Ezekiel 37:3-10

37:3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.” 37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 37:5 This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath ¹  into you and you will live. 37:6 I will put tendons ²  on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath ³  in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard ⁴  a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 37:8 As I watched, I saw ⁵  tendons on them, then muscles appeared, ⁶  and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath ⁷  in them.

37:9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, ⁸  – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” 37:10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.

[37:5]  ¹ tn Heb “I am about to bring a spirit.”

[37:6]  ² tn The exact physiological meaning of the term is uncertain. In addition to v. 8, the term occurs only in Gen 32:33; Job 10:11; 40:17; and Jer 48:4.

[37:6]  ³ tn Or “a spirit.”

[37:7]  ⁴ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[37:8]  ⁵ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[37:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “came up.”

[37:8]  ⁷ tn Or “spirit.”

[37:9]  ⁸ tn Or “spirit,” and several times in this verse.