being the s...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
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KJV Study Commentary
God's declaration 'I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live' reveals the source of resurrection life: divine initiative. The Hebrew ruach (breath/wind/spirit) appears 10 times in Ezekiel 37:1-14, creating a wordplay connecting physical breath, wind, and the Holy Spirit. This multivalent term echoes Genesis 2:7, where God breathed into Adam the breath of life, making him a living so...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Breath.**—The three words,” breath,” “wind,” and “spirit,” are represented in the Hebrew by the same word, and the context must determine which sense is intended. Similarly in Greek there is the same word for the last two of these. (Comp. John 3:5-8.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. rivers--**literally, the "channels" of torrents. Rivers were often the scene and objects of idolatrous worship.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
"And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD." The detailed description of resurrection—sinews, flesh, skin, breath—emphasizes systematic, comprehensive restoration. This isn't partial healing but complete re-creation. The purpose clause "ye shall know that I am the LORD" r...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. images--**called so from a Hebrew root, "to wax hot," implying the mad ardor of Israel after idolatry [Calvin]. Others translate it, "sun images"; and so in Eze 6:6 (see 2Ki 23:11; 2Ch 34:4; Is 17:8, Margin).
**cast your slain men before your idols--**The foolish objects of their trust in the day of evil should witness their ruin.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
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KJV Study Commentary
"So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone." Ezekiel's obedience precedes the miracle—he prophesied as commanded, and God acted. The "noise" and "shaking" indicate cataclysmic divine intervention, not gradual natural process. The bones connecting supernaturally demonstrates God's sovereign power o...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. carcasses ... before ... idols--**polluting thus with the dead bones of you, the worshippers, the idols which seemed to you so sacrosanct.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
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KJV Study Commentary
"And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them." Physical assembly precedes spiritual animation—bodies exist but lack life. This illustrates the difference between external reformation and internal regeneration. Religious activity without the Spirit's life is corpse-religion—outward form without inward reality. T...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **No breath in them.—**The restoration of the dry bones to life is described as taking place in two stages, with evident reference to the record of the creation of man in Genesis 2:7. In the first, they are restored to perfect form, but yet without life; in the second, they receive breath and become “living creatures,” as in Genesis 1:20-21; Genesis 1:24; Genesis 2:7, in all which the same exp...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. your works--**not gods, as you supposed, but the mere work of men's hands (Is 40:18-20).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, 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. wind: or, breath
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KJV Study Commentary
The command to 'prophesy unto the wind' (ruach) demonstrates the prophet's dependence on God for both message and power. Calling the breath/wind/Spirit 'from the four winds' (me'arba ruchot) indicates the universality of God's sovereignty—He commands the Spirit from all directions, transcending geographical limits. The phrase 'breathe upon these slain' acknowledges that Israel's condition was viol...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Upon these slain.—**The word is used designedly. The bones which Ezekiel had seen were those not merely of dead, but of slain men; and in this was their likeness to Israel: as desolated, and their nationality for the time destroyed by their enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. ye shall know that I am the Lord--**and not your idols, lords. Ye shall know Me as the all-powerful Punisher of sin.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
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KJV Study Commentary
Ezekiel's obedience produces immediate results: 'the breath came into them, and they lived.' The phrase 'as he commanded me' emphasizes faithful prophetic ministry—Ezekiel precisely obeyed God's instructions without addition or subtraction. The result transcends natural explanation: breath entered, bones lived, and they 'stood up upon their feet' (va'ya'amdu al ragleihem), indicating full restorat...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8. Mitigation of the extreme severity of their punishment; still their life shall be a wretched one, and linked with exile (Eze 5:2, 12; 12:16; 14:22; Jr 44:28).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
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KJV Study Commentary
"Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts." God interprets the vision—the bones represent Israel in exile, feeling hopeless and finished. The threefold complaint—"bones dried," "hope lost," "cut off"—expresses utter despair. Yet this is precisely when God acts most dramatic...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Are the whole house of Israel.—**This Divine interpretation of the vision leaves no doubt of its meaning. Whatever other sense might possibly be attached to its language, there can be no uncertainty as to that which the Spirit intended. The last clause of the verse, “cut off for our parts,” is obscure in the English, but in the original is simply *for us*—*i.e.*, “as for us, we are cut off....
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. they that escape of you shall remember me--**The object of God's chastisements shall at last be effected by working in them true contrition. This partially took place in the complete eradication of idolatry from the Jews ever since the Babylonian captivity. But they have yet to repent of their crowning sin, the crucifixion of Messiah; their full repentance is therefore future, after the ordea...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
God interprets the vision: 'Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.' The 'graves' metaphorically represent Babylonian exile—the nation buried among Gentiles, cut off from land and temple. God promises to resurrect them from this living death, brin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Open your graves.**—In Ezekiel 37:2 it is said that the bones were “in the open valley,” literally, *upon the face of the valley.* This was a necessity of the vision, in order that they might be seen; now the people, whom the bones represented, are spoken of as in *graves,* since this was the normal and proper place for the dead.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
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KJV Study Commentary
"And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves." Resurrection serves to reveal God's identity and character. The phrase "know that I am the LORD" appears throughout Ezekiel—knowledge of God is redemption's goal. Salvation isn't merely escaping judgment but knowing God truly. The Reformed emphasis on knowledge of God as eter...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11. Gesticulations vividly setting before the hearers the greatness of the calamity about to be inflicted. In indignation at the abominations of Israel extend thine hand towards Judea, as if about to "strike," and "stamp," shaking off the dust with thy foot, in token of how God shall "stretch out His hand upon them," and tread them down (Eze 6:14; Eze 21:14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse reveals the theological heart of the vision: 'I shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live.' The promise of the indwelling Spirit distinguishes Old Covenant from New—while the Spirit empowered select individuals in the Old Testament, the New Covenant promises the Spirit dwelling in all God's people (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-18). The phrase 'my spirit' (ruchi) emphasizes the personal H...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Put my spirit in you.—**Here, as throughout this series of prophecies, the moral resurrection of the people and their restoration to their own land are intimately associated together. The former was at once the necessary condition of the latter, and would also be its consequence in a still higher development. Compare a similar association of the spiritual with the literal resurrection in Jo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. He that is far off--**namely, from the foe; those who in a distant exile fear no evil.
**he that remaineth--**he that is left in the city; not carried away into captivity, nor having escaped into the country. Distinct from "he that is near," namely, those outside the city who are within reach of "the sword" of the foe, and so fall by it; not by "famine," as those left in the city.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →One Nation Under One King
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse points toward God's gracious purposes of restoration despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. The Reformed emphasis on sovereign grace shines through—restoration doesn't depend on Israel's merit or ability but on God's covenant faithfulness and irrevocable purposes (Romans 11:29). This anticipates new covenant promises where God gives a new heart and His Spirit to enable obedience (E...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse points toward God's gracious purposes of restoration despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. The Reformed emphasis on sovereign grace shines through—restoration doesn't depend on Israel's merit or ability but on God's covenant faithfulness and irrevocable purposes (Romans 11:29). This anticipates new covenant promises where God gives a new heart and His Spirit to enable obedience (E...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **One stick . . . another stick.—**These are not rods, as in Numbers 17:6-9, although Ezekiel may have had that event in mind; the word here is an entirely different one, and means simply a piece of wood. The two pieces were, no doubt, so shaped that being firmly held together they would appear as one.
**For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.**—The object is to represent by...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. Diblath--**another form of Diblathaim, a city in Moab (Nu 33:46; Jr 48:22), near which, east and south of the Dead Sea, was the wilderness of Arabia-Deserta.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse points toward God's gracious purposes of restoration despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. The Reformed emphasis on sovereign grace shines through—restoration doesn't depend on Israel's merit or ability but on God's covenant faithfulness and irrevocable purposes (Romans 11:29). This anticipates new covenant promises where God gives a new heart and His Spirit to enable obedience (E...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse points toward God's gracious purposes of restoration despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. The Reformed emphasis on sovereign grace shines through—restoration doesn't depend on Israel's merit or ability but on God's covenant faithfulness and irrevocable purposes (Romans 11:29). This anticipates new covenant promises where God gives a new heart and His Spirit to enable obedience (E...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse points toward God's gracious purposes of restoration despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. The Reformed emphasis on sovereign grace shines through—restoration doesn't depend on Israel's merit or ability but on God's covenant faithfulness and irrevocable purposes (Romans 11:29). This anticipates new covenant promises where God gives a new heart and His Spirit to enable obedience (E...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Which is in the hand of Ephraim.—**Again Joseph is put for the whole ten tribes, and again it is indicated that the control of these was chiefly with Ephraim. The human power, which led to and perpetuated the division, is in contrast with the “mine hand,” where all shall be re-united under Divine rule.
**Will put them.—**Grammatically the plural pronoun “them” refers to the piece of wood, w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 7 Eze 7:1-27. Lamentation over the Coming Ruin of Israel; the Penitent Reformation of a Remnant; the Chain Symbolizing the Captivity.
**2. An end, the end--**The indefinite "an" expresses the general fact of God bringing His long-suffering towards the whole of Judea to an end; "the," following, marks it as more definitely fixed (Am 8:2).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse points toward God's gracious purposes of restoration despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. The Reformed emphasis on sovereign grace shines through—restoration doesn't depend on Israel's merit or ability but on God's covenant faithfulness and irrevocable purposes (Romans 11:29). This anticipates new covenant promises where God gives a new heart and His Spirit to enable obedience (E...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **Before their eyes.**—The symbolical action was not only to be performed before the people, but the united wood was to remain in the prophet’s hand, while he unfolded to them the Divine promise. That promise is essentially a repetition of Ezekiel 34:11-31; Ezekiel 36:22-30.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
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KJV Study Commentary
"And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land." God promises comprehensive regathering from worldwide dispersion. The threefold action—take, gather, bring—emphasizes divine initiative and thoroughness. This prophecy has partial historical fu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **Will gather them.—**The restoration of Israel from their captivity among the heathen here, as often elsewhere, is the first step in the fulfilment of the Divine promises. This, however, like the other Divine promises, was fulfilled only to a “remnant,” a course which, as St. Paul shows in Romans 9, had been foreseen and foretold from the first. A fulfilment on a larger scale was perpetually...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. thine abominations--**the punishment of thine abominations.
**shall be in the midst of thee--**shall be manifest to all. They and thou shall recognize the fact of thine abominations by thy punishment which shall everywhere befall thee, and that manifestly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21** There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who j...
Read full commentary →And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
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KJV Study Commentary
God promises national reunification: 'And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.' This prophecy addresses the division that had existed since 931 BC when Israel split into northern (Israel/Ephraim) and southern (Judah) kingdo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. An evil, an only evil--**a peculiar calamity such as was never before; unparalleled. The abruptness of the style and the repetitions express the agitation of the prophet's mind in foreseeing these calamities.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.</strong> This verse is central to Ezekiel's vision of spiritual restoration following the valley of ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **Out of all their dwellingplaces.—**This expression can hardly refer to their places of exile and temporary sojourn among the heathen, since these were not especially the places where they had sinned. Their sins were rather committed in their own land; the “lands of their captivity” were the places where those sins were punished. “Their dwelling places” is then to be understood of their own ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. watcheth for thee--**rather, "waketh for thee." It awakes up from its past slumber against thee (Psa 78:65, 66).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
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KJV Study Commentary
"And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." The Messianic promise appears again—David's greater son ruling as king-shepherd. Christ perfectly fulfills both roles: king exercising sovereign authority, shepherd providing tender care. The result of Messianic rule is covenant obedience...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **David my** **servant.—**Here, as in Ezekiel 34:23-24, David personally is described as their one king and shepherd. (See the Note there.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. The morning--**so Chaldean and Syriac versions (compare Joe 2:2). Ezekiel wishes to awaken them from their lethargy, whereby they were promising to themselves an uninterrupted night (1Th 5:5-7), as if they were never to be called to account [Calvin]. The expression, "morning," refers to the fact that this was the usual time for magistrates giving sentence against offenders (compare Eze 7:10, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
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KJV Study Commentary
"And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever." God promises perpetual dwelling in the land under perpetual Davidic rule. The phrase "for ever" (olam, עוֹלָם) can mean indefinite durati...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **For ever.**—Strong emphasis is placed upon this declaration by its frequent repetition. In this verse, the occupancy of the land is to be for ever, and the kingship of David is to be for ever; and in Ezekiel 37:26; Ezekiel 37:28 the sanctuary is to be “in the midst of them for evermore,” and the covenant of peace is to be “an everlasting covenant.” Such promises are taken up continually in ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8-9. Repetition of Eze 7:3, 4; sadly expressive of accumulated woes by the monotonous sameness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
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KJV Study Commentary
"Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore." The "covenant of peace" is the New Covenant established through Christ's blood (Hebrews 13:20). The promise of God's sanctuary dwelling among His people finds ultimate fulfillment in Immanuel (God...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Multiply them.**—In accordance with what has gone before, comes this promise of the great increase of the spiritual Israel. Even John the Baptist had said, “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham”; but our Lord more emphatically taught that the true children of Abraham were those who followed Him (John 8:39, &c.); while His Apostle St. Paul explains repeatedly, and at...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8-9. Repetition of Eze 7:3, 4; sadly expressive of accumulated woes by the monotonous sameness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
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KJV Study Commentary
"My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people." The tabernacle/dwelling place represents God's manifest presence. This promise finds progressive fulfillment: the tabernacle, temple, Christ's incarnation, Spirit's indwelling, and ultimately the new creation where God dwells directly with His people without mediating structures. The covenant formula ap...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **My tabernacle also.—**Compare the whole promise of this verse with 2Corinthians 6:16 : “Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” This promise of “a sanctuary in the midst of them *for evermore”* was in type and shadow set before the eyes of the people with the restoration of the Temp...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. rod ... blossomed, pride ... budded--**The "rod" is the Chaldean Nebuchadnezzar, the instrument of God's vengeance (Is 10:5; Jr 51:20). The rod sprouting (as the word ought to be translated), &c., implies that God does not move precipitately, but in successive steps. He as it were has planted the ministers of His vengeance, and leaves them to grow till all is ripe for executing His purpo...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
"And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be among them for evermore." God's restoration of Israel will testify to the nations, demonstrating His sanctifying power and covenant faithfulness. The phrase "for evermore" guarantees permanence. This missionary dimension appears throughout Scripture—Israel blessed to bless nations (Genesis 12:3). Christ's ch...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11. Violence (that is, the violent foe) is risen up as a rod of (that is, to punish the Jews') wickedness (Zec 5:8).
**theirs--**their possessions, or all that belongs to them, whether children or goods. Grotius translates from a different Hebrew root, "their nobles," literally, "their tumultuous trains" (Margin) which usually escorted the nobles. Thus "nobles" will form a contrast to the genera...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 37
The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21)
**Verses 1-10** Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will no...
Read full commentary →