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Vision of the dry bones

Exegesis of chapter 37, verses 1-14 of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
1The hand of the Lord came upon me, and He took me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and I...
put in the middle of the valley that was full of bones. 2He made me pass in
around them, and I saw that there were many on the surface of the valley; and
they were very dry. 3 And he asked me: "Son of man, will these live?"
4
bones? Then he told me:
Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: 'Dry bones, hear the word of
5
Lord. 'Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'I will make you
between spirit, and they will 6live. And I will put tendons upon you, I will make flesh grow
about you, I will cover you with skin and put spirit in you, and you will live; and
They will know that I am the Lord.'

7
I prophesied, as I was commanded; and while I was prophesying there was a
noise, and then a trembling, and the bones came together each bone with its
8
bone. And I looked that there were tendons over them, the flesh and the skin grew on them
9
he covered, but there was no spirit in them. Then He said to me: "Prophesy to the
spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: 'Thus says the Lord God:
Come from the four winds, oh spirit, and blow over these dead,
they will 10live." And I prophesied as He had commanded me, and the spirit entered into
they lived and stood up, a huge and immense army.
11
Then He said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of
Israel. They say: 'Our bones have dried up, and our hope has...
12
We are completely destroyed. Therefore, prophesy and tell them:
Thus says the Lord God: 'I will open their graves and bring them up from their...
13
tombs, My people, and I will bring them to the land of Israel. And they will know that I
I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves.
14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and the
tombs, my people.
I will establish myself in their land. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and I have
"It is done," declares the Lord."LBLA )

1. Introduction and Historical Context

The following lines are a brief exegetical analysis of a passage from the book of

prophet Ezekiel, specifically chapter 37 verses 1 to 14 which is

commonly called 'vision of the dry bones'. To understand this biblical passage

we must first talk about the historical context in which this message was given to the people of

Israel, and also about the prophetic tradition found in the book. Ezekiel lives in the

times of the great deportations, which began when the great powers

Easterners conquered the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

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The first mass deportations begin with the intervention of the Assyrians in

the year 723. After this brief domination by the Assyrians, the era of

great dominance by the Babylonians around 605. Therefore, the prophet 'Ezekiel has

he was among the first groups of deportees in 597, and he spent his entire known life

in Babylon1This experience would radically affect their prophetic message, since

he lived with the community of deportees to whom he directed his message of salvation and judgment

inevitable on the part of God.

However, it is important to clarify that when speaking of Israel in exile not

we must understand it as if the country had been laid waste of all its inhabitants. “That

the picture is erroneous, not only because Israel was not completely deported, but also because

to suppose an end to the period of exile that does not occur. Since the deportations in early

6th century, Israel lives in the dual existence of a part of its population in its own land and

another in the diaspora.2

In the book of the prophet Ezekiel, who was 'deported in the year 597 as

priest and belonging, therefore, to the upper class3references can be found

the way of life and conditions of the exiles. They live in closed colonies (Ez 3:15), and

they have their own administration as they can hold assemblies in their places of

residence.4In addition, kinship-based structures, which were for a long time the

fundamental unit of society, are fading in their strength as a structure

fundamental regime of ancient Israel.

1Jerusalem Bible. Ed. Verbo Divino, Madrid 2004, p. 952.

2Rainer Kessler, Social History of Ancient Israel, Ed. Sígueme, Salamanca 2013, p. 194.
3Id., p. 195.
4Id.

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This is due to families disintegrating as a consequence of the

deportations. In turn, 'instead of' kinships that are 'known' and, above all, are formed

through the common village and the consequent heritage, the record of lists appears.5If

You can find these references in Ezekiel 13:9: 'And my hand will be against the prophets who...'

they see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not be in the council of my

people, they will not be inscribed in the book of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel; and

You will know that I am the Lord God.6

2.Theological Themes in Ezekiel

It is important to talk about the prophetic vision, which will be found throughout

Book of Ezekiel. Visions are frequent in the life of the prophets which they receive.

particular meanings according to the times being lived. These visions

they must be understood as a dialogue with God. Especially with Ezekiel, it is not about a

a kind of dream where the message is unclear, as if it were a trance state in it

which one is not aware of what is happening.

Ezekiel stands out among the prophets because he burned with intense zeal for Yahweh, but

also for Israel. However, he lived through complicated times, 'he had to face a

pretentious and rebellious generation that was not satisfied with prophetic messages7.

Because of this, Ezekiel was not simply called to be a prophet but also a

theologian, since "no prophet had such an imperious need to reflect

5Rainer Kessler. Social History of Ancient Israel, Ed. Sígueme, Salamanca, 2013, p. 197.
6Ezekiel 13:9.
7
Gerhard von Rad. Theology of the Old Testament, II The Prophetic Traditions of Israel, Ed. Sígueme,
Salamanca, 2009, p. 279.

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intensely uncovering certain problems and clarifying them to their utmost consequences8,

how he did it.

Due to the conceptual world in which Ezequiel lives, and belonging to it himself

priestly class, the rule by which Ezekiel measures Israel 'has a marked character'

"priestly", that is to say, judges the people according to the precepts and laws given by Yahweh. From

way that, when Ezekiel speaks of the sin of Israel, he is referring to the fact that the people have

infringed the sacred orders. One can see in this way the zeal that consumed

to Ezekiel about the fulfillment of the law and the priestly precepts. "For Ezekiel the

the cause of Israel's impending sinking is undoubtedly due to Israel faltering in

the ground of the holy; that Israel has profaned the sanctuary (Ez 5:11); that it turns towards

other cults (Ezekiel 8:7, s.); and that has put idols in his heart (Ezekiel 14:3, s.);

In summary: that Israel 'has become unclean' before Yahweh; this is the reason for its punishment.9

This is a typical characteristic of the prophets in which they are "interested in

the law of the alliance and which must be obeyed.10Therefore, they were the prophets

who argued that the relationship between Israel and Yahweh had been altered because they

they had deviated from the worship of the one God. The prophets, therefore, announced a judgment

divine for the disobedience of Israel to the divine commandments previously given to them

for the organization of an ethical and moral code.

Ezequiel knows and understands the history of Israel, and at the same time the situation that is

living in exile as 'a chain of failures of Yahweh and as a transgression'

8Likewise.
9Brevard S. Childs, Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testament, Ed. Sígueme, Salamanca, 2011, p.
280.
10Id., p. 193.

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continues on the part of Israel the divine will.11However, the prophetic message of

Ezequiel does not merely focus on the condemnation of the people of Israel, but rather emerges

a hope of attaining forgiveness from God and reaching a "restoration of the

exiled and the return to the land in a new exodus.12

Finally, another theological theme that appears in Ezekiel, and is important for the

understanding of the book, it is the mystery of the sentinel of Israel. This case is

particularly interesting, because besides being chosen as a prophet, God designates him the

mission of being a sentinel or watchman of the house of Israel.

16And it happened that after seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying:17
Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear the
18
word from my mouth, warn them on my behalf.When I say to the wicked:
"Surely you will die," if you do not warn him, if you do not speak to warn the wicked of his
a bad way so that he lives, that wicked one will die for his iniquity, but I will demand.
19
your blood from your hand. But if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn away from his
neither of his impious way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you shall have delivered.
your life.20And when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, I will put
a barrier in front of him, and he will die; because you did not warn him, he will die for his own
sin, and the works of justice that he had done will not be remembered, but I
21
I will demand your blood from your hand. However, if you have warned the righteous to
that the righteous do not sin, and he does not sin, surely he will live because he accepted the warning,
and you will have freed your life.13

Ezequiel's case is complicated because he has to put Israel on alert.

against their enemy Yahweh, as the sentinels of their time usually did when

They saw the enemy approaching the city walls. In this matter, it seemed

contradiction because as a prophet he announces punishment from God, but as

The sentinel warns them of the danger they face so that they can change the possible 'fate' of their

destination if they continue to act against the law. It is important to emphasize that this can be

11Id., p. 285.
12Id., p. 196.
13Ezekiel 3:16-21.

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to develop thanks to the new theology of individual responsibility where 'neither the

the father's impiety can prevent the son from accessing Yahweh, nor the father's justice

"it can be beneficial to the sinful son."14

Thus, this mission of being a sentinel with the people of Israel can be understood

according to our modern New Testament concept as a 'cure for souls'. That is to say, a

a prophet who is interested in delivering the message of judgment from God, but also that

take care of the personal salvation of those to whom he directs his prophetic message. "For the first time, he..."

he commissioned the prophets with the task of taking an interest in the individual, to scrutinize carefully

his problems together with him, and talk to him about his personal situation before God.15This

interest on the part of the prophet can be understood from the interpretation of the text before

presented from Ezekiel 3:16-21 where Yahweh places upon the shoulders of the prophet a

weight of mortal seriousness. Yahweh had warned him that he would hold him accountable for each one of

the individuals to whom I have not made the prophetic messages known by

God.

3. Form, Structure, Movement

According to Brevard S. Childs.16it is clear that what we have today as

The canonical prophetic corpus has undergone various transformations in a process

very long and complex before it reached its final form as we know it.

they have scant evidence that the prophets were authors of writing that corpus, for the

thus, it is believed that other later authors were the ones who collected, selected and

they gave coherent shape to those prophetic words. However, the work of the prophet

14
Gerhard von Rad. Theology of the Old Testament, II The Prophetic Traditions of Israel, Ed. Follow me,
Salamanca 2009, p. 289.
15Id., p. 290.
16Id., p. 196.

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Ezekiel has been better preserved than that of other biblical prophets since it developed in

a vibrant community whose condition as exiled in a prosperous city has helped to

protect the teachings of the prophet from political upheavals.17For these reasons, it is possible

consider that the written tradition, especially in the pre-exilic prophets, can preserve

close resemblance to the oral tradition, or message proclaimed by such prophets, as

it is, namely, Ezekiel.

The structure of the book of Ezekiel, according to John B. Talor18it would generally be from the

next way:

1. The vision of Ezekiel, message, and commission (1:1–5:17).

2. Oracles of Judgment (6:1–7:27).
3. Vision of the punishment of Jerusalem (8:1–11:25).
4. Oracles about the sins of Israel and Jerusalem (12:1–24:27).
5. Oracles against the nations (25:1–32:32).
6. Oracles concerning the fall of Jerusalem (33:1–37:28).
7. Prophecies against Gog (38:1–39:29).
8. The plans for the new Jerusalem (40:1–48:35).

The part that concerns this exegesis is framed in the sixth section of the book.

also called "oracles concerning the fall of Jerusalem," which encompasses our unity.

to analyze its structure: chapter 37 verses 1 to 14. According to Walther

Zimmerli, the vision of a valley full of bones may have been experienced first and

then manifested in the vision by God. Namely, at a time of terrible harassment by

so many deadly battles that took place in the valleys of Babylon, one can assume

so that Ezekiel was used to seeing valleys with the mortal remains of the

17The Latin American Bible. Formers, Ed. Verbo Divino, Madrid 2004, p. 952.
18John B. Taylor. Ezequiel: an Introduction and Commentary (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1969), 51-53.

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fighters.19So Ezekiel most likely sees something real first, and

Later, the prophetic vision from God makes the connection with that experience.

Moshe Greenberg20comment that this vision of the valley of dry bones is a

powerful and inspiring message about Israel's national restoration. Greenberg21part the

structure of chapter 37 of Ezekiel in two main sections: the first discusses

of a dialogued prophetic vision, in which the prophet participates in the action (verses 1 to

In the second section, a prophecy is announced, which is primarily a speech.

of God (verses 12 to 14). These two units are not separated, but rather the opposite

united by verse 11 of the chapter which captures the expressions of hopelessness for

part of the house of Israel: “They say: ‘Our bones have dried up, and our hope

has perished. We are completely destroyed.22

The vision is built on suspense-filled steps, as Greenberg asserts. 23,

where verses 1 to 3 establish the terrifying scene of a valley full of

bones, that is to say full of death and desolation, they are the forgotten ones by Israel and

of God. In these verses, one can feel how the tension rises before the question without

Relief from Yahweh: "Son of man, will these bones live?"24

Verses 4 to 10 contain the divine resolution to revive the bones, and the

divine words to carry out this work. The final stage of this divine restoration.

ends with a huge and immense reanimated army. The final verses especially

19
Cf. Walther Zimmerli. Ezekiel 2, A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1983), 258.
20Cf. Moshe Greenberg. The Anchor Bible, Ezekiel 21-37 (New York: Doubleday, 1997), 747.
21Id.
22Ezekiel 37:11
23Cf. Moshe Greenberg. The Anchor Bible, Ezekiel 21-37 (New York: Doubleday, 1997), 747-748.
24Ezekiel 37:3.

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from 12 to 14, they introduce a new vision of resurrection in two stages: the opening of the

tombs and the resurrection of all the just (or saints) who are there.

Finally, Greenberg argues that the repetitions and details of the narrative

make Ezekiel's vision impressively solemn. The key words that

they appear throughout the text are: Spirit (nine times), bones (eight times),

prophesy (six times) and they will live (five times).25

4. Detailed and textual analysis

1The hand of the Lord came upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me in
middle of the valley that was full of bones.LBLA )

1‫ע‬
ַָ ‫הת ָיְה ָ יל‬ ִ ‫־דַי הו ָהי ְ ינִאצ‬ ‫וַַח‬ ְ‫הו ָהיְ ינִיחנִיְוַ ר ֙ב‬ ‫מ ֽצ ֲָע תב ְ הע ָק ְב ִה ַ איהִו ְ האָלמ ְ ׃ת‬
of bones, full, and that was, of the valley, in the middle, and he put me, of the Lord, in the spirit, and he took me, of the Lord, the hand, upon me, was

The phrase 'the hand of the Lord came upon me and took me in the Spirit of the Lord' is a

typical phrase that Ezekiel will use throughout his book to announce the visions given by

part of Yahweh. This structure is important since, in a time of false prophets, this

structure announces in advance the divine intervention and the participation of the Spirit of

Yahweh. Therefore, this message must be considered as real, just as Ezekiel must

to be considered as a true prophet. In this narrative of v. 1 John B. Taylor26

It claims that the word valley (hab-biq-ah) found in this passage is the same word.

Hebrew that Ezekiel uses in 3:22. It explains that in the place where Ezekiel saw the vision of the

Glory to God, it is very likely the same location where he saw the desolation of exile.

Same valley where the bones were bleached by the scorching sun of the desert, like a

sign of what was a battlefield months after its occurrence.27

25Cf. Moshe Greenberg. The Anchor Bible, Ezekiel 21-37 (New York: Doubleday, 1997), 748.
26Cf. John B. Taylor. Ezekiel: an Introduction and Commentary (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1969), 230.
27Id.

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2He made me pass around them, and I saw that there were countless on the surface.
from the valley; and they were very dry.LBLA)

‫ינִרַיבִע ֱ הו ְ םליהע ֲ יבבִס ָ ׀ יבבִס ָ הנה ִו ְ תוב ֹ ר ַד ֙א ֹמ ְ ־לע ַ ניפ ְ הע ָק ְב ִַה‬

the valley, about, (and they were), very many, and I saw, around, them, and it made me go through

(WLC) 2ְ‫ש ֹ בי‬

‫הנה ִו ְ תו‬ ‫דאֹֽמ ְ ׃‬
(and they were) very, dry ,andIsaw

A first impression of this text is that Yahweh makes the prophet go around.

from the bones because of the grotesque and terrifying scene of seeing them piled in multitude in the valley.

However, Walther Zimmerli28it is highlighted that in that scene there is no reference made

explicit the danger of contamination that comes with being exposed to corpses.

It was previously stated that Ezekiel was a priest and was instructed in all the laws.

regarding the impurities, therefore upon seeing this vision one should be aware of this

danger of ritual impurity. Therefore, it seems that the text focuses more on the bones, the

which were very dry (yə-ḇê-šō-wṯ), with this the prophet is not talking only about the

death in itself but of death in all its fullness. This must have been the

experience that the people of Israel were living in exile, a kind of death in their

totality due to the absence of Yahweh.

3
And he asked me: "Son of man, will these bones live?" And I answered: "Lord
God, You know it.LBLA )

(WLC) 3ֹ‫ו ַ יל ַ א ן־ב םד ָאָ הנ ָייח ְת ִה ֲ תומ ֹצ ָע ֲה ָ הלאָה מרא‬ ‫רמ ַא ֹ וָ ינָד ֹא ֲ והִהי ְ התָא ַת ָע ְדָֽי ָ ׃‬
You know, you, God, Lord, and I replied, can these to live,
bones, as a man, son, to me, and he said

Taylor29explain that the question from God, 'can these bones live?' is

linked to the previous verse which describes the bones as very dry, giving to

understand that the obvious answer to this question is a resounding no, since in those bones

there can be no life again.

28
Cf. Walther Zimmerli. Ezekiel 2, A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1983), 260.
29Cf. John B. Taylor. Ezekiel: An Introduction and Commentary (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1969), 230.

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In response to the prophet's "you know it," the following can be elucidated: first, the

admission of man's impotence, who faces the irrefutable victory of the

death and which is unable to do anything about it to bring those bones to life;

according to the prophet, he is aware that he is responding to the creator of the universe and of life

in itself, which has the creative power to revitalize and bring that pile to life

dry bones.30It is important to note in this part of the text, according to Taylor.31, that in the time

Ezekiel's views on the possibility of the resurrection of the dead were not yet part of the

mentality of the people of Israel. That is to say, they still did not have a conception of an eschatology.

general, however, it seems that the prophet Ezekiel, despite this impossibility, desired

may this awakening come about through the power of the creator.32

5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'I will make spirit enter you, and
they will liveLBLA
)

(WLC) 5 ִ‫הכ ֹר ֙מ ַא ָ ינָד ֹאֲ הוִהי ְ תומ ֹצ ָע ֲל ָ הלאה ָ הנה‬ ‫ינ ֲִא‬ ַ‫ר םת ֽ ייִח ְו ִ ׃ איבִמ םכב ָח‬
and you will live, spirit, in, among, I (the one who is), look, at these bones God, the Lord, says, thus

The prophet announces, in this verse, the divine discourse of reanimation of the dead.

that is, from the people of Israel. God announces the impossible and is represented as the creator of

individual, the giver of personal life.33The hope of restoration opens up for the people who

he had died because of his sins and his unfaithfulness to Yahweh. It is important to highlight in

this verse, as Taylor emphasizes, "the art of this pericope (Ez 37:1-14) is the skillful and

masterful use of the word hebrearu-ah ַ‫)ר ח‬, which can appear in different

translations according to the text version: as Spirit in verses 1 and 14, as

30
Cf. Walther Zimmerli. Ezekiel 2, A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1983), 260.
31Cf. John B. Taylor. Ezekiel An Introduction and Commentary (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1969), 230.
32
Cf. Walther Zimmerli. Ezekiel 2, A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1983), 260.
33Cf. Leslie C. Allen. Word Biblical Commentary, Ezekiel 20-48 (Texas: Word Books, 1990), 185.

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breath in verses 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, and 10, and like wind in verse 9. However, it is the

same Hebrew word in all instances that appears in this part of the text34.

This Hebrew word, ru-ah, shares its flexibility also in Greek where it is

translated as pneuma (πνευμα). This word is used in the gospel according to Saint John

3:18 precisely in the dialogue of Jesus with Nicodemus about rebirth through

of baptism and of the Spirit, so that we can already find in Ezekiel a

prefiguration to the sacrament of baptism to be born to a new life, as it had been

waiting for the people of Israel since the pre-Ethilic times.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, and
then a shaking, and the bones came together, each bone to its boneLBLA )

‫ֻצ ית ִ אבנִו ְ שרא ֲכַ ית ִי‬ ְ‫ו ַ ֽ ולק ֹ י ֙א ִב ְנָֽה ִכ ְ ־הנה ִו ְ שע ַ רַ יה ִי‬ ‫ברְק ְת ִו ַ תומ ֹצ ֲָע‬
the bones, and they came together, tremble, and look, I prophesied, a noise, there was, I was commanded, like, I prophesied

(WLC) 7 ‫עצם אל־ ומֹֽצ ְע ַ ׃‬

his bone, with, bone

The prophetic word of Ezekiel causes a movement of disorientation towards the

orientation. According to Greenberg35the key Hebrew words in this text are:

noise (qō-wl) and tremor (ra-‘aš). Greenber makes a parallelism here with Ezekiel 3:13.

where he receives his mission and is caught up in the Spirit while holding a divine dialogue.

voice and fear

The noise was like a great earthquake.36What is not clear, analyzes Greenber, is

if the earthquake was what put the bones in motion, or if the tremor of the

animated bones by the prophecy of Ezekiel will cause the earthquake in the valley where

the bones were deposited.37Another important parallel with this passage from Ezekiel

34Cf. John B. Taylor. Ezekiel: an Introduction and Commentary (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1969), 230.
35Cf. Moshe Greenberg. The Anchor Bible, Ezekiel 21-37 (New York: Doubleday, 1997), 743.
36Ezekiel 37:13: "The noise was made by the wings of the beings brushing against each other, and the wheels that were

next to them; the noise was like that of a great earthquake.DHH )

37Cf. Moshe Greenberg. The Anchor Bible, Ezekiel 21-37 (New York: Doubleday, 1997), 743.

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it is the text of Matthew 27:51, in which this prophecy announced by the

prophet: "Jesus gave a loud cry again, and died. At that moment the temple curtain

split in two, from top to bottom. The earth trembled, the rocks cracked and the tombs

They opened; and even many holy people, who had died, came back to life.38The

The verb used for tremor or earthquake in this text is the Greek word εσεισθη.

(eseisthi).
11Thenhe said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They
They say: 'Our bones have dried up, and our hope has perished. We are
completely destroyed.LBLA )

ֹ‫וַ יל ַ א ן־ב םד ָאָ תומ ֹצ ָע ֲה ָ הלאה ָ ל־כָ יתב אלרָש ְ י ִ המ ָ ה הנה ִ םירִמ ְֹא רמא‬
they say, look, how, from Israel, the house, are all, these, bones, of man, son, to me, then he said

(WLC) 7 ָ‫שב ְי‬ ‫ותינמ ֹצ ְַע‬ ְ‫הדָב ְא ָ ו‬ ִ‫תנוָק ְת‬ ְ‫זַגְנִ נר‬ ‫נל ָ ֽ ׃‬
we are rejected, our hope, and it is lost, our bones, have dried up

Once again the prophet hears the divine voice as in verses 3, 4, and 9. Leslie

C. Allen39indicates that the negative factors expressed in verses 1 and 2 (death and

despair) are now explained in a positive way (divine hope). The bones

they represent all the exiles, who express their dramatic experience of abandonment

and spiritual death, which is a consequence of sin, in one voice as expressed in

Ezekiel 33:10. This text refers to an individual death, as the dry bones

they refer to the total existence of the person; it speaks of a death of hope, the

which has been expressed throughout the book by Israel; and a loss of life,

though being in plural, the last sentence could be understood as a death of the

nation. This verse expresses in a lofty manner the feelings that the

exiled in this time of extreme crisis.

38Matthew 27:50-52DHH )
39
Ezekiel 33:10 "And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: 'Surely
our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and because of them we are being consumed;
How, then, shall we live?LBLA )

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12
Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'Thus says the Lord God: "I will open their graves and
I will raise them up from their graves, My people, and bring them to the land of Israel.LBLA
)

‫ןכָל‬ ‫אבנ ָה ִת ָ רְמ ַא ָ ו ְ םליהא ֲ ה־כ ֽ ֹ רמ ַא ָ ינָד ֹא ֲ הוִהי ְ הנה ִ ינִא ֲח ַ תפ ֹ את־ םכותיר ֹ ֽב ְִק‬
sus sepulcros, --, I will open, I, look, God, the Lord, says, thus, to them, and say, prophesy, therefore

(WLC) ְ‫ו‬12ַ ‫יתִליע ֲה‬ ִ‫םכת ְא םכותיר ֹב ְק ִמ‬ ‫ימִעַ יתִהבאו ְ םכת ְא ־אל תמַדְא ַ לא ֽ רָש ְ י ִ ׃‬
from Israel, the land, to you, and I will bring, my people, from their graves, --- , and I will make them come out

Allen proposes that Yahweh responds to the lament of verse 11 with an oracle of

salvation in verse 12, which echoes the opening structures of the verses

4 and 5. The experience of exile is expressed in the image of a true cemetery;

to live again for the exiled is, then, the ability to return to Israel. A new Exodus is

announced here, and the power to return to Israel symbolizes returning to the living communion with God.40

With this new prophecy, the terminology of sepulcher is left behind, and makes way for

new elements that signal the future of Israel: my people, I will put my Spirit in

you will live. It can be understood that the Hebrew word for people ('am-mî) is inserted

precisely in this verse to express the reality of the covenant made long ago,

where Yahweh named Israel as His possession, and in which, despite everything

his sins, Yahweh remains faithful to this promise. We see how, despite the judgment

announced by the sins of the people, the grace of Yahweh prevails and dazzles in this

verse, restoring Israel again through the infusion of His Spirit to this

a people that was dead for having separated from their God.

5. Theological meaning

The account of the vision of the dry bones of the prophet Ezekiel has been commented on and

interpreted by several of the Church Fathers (Origen, St. Ambrose, Cyril of

Jerusalem, Gregory of Nyssa, Justin Martyr), due to their theological significance regarding the

resurrection of the dead on the final day. Saint Gregory of Nyssa comments that the prophet

40Cf. Leslie C. Allen. Word Biblical Commentary, Ezekiel 20-48 (Texas: Word Books, 1990), 186-187.

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Ezequiel, with a prophetic spirit, has transcended time and space and with the power of his

preaching has stopped at the precise moment of the resurrection. Ezekiel has seen the

future as a present already and has presented it to our eyes in the description it makes in

this chapter.41

This text from Ezekiel has also been used as baptismal catechesis.

of Cyril of Jerusalem, who uses two parts of the book of Ezekiel for his preaching:

first the text of Ezekiel 18:20-21 to talk about repentance and the second

Ezekiel 37:1-14 as a final catechesis to speak about the resurrection of the dead.

Both texts are used by him to teach about the necessity of repentance and the

promise of a new life, which are fundamental to baptismal life.42

Furthermore, this text from Ezekiel has been used by Saint Basil of Caesarea.43for

illustrate and explain the Christian life. St. Basil makes an allegory about the vision of the

bones and compares it to the Christian community. For him, just as the bones by their own

firmness protects the tenderness of the flesh, there are also some members in the church who because of

their constancy allows them to bear the weaknesses of the weak. For St. Basil, it

that unites the Catholic Church, just as bones are connected to one another through the

jointly, charity and peace must be. Together these virtues help the Church

Let the Catholic Church remain united in the same spirit.

Therefore, the Church Fathers understood the exile that the people experienced.

Israel in the times of the prophet Ezekiel as a religious crisis where they do not have God, no

they have a temple, and they have no nation. They feel abandoned, they have no more hope.

41
Cf. Thomas C. Oden. Ancient Christian Commentary, Old Testament XIII Ezekiel, Daniel (Illinois:
InterVarsity Press, 2008), 122.
42Id., xxv-xxvi.
43Id., 122.

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However, with the promise of resurrection, this text tells us that Yahweh has not

abandoned his people, but remains faithful to his promise made to Abraham, Moses, and David.

The Church Fathers, therefore, understood that this text must be

studied in the light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The dry bones refer to the text

from Matthew 27:51-57 where at the moment when Jesus breathed his last and gave up his spirit, 'the veil'

the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, and the earth shook and the rocks were split; and the

tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were resurrected.44

The valley of dry bones is then seen as a vision of Golgotha where the

saints will rise; these bones are the image of the Church, that is, the community of

believers.

There is an emphasis on the Spirit, without Him the Church is dead, dry, and without.

hope. Elru-ah(ַ‫ )ר ח‬is mentioned 9 times in this passage, so it is presented as

a precondition of God to be reborn to a new life in communion with Him. It is then

clearly an allusion to the promise of receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), an allusion to

Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1).

6. Conclusion and pastoral application

After what we have mentioned, we could conclude by saying that the premise

the main point of the text is the ratification of the alliance established by God from the beginning, the

which is fulfilled with the birth of Christ, the fullness of time, the presence of the

Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the sending (missio) to baptize everyone, Jews and Gentiles.

In this way, this text can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the sacrament of

baptism in which the Christian receives the gift of the Spirit, and of the sacrament of the

44Matthew 27:51-52LBLA)

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confirmation, in which it reaffirms that desire to belong to the established alliance of love

from God to men.

According to Jacqueline Grey, 'in the text of Ezekiel the recreational power of the'

ַ‫ר ח‬It is about the transformation of the human being, bringing to life what lay dormant.

dead. According to the text, the elru-aho Spirit is present in the world, however, in

a sleeping state, and it is activated, so to speak, by the prophetic words of Ezekiel,

that is to say, with the divine words commanded by Yahweh. The effect that the spirit has on

the bones is restorative, that is, it replaces death and despair with new life

and hope. Furthermore, it produces fertility and prosperity, physical integrity and also

moral transformation in society45.

Now, the theology previously presented in this exegesis can reach

to have a positive impact on the training of the people participating in the RICA (Ritual

of Christian Initiation for Adults), and that is because these people, not having

Having received the sacraments, they have never heard of God's unbreakable covenant with

his people will neither receive "a new outpouring and fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit."46

The text of Ezekiel 37:1-14 shows us the importance of the Spirit in

our lives, in restoration, in giving us life back. It opens before us a new reality, the

to ask the Holy Spirit for His gifts to fight daily, so that if we reach

we feel separated from God, from family and friends – like dead due to

our sins - we can cry out to the Spirit of God to restore us again to the

45Grey, Jacqueline. "Acts of the Spirit: Ezekiel 37 in the Light of Contemporary Speech-Act Theory." Journal
of Biblical and Pneumatological Research 1, (2009): 69-82. Old Testament Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed
April 23, 2018.
46Cf. Ritual for Confirmation, Ed. La Buena Prensa, Mexico 1998, nn. 25-29.

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life. This has a liturgical form in the prayer that the bishop makes before signing the

confirmed:

Let us pray, brothers, to God, Almighty Father,

for these children of yours,
who have already been reborn to eternal life in Baptism,
so that I may send abundantly about them
to the Holy Spirit,
in order that this same Spirit
strengthen them with the abundance of your gifts
I consecrate them with your spiritual anointing.
and make them a true image of Jesus Christ.47

And it is not just about personal restoration, but also about progressing in

unity and holiness as a Christian community. This text can help us to expose the

catechumens48that the sacraments are not 'obtained' as a personal effort, but

they are "received" as a loving and free gift from God to live a more

perfect within a community. As mentioned in the Confirmation Ritual: 'The

The Spirit is who infuses in our hearts the love of God; he is the one who gathers us.

in one body, therefore, although there are many charisms and vocations, it is one and the same

the faith; he is the one who makes the Church progress in unity and holiness.49The purpose

It must always be: to live and grow in community, with love, for love, and in love. In the

The book of the prophet Ezekiel announces what we are already living through by the grace of God.

The covenant made with Abraham is renewed in the sacrament of baptism and of

confirmation. We are blessed to be able to participate in this family established by God:

You will be my people and I will be your God.50

47Same.
48
Namely, it is commonly understood as the person who learns the principles of the Christian doctrine.
to be baptized and/or to receive confirmation.
49Ritual for Confirmation, Ed. La Buena Prensa, Mexico 1998, n. 30.
50Ex 6, 7-9.

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7. Bibliography

B. Taylor, John. Ezequiel an Introduction and Commentary. Illinois: InterVarsity Press,

1969.

Jerusalem Bible. Ed. Verbo Divino, Madrid 2004.

C. Allen, Leslie. Word Biblical Commentary, Ezekiel 20-48. Texas: Word Books, 1990.

C. Oden, Thomas. Ancient Christian Commentary, Old Testament XIII Ezekiel, Daniel.
Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2008.

Greenberg, Moshe. The Anchor Bible, Ezekiel 21-37. New York: Doubleday, 1997.

Grey, Jacqueline. "Acts of the Spirit: Ezekiel 37 in the Light of Contemporary Speech-Act"
Theory."Journal of Biblical and Pneumatological Research 1, (2009): 69-82. Old
Testament Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2018).

Kessler, Rainer. Social history of ancient Israel, Ed. Sígueme, Salamanca 2013.

Ritual for Confirmation, Ed. La Buena Prensa, Mexico 1998.

S. Childs, Brevard. Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testament, Ed. Sígueme,
Salamanca, 2011.

Von Rad, Gerhard. Theology of the Old Testament, II The prophetic traditions of
Israel, Ed.Follow me, Salamanca, 2009.

Zimmerli, Walther. Ezequiel 2, A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel.

Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.

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