Ezekiel 37:1-14

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• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • The Bible Gateway: NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • "Eternal Life," Comparative World Scriptures from United Communities of Spirit.
  • Chapter LII, The First Apology of Justin Martyr. (c 150)
  • V.XV.1, V.XXXIV.1, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • Chapter XXIX-XXX, On the Resurrection of the Flesh,  Tertullian (c. 211)
  • Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "He shows by a great miracle that God has power and will deliver his people from their captivity, in as much as he is able to give life to the dead bones and bodies and raise them up again."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "The wind was an emblem of the Spirit of God, and represented his quickening powers."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "Of all the bones of all those numerous slain, not one was missing, not one missed its way, not one missed its place, but each knew and found its fellow. Thus in the resurrection of the dead, the scattered atoms shall be arranged in their proper place and order, and every bone come to his bone, by the same wisdom and power by which they were first formed in the womb of her that is with child."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "bones came together--literally, "ye bones came together"; as in Jer 49:11 (Hebrew), "ye widows of thine shall trust in Me." The second person puts the scene vividly before one's eyes, for the whole resurrection scene is a prophecy in action to render more palpably to the people the prophecy in word (Eze 37:21)."
  • "Come from the Four Winds, O Breath; Ezekiel 37:9," Charles H. Spurgeon, 1892.
    • "Now, first, in using this text, as I have said, for practical purposes, I am going to make this remark upon it: WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies and Exegesis:
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • The Old Testament Readings, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Pentecost B, The Old Testament Readings: Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Howard Wallace Audrey Schindler, Morag Logan, Paul Tonson, Lorraine Parkinson, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia.
    • "Verse 14 clearly states that the source of the life that is bringing Israel back from the ‘dead’ is the ‘spirit’ of the Lord. When all life appears to have gone, the word of God is the means whereby God’s spirit revives and restores."
  • Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Pentecost), Studies on Old Testament texts from Series B, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
  • Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "The dryness of the bones emphasises the desolation and the miracle which will be wrought by Yahweh in bringing life to this people. This people who would have been feeling deserted by God, with no hope for the future are being reassured that God has the power to resurrect them."
  • Commentary, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Luke A. Powery, The African American Lectionary, 2008.
    • "Hope is not lost. Though in the valley of despair or death, God will not leave us for dead but will give us new life and restore our hope."
  • Desert Scribblings, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Geoff McElroy, 2008. Reflection and commentary.
    • "Ezekiel’s vision is not one that is regulated strictly to some distant time past, but one that speaks in the face of all places of spiritual and emotional exile and death. Restoration is possible, but true restoration will only occur when the spirit of God moves and is put within the communities and circumstances that need it."
  • Join the Feast, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Joshua T. Andrzejewski, Union PSCE, 2009.
    • "Ezekiel’s report of the valley of dry bones comes up often in discussions of resurrection imagery in the Old Testament; however, this vision has more to do with restoration than resurrection."
  • "Disaster Response," Chris Repp, Crossings, 2009.
  • "I Felt the Lord's Power," Paul Bellan-Boyer, I heard of a city called Heaven.
    • "A modern Ezekiel might be taken to a small town on the prairie, where the local business are dried up and the next generation is exiled to another land..."
  • "Can These Bones Live?" Pastor Sharron R. Lucas, Stewardship of Life Institute, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg.
    • "Our dry bones do live—they live to praise God, serve others, and to walk in faith and light."
  • "The Death Penalty," Resources for Prophetic Worship, Speaking to North Carolina Justice Issues, North Carolina Council of Churches, 2006.
  • "Resurrected Hopes," Craig Barnes, The Christian Century, 2002.
    • "How foolish this must have looked. The Lords prophet, standing in the middle of a pile of dead bones, is telling them not to give up hope."
  • "These Bones Shall Live," Walter Wink, The Christian Century, 1994.
    • "God is at work in our malaise today."
  • Haftarah for Chol Hamoed Pesach, Ezekiel Chapter 37:1-14, Union of American Hebrew Congregations Family Shabbat Table Talk.
    • "Rabbi Gunther Plaut suggests that because Israel lives again as a nation, the dead of former generations are, so to speak, revived as well. In what ways have you validated the religious hopes of your ancestors and assured their immortality?"
  • Commentary, Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Lent 5A), Rolf Jacobson, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
    • "Is there a way for the preacher not just to explain the text, but to do more? As Ezekiel drew on the metaphor of the lamenting bones of the people and wrought from that image the vision of the valley of dry bones, can the preacher enter into the lives of the people and cast a vision for them of God's Spirit at work in their lives?"
  • The Old Testament Readings (Lent 5A): Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Howard Wallace Audrey Schindler, Morag Logan, Paul Tonson, Lorraine Parkinson, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia.
    • "...He must prophecy to the dry bones, which are clearly symbolic of the defeated people of Israel."
  • Environmental/earth-centered reflections, Nan Stokes, from the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota Environmental Stewardship Commission.
    • "So we have come full circle since Ash Wednesday, when we were reminded that we were but dust, and now we know what the Lord can do with a pile of bones and dust -- we can live and be part of the Lord's vast multitude. "
• Articles & Background:
  • "Come From the Four Winds, O Breath," poetry by Ann Horn, The Christian Century, 2001.
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  • Barnes, Craig, "Resurrected Hopes," The Christian Century, 2002.
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      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
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  • Callahan, Allen Dwight, "Perspectives for a Study of African American Religion from the Valley of Dry Bones," Nova Religio, 2003.
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  • Horn, Ann, "Come from the Four Winds, O Breath," The Christian Century, 2001. (Poetry)
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  • Lemke, Werner E., "Life in the Present and Hope for the Future," Interpretation, 1984. (Section on this text begins on p. 177)
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  • Olyan, Saul M., "'We Are Utterly Cut Off': Some Possible Nuances of ngzrnw lnw in Ezekiel 37:11," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2003.
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  • Qubti, Shadia, "Ezekiel 37: 'Can These Bones Live? God, Only You Know,'" Review & Expositor, 2007.
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  • Seitz, Christopher R., "Ezekiel 37:1-14, Expository Article," Interpretation, 1992.
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  • Taylor, Barbara Brown, "Can These Bones Live?" The Christian Century, 1996.
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  • Wink, Walter, "These Bones Shall Live," The Christian Century, 1994.
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• Sermons:
  • "Making Skeletons Dance," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington - Sermons from Seattle.
  • Pentecost Sermon, 4 June 2006, Jim Mueller, Göttinger Predigten im Internet: Every Sunday Sermons based on the RCL by a team of Lutheran theologians/ pastors.
  • Easter Vigil, the Rev. Dr. A.K.M. Adam, Flesh and Bones, 2001. (Entire book of sermons is one long ATLAS via ATLA PDF file. Slow connections will require long download times.)
• Reviews:
• With Children:
  • "Ezekiel," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
  • "Dry Macaroni - Dry Bones," Children's Time, in Sermons and Liturgies. Richard J. Fairchild. (Scroll down in liturgies to find Children's Time.)
  • "Like a Puppet on a String," Talks to Children, Rev. Donald McCorkindale, Dalgety Parish Church, Fife, Scotland.
  • "Come from the Four Winds, O Breath," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
• Drama:
  • "New Life for Old Bones," Glenn A. Hascall, dramatix.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art, Ezekiel 37:12, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
  • Images for this week's readings, Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Hymn selections (United Methodist) and more from Hymnsite.com.
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Ezekiel
• Movies Listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
  • New Life/Rebirth
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Ezekiel