God alone can restore true life and hope in the face of apparent hopelessness.
Ezekiel was a Hebrew prophet who served during the 6th century BC, approximately from 593 BC to 571 BC, ministering to Jewish exiles in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Though the immediate scene in Ezekiel 37 focuses on a vision of a valley filled with dry bones, the prophet presents a striking promise from God when he records: “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.’” (v.5). By referring to these bones, the Lord paints a vivid picture of total lifelessness, and then emphasizes His power to reanimate and restore, underscoring that true revival comes only from His divine presence.
When God says, “I will cause breath to enter you” (v.5), He not only addresses the physical condition of these bones, but also reflects Israel’s spiritual condition at the time. The people of Judah were in exile, displaced far from their homeland under the Babylonian Empire. Babylon was located in the region of Mesopotamia (in modern-day Iraq), a fertile land along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, but religiously and culturally foreign to the exiles. In this vision, the Lord shows that He has not forgotten His people, and that He retains the power to bring them back to life, both physically and spiritually, regardless of how desperate their circumstances appear.
The breath motif deeply connects to earlier biblical themes, such as God breathing life into Adam (Genesis 2:7) and Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit onto His disciples (John 20:22). In each case, God’s life-giving power sets change in motion and demonstrates that genuine renewal depends on His intervention. By announcing “that you may come to life” (v.5), Ezekiel proclaims that hope is not lost, because the Lord Himself seeks to restore His covenant people, just as He ultimately provides resurrection life for believers through Christ (Romans 6:4).
Set to dark mode
Ezekiel 37:5 meaning
Ezekiel was a Hebrew prophet who served during the 6th century BC, approximately from 593 BC to 571 BC, ministering to Jewish exiles in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Though the immediate scene in Ezekiel 37 focuses on a vision of a valley filled with dry bones, the prophet presents a striking promise from God when he records: “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.’” (v.5). By referring to these bones, the Lord paints a vivid picture of total lifelessness, and then emphasizes His power to reanimate and restore, underscoring that true revival comes only from His divine presence.
When God says, “I will cause breath to enter you” (v.5), He not only addresses the physical condition of these bones, but also reflects Israel’s spiritual condition at the time. The people of Judah were in exile, displaced far from their homeland under the Babylonian Empire. Babylon was located in the region of Mesopotamia (in modern-day Iraq), a fertile land along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, but religiously and culturally foreign to the exiles. In this vision, the Lord shows that He has not forgotten His people, and that He retains the power to bring them back to life, both physically and spiritually, regardless of how desperate their circumstances appear.
The breath motif deeply connects to earlier biblical themes, such as God breathing life into Adam (Genesis 2:7) and Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit onto His disciples (John 20:22). In each case, God’s life-giving power sets change in motion and demonstrates that genuine renewal depends on His intervention. By announcing “that you may come to life” (v.5), Ezekiel proclaims that hope is not lost, because the Lord Himself seeks to restore His covenant people, just as He ultimately provides resurrection life for believers through Christ (Romans 6:4).