Bible Strands
Ezekiel 37:4
And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses Ezekiel immediately after the prophet admits only the Lord knows if the bones can live. The command occurs within a visionary sequence where God directs the prophet to speak to a symbol of national despair.
The words — The imperative הִנָּבֵא (hi.na.Ve') commands "prophesy" toward the bones, while וְ/אָמַרְתָּ (ve./'a.mar.Ta) instructs Ezekiel to "say" a specific declaration to them.
The thread — This divine call to speak to dead matter parallels Jesus’ later announcement that the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God (John 5:25) and that all in graves will hear His voice (John 5:28).
Why it lands — The text demands immediate obedience to a command that precedes any visible result, requiring the reader to act on God’s word before seeing any outcome.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
Cross-references
- John 5:25 Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
- John 5:28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice
- Matthew 21:21 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
- Ezekiel 36:1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.
- Jeremiah 22:29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
- Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead.
- Ezekiel 37:11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’
- John 2:5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
- Numbers 20:8 “Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
- 1 Kings 13:2 And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”