Ezekiel 37:12 kjv
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 37:12 nkjv
Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 37:12 niv
Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 37:12 esv
Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 37:12 nlt
Therefore, prophesy to them and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 37 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 37:12 | "So prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live..." | Ezekiel 37:12 (Source Verse) |
| Jer 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." | New Covenant, inward law |
| Rom 8:9-11 | "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you..." | Spirit dwelling in believers |
| Gal 5:22-23 | "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." | Manifestation of Spirit's work |
| 1 Cor 3:16 | "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" | Believer as temple of the Spirit |
| John 14:16-17 | "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth..." | Holy Spirit as Helper |
| John 3:5-7 | "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" | Spiritual birth through the Spirit |
| Rom 8:2 | "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." | Life through the Spirit |
| Phil 2:13 | "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." | God's work within believers |
| Acts 2:17-18 | "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh...'" | Promise of the Spirit's outpouring |
| Zech 12:10 | "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy..." | Spirit of grace and mercy |
| Ezek 11:19 | "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh..." | New heart and new spirit |
| Ezek 18:31 | "Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?" | Call for new heart/spirit |
| Titus 3:5 | "...he saved us, not because of works done in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit..." | Renewal by the Holy Spirit |
| Heb 8:10 | "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts..." | Inscribing God's law on hearts |
| Ps 51:10 | "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." | Prayer for spiritual renewal |
| John 6:63 | "It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." | Spirit as giver of life |
| 2 Cor 3:17-18 | "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image..." | Transformation by the Spirit |
| 1 Thess 5:23 | "May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." | Sanctification by God |
| Rom 15:13 | "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." | Abounding in hope by the Spirit |
| Eph 3:16 | "that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being..." | Strengthened by the Spirit |
Ezekiel 37 verses
Ezekiel 37 12 Meaning
This verse describes the act of the Lord placing His Spirit within the Israelites, a divine impartation that will cause them to live and observe His statutes, and practice them. It signifies a profound internal transformation, moving from spiritual death to life and obedience. This indwelling Spirit is the source of true righteousness and empowerment for following God's ways.
Ezekiel 37 12 Context
Ezekiel 37 is a pivotal chapter containing the vision of the valley of dry bones. This vision symbolizes the state of Israel – exiled, scattered, and spiritually lifeless. God instructs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and through his obedience, life begins to return to them, representing the restoration of Israel. Verse 12 specifically highlights the divine enablement for this revival. It speaks of the future restoration and the essential role of God's Spirit in bringing about spiritual life and enabling obedience, a concept echoed throughout scripture concerning the New Covenant. The historical context for Ezekiel's audience was the crushing reality of the Babylonian exile, a period where their national and spiritual existence seemed utterly hopeless.
Ezekiel 37 12 Word Analysis
- Behold (הִנֵּה - hinneh): An interjection commanding attention, emphasizing the certainty and significance of what follows. It's a divine declaration.
- I will open (אָפַתַּח - afattah): Future tense of "to open." This signifies a decisive action of God.
- your graves (קְבָרֹתֵיכֶם - k'varoteikhem): Plural form of "grave" or "tomb." This graphically illustrates the deadness and lack of life of the nation.
- and raise (וְהַעֲלֵתִי - v'ha'altei): Future tense of "to cause to go up" or "to raise." Implies bringing out from a low, concealed state.
- from your graves (מִקְּבָרֹתֵיכֶם - mik'varoteikhem): Reinforces the concept of bringing forth from death and concealment.
- O my people (עַמִּי - ammi): A tender and possessive address from God to Israel, affirming His continued relationship despite their state.
- And I will put (וְנָתַתִּי - v'natati): Future tense of "to give" or "to put." This indicates a deliberate act of impartation.
- My Spirit (רוּחִי - ruchi): God's own life-giving essence, His active power and presence.
- within you (בְּכֶם - bachem): Within the innermost being of the people.
- and you shall live (וִחְיִיתֶם - v'chiyitem): Future tense of "to live." The core outcome – regaining life, not just physical but spiritual vitality.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.": This powerful metaphor, found in verse 12 and preceding verses, is central to understanding Israel's restored condition. It's not merely a physical resurrection but a national and spiritual revival from a state of despair and impotence, as emphasized by the repetition of "graves."
- "And I will put My Spirit within you, and you shall live.": This phrase establishes a direct causal link. The infusion of God's Spirit is the mechanism by which life is imparted. The Spirit isn't just an external force; it's internalized, becoming the very source of their vitality and subsequent obedience.
Ezekiel 37 12 Bonus Section
This verse foreshadows the outpouring of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament, particularly at Pentecost (Acts 2), where Peter quotes Joel's prophecy (Joel 2:28-29) about God pouring out His Spirit. The concept of the Spirit being "put within" believers aligns directly with Jesus' teaching about the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would be with them and in them (John 14:16-17). The transformation described here is consistent with the spiritual rebirth spoken of by Jesus (John 3:5) and the indwelling presence of Christ and the Spirit in the life of a Christian (Rom 8:9-11). The overcoming of death and the imparting of life through the Spirit is a foundational theme that echoes throughout biblical prophecy and fulfillment.
Ezekiel 37 12 Commentary
Ezekiel 37:12 encapsulates God's promise of a future resurrection and restoration for Israel. The vision of dry bones, signifying utter desolation, finds its resolution in God's direct action of opening graves and reanimating His people. Crucially, this life is not merely physical but deeply spiritual, enabled by the internal impartation of God's Spirit. This indwelling presence is the transformative power that allows them to live according to His ways. The verse is a powerful precursor to the New Covenant promises, where the Holy Spirit would dwell in believers, writing God's law on their hearts and empowering them for righteous living. It speaks to a renewal from the inside out, turning spiritual death into vibrant life and adherence to God's commands.