The Valley of the Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-14
‫ְיהָוה ַוּיֹוִצֵאִני ְברּוַח ְיהָוה ַוְיִניֵחִני‬-‫א ָהְיָת ה ָעַלי ַיד‬ The hand of the LORD came upon me.
‫ ב ְוֶהֱעִביַר ִני‬.‫ְּבתֹוְך ַהִּבְקָעה ְוִהיא ְמ ֵלָאה ֲעָצמֹות‬ He took me out by the spirit of the LORD
‫ְּפֵני ַהִּבְקָעה‬-‫ֲעֵליֶהם ָסִביב ָסִביב ְוִהֵּנה ַר ּבֹות ְמֹאד ַעל‬ and set me down in the valley. It was full
‫ָאָד ם ֲהִת ְחֶייָנה‬-‫ ג ַוֹּיאֶמר ֵאַלי ֶּבן‬.‫ְוִהֵּנה ְיֵבׁשֹות ְמ ֹאד‬ of bones. 2He led me all around them;
. ‫ָהֲעָצמֹות ָהֵאֶּלה ָו ֹאַמ ר ֲא ֹדָני ְיהִוה ַאָּת ה ָיָד ְעָּת‬ there were very many of them spread
over the valley, and they were very dry.
3
He said to me, “O mortal, can these
bones live again?” I replied, “O Lord
GOD, only You know.”
 Ezekiel 37:1-14
‫ָה ֲעָצ מֹות ָה ֵא ֶּלה ְו ָאַמ ְר ָּת‬-‫ד ַו ֹּיאֶמ ר ֵא ַלי ִה ָּנֵב א ַע ל‬ 4
And He said to me, “Prophesy over
‫ֲא ֵליֶה ם ָה ֲעָצ מֹות ַה ְי ֵב ׁשֹות ִׁש ְמ עּו‬ these bones and say to them: O dry
‫ ה ֹּכה ָאַמ ר ֲא ֹדָני ְי הִו ה ָלֲעָצ מֹות‬.‫ְי הָו ה‬-‫ְּד ַב ר‬ bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5Thus
‫ָה ֵא ֶּלה ִה ֵּנה ֲא ִנ י ֵמ ִב יא ָב ֶכ ם רּוַח‬ said the Lord GOD to these bones: I will
‫ ו ְו ָנַת ִּת י ֲעֵליֶכ ם ִּג יִד ים ְו ַה ֲעֵלִת י ֲעֵליֶכ ם‬.‫ִו ְח ִי יֶת ם‬ cause breath to enter you and you shall
‫ָּב ָׂש ר ְו ָק ַר ְמ ִּת י ֲעֵליֶכ ם עֹור ְו ָנַת ִּת י ָב ֶכ ם רּוַח‬ live again. 6I will lay sinews upon you,
.‫ֲא ִנ י ְי הָו ה‬-‫ִו ְח ִי יֶת ם ִו יַד ְע ֶּת ם ִּכ י‬ and cover you with flesh, and form skin
over you. And I will put breath into you,
and you shall live again. And you shall
know that I am the LORD!”
 Ezekiel 37:1-14
‫קֹול ְּכִהָּנְבִאי‬-‫ז ְוִנֵּבאִת י ַּכֲאֶׁשר ֻצֵּויִת י ַוְיִהי‬ I prophesied as I had been commanded. And
‫ַר ַעׁש ַוִּת ְקְר בּו ֲעָצמֹות ֶעֶצם‬-‫וְִהֵּנה‬ while I was prophesying, suddenly there was a
sound of rattling, and the bones came together,
‫ֲעֵליֶהם ִּגִד ים ּוָבָׂשר ָעָלה‬-‫ ח ְוָר ִאיִת י ְוִהֵּנה‬.‫ַעְצמֹו‬-‫ֶאל‬ bone to matching bone. 8I looked, and there
‫ַוִּיְקַר ם ֲעֵליֶהם עֹור ִמְלָמְעָלה ְורּוַח ֵאין‬ were sinews on them, and flesh had grown, and
‫ָאָד ם‬-‫ָהרּוַח ִהָּנֵבא ֶבן‬-‫ ט ַוֹּיאֶמר ֵאַלי ִהָּנֵבא ֶאל‬.‫ָּבֶהם‬ skin had formed over them; but there was no
‫ָאַמ ר ֲא ֹדָני ְיהִוה ֵמַאְר ַּבע‬-‫ָהרּוַח {ס} ֹּכה‬-‫ְוָאַמ ְר ָּת ֶאל‬ breath in them. 9Then He said to me, “Prophesy
‫רּוחֹות ֹּבִאי ָהרּוַח ּוְפִחי ַּבֲהרּוִגים ָהֵאֶּלה‬ to the breath, prophesy, O mortal! Say to the
breath: Thus said the Lord GOD: Come, O breath,
‫ י ְוִהַּנֵּבאִת י ַּכֲאֶׁשר ִצָּוִני ַוָּת בֹוא ָבֶהם ָהרּוַח‬.‫ְוִיְחיּו‬ from the four winds, and breathe into these
.‫ְמֹאד‬-‫ַר ְגֵליֶהם ַחִיל ָּגדֹול ְמ ֹאד‬-‫ַוִּיְחיּו ַוַּיַעְמ דּו ַעל‬ slain, that they may live again.” 10I prophesied as
He commanded me. The breath entered them,
and they came to life and stood up on their feet,
a vast multitude.
 Ezekiel 37:1-14
‫ָאָד ם ָה ֲעָצ מֹות ָה ֵא ֶּלה‬-‫יא ַו ֹּיאֶמ ר ֵא ַלי ֶּב ן‬ 11
And He said to me, “O mortal, these bones
‫ֵּב ית ִי ְׂש ָר ֵא ל ֵה ָּמ ה ִה ֵּנה ֹאְמ ִר ים ָיְב ׁשּו‬-‫ָּכל‬ are the whole House of Israel. They say, ‘Our
‫ַע ְצ מֹוֵת ינּו ְו ָאְב ָד ה ִת ְק ָו ֵת נּו ִנ ְג ַז ְר נּו‬ bones are dried up, our hope is gone; we are
‫ יב ָלֵכן ִה ָּנֵב א ְו ָאַמ ְר ָּת ֲא ֵליֶה ם‬.‫ָלנּו‬ doomed.’ 12Prophesy, therefore, and say to
‫ָאַמ ר ֲא ֹדָני ְי הִו ה ִה ֵּנה ֲא ִנ י ֹפ ֵת ַח‬-‫ֹּכה‬ them: Thus said the Lord GOD: I am going to
‫ִק ְב רֹוֵת יֶכ ם ְו ַה ֲעֵליִת י ֶא ְת ֶכ ם‬-‫ֶא ת‬ open your graves and lift you out of the
‫ִמ ִּק ְב רֹוֵת יֶכם ַע ִּמ י ְו ֵה ֵב אִת י ֶא ְת ֶכ ם‬ graves, O My people, and bring you to the
‫ֲא ִנ י‬-‫ יג ִו יַד ְע ֶּת ם ִּכ י‬.‫ַאְד ַמ ת ִי ְׂש ָר ֵא ל‬-‫ֶא ל‬ land of Israel. 13You shall know, O My people,
‫ִק ְב רֹוֵת יֶכ ם ּוְב ַה ֲעלֹוִת י‬-‫ְי הָו ה ְּב ִפ ְת ִח י ֶא ת‬ that I am the LORD, when I have opened your
‫ יד ְו ָנַת ִּת י רּוִח י‬.‫ֶא ְת ֶכ ם ִמ ִּק ְב רֹוֵת יֶכ ם ַע ִּמ י‬ graves and lifted you out of your graves. 14I
‫ַאְד ַמ ְת ֶכ ם‬-‫ָב ֶכ ם ִו ְח ִי יֶת ם ְו ִה ַּנְח ִּת י ֶא ְת ֶכ ם ַע ל‬ will put My breath into you and you shall live
‫ֲא ִנ י ְי הָו ה ִּד ַּב ְר ִּת י ְו ָע ִׂש יִת י‬-‫ִו יַד ְע ֶּת ם ִּכ י‬ again, and I will set you upon your own soil.
.‫ְי הָו ה‬-‫ְנֻא ם‬ Then you shall know that I the LORD have
spoken and have acted”—declares the LORD.
…the vision refers to the
present state of the living, not
to the future state of the dead.
G.A. Cooke, The Book of Ezekiel (ICC; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1936), 397.
 Our bones are dried up – ‫ָיְב ׁשּו ַע ְצ מֹוֵת ינּו‬

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the

bones” (Prov 17:22).

“This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones”
(Prov 3:8).

“Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news
gives health to the bones” (Prov 15:30).
 We are cut off - ‫ִנְג ַז ְר נּו ָלנּו‬
“For he was cut off from the land of the living…” (Isa 53:8).

“I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.
You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths” (Ps 86:5-6).
Dry Bones and Tomb Opening
Ninurta will fill the valley with
your corpses, He will feed your
flesh to the eagles and wolfs…
Dogs and pigs will drag your
corpses…the land shall not
accept them for burial. Your
burial shall be at the dogs’ and
pigs’ belly.
(Esarhadon Vassal Treaty)
 Dry Bones and Tomb Opening

The Bones of Nabu-šum-ereš, that were brought to me to Assyria from the

land of Gambulu, at Nineve’s gate I made his sons grind (The Inscriptions of
Ashurbanipal).
Dry Bones and Tomb Opening
You shall not have barley for
grinding. Instead of barley, your
sons and daughters will grind
your bones…
You shall be expelled from the
life above (the ground), and
bellow (the ground) water
libations shall be prevented
from you.
(Esarhadon Vassal Treaty)
Dry Bones and Tomb Opening
I made their bones to
be taken out of
Babylon, Cuta and
Sippar, and I scattered
outside the city.
(Ashurbanipal’s campaign against
the Babylonians)
Dry Bones and Tomb Opening
The tombs of their former kings,
who did not fear my lords Ashur and
Ishtar, and who harassed the kings,
my ancestors, I ruined and
destroyed. I exposed them to
Shamash (ukallim dŠamši). I took
their bones to the land of Ashur. I
made their spirits restless. I withheld
sacrifices and water libations from
them.
(Ashurbanipal’s campaign against the Elamites)
 Dry Bones and Tomb Opening – Jer 8
‫ַעְצמֹות‬-‫ְיהָוה יֹוִציאּו ֶאת‬-‫א ָּבֵעת ַהִהיא ְנֻאם‬ 1 At that time—declares the LORD—the
‫ָׂשָר יו ְוֶאת ַעְצמֹות‬-‫ַעְצמֹות‬-‫ְיהּוָד ה ְוֶאת‬-‫ַמְלֵכי‬ bones of the kings of Judah, of its officers,
‫ַה ֹּכֲהִנים ְוֵאת ַעְצמֹות ַהְּנִביִאים ְוֵאת ַעְצמֹות‬ of the priests, of the prophets, and of the
‫ ב ּוְׁשָטחּום‬.‫ְירּוָׁשִָלם ִמִּקְבֵר יֶהם‬-‫יֹוְׁשֵבי‬ inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be taken out
‫ַלֶּׁשֶמׁש ְוַל ָּיֵר ַח ּוְלֹכל ְצָבא ַהָּׁשַמִים ֲאֶׁשר‬ of their graves 2 and exposed to the sun,
‫ֲאֵהבּום ַוֲאֶׁשר ֲעָבדּום ַוֲאֶׁשר ָהְלכּו ַאֲחֵר יֶהם‬ the moon, and all the host of heaven which
‫ַוֲאֶׁשר ְּד ָר ׁשּום ַוֲאֶׁשר ִהְׁשַּת ֲחוּו ָלֶהם ֹלא‬ they loved and served and followed to
‫ְּפֵני ָהֲאָד ָמה‬-‫ֵיָאְספּו ְוֹלא ִיָּקֵברּו ְל ֹדֶמן ַעל‬ which they turned and bowed down. They
‫ ג ְוִנְבַחר ָמֶות ֵמַחִּיים ְלֹכל ַהְּׁשֵאִר ית‬.‫ִיְהיּו‬ shall not be gathered for reburial; they
‫ַהִּמְׁשָּפָחה ָהָר ָעה ַהֹּזאת‬-‫ַהִּנְׁשָאִר ים ִמן‬ shall become dung upon the face of the
‫ַהְּמֹקמֹות ַהִּנְׁשָאִר ים ֲאֶׁשר ִהַּד ְחִּת ים ָׁשם‬-‫ְּבָכל‬ earth. 3 And death shall be preferable to
.‫ְנֻאם ְיהָוה ְצָבאֹות‬ life for all that are left of this wicked folk, in
all the other places to which I shall banish
them, declares the LORD of Hosts.
 The Valley of the Dry Bones
1
The hand of the LORD came upon me. He took me out by the spirit of the LORD and set
me down in the valley. It was full of bones. 2He led me all around them; there were very
many of them spread over the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, “O mortal,
can these bones live again?” I replied, “O Lord GOD, only You know.” 4And He said to me,
“Prophesy over these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
5
Thus said the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you and you shall
live again. 6I will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with flesh, and form skin over you.
And I will put breath into you, and you shall live again. And you shall know that I am the
LORD!”… 9Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, O mortal! Say to the
breath: Thus said the Lord GOD: Come, O breath, from the four winds, and breathe into
these slain, that they may live again.” 10I prophesied as He commanded me. The breath
entered them, and they came to life and stood up on their feet, a vast multitude… 14I will
put My breath into you and you shall live again, and I will set you upon your own soil.
Then you shall know that I the LORD have spoken and have acted”—declares the LORD.