Ezekiel 37 8

Ezekiel 37:8 kjv

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

Ezekiel 37:8 nkjv

Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Ezekiel 37:8 niv

I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Ezekiel 37:8 esv

And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.

Ezekiel 37:8 nlt

Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

Ezekiel 37 verses

Ezekiel 37 8 Meaning

The verse describes the reappearance of flesh, sinews, and skin upon the dry bones. This signifies a return to wholeness and life, a supernatural restoration. It represents the revitalization of the people of Israel from a state of spiritual and national death to renewed existence and vitality, mirroring a resurrection.

Ezekiel 37 8 Context

Ezekiel chapter 37 describes a vision of a valley full of dry bones. This vision comes to Ezekiel while the Israelites are in Babylonian exile, a period of profound national and spiritual despair. The dry bones represent the seemingly hopeless state of the exiled nation. God asks Ezekiel to prophesy to these bones, symbolizing a message of hope and future restoration to the dispersed and defeated Israelites. This chapter follows accounts of God's judgment and precedes further prophecies about future salvation and a restored kingdom.

Ezekiel 37 8 Word Analysis

• And (Hebrew: וְ - ve): A common conjunction, connecting clauses and indicating progression.

• Lo (Hebrew: הִנֵּה - hinneh): An interjection drawing attention, signifying immediacy or the presentation of something noteworthy.

• Flesh (Hebrew: בָּשָׂר - basar): Means flesh or meat. In this context, it represents the vital substance of the body, indicating a return of physical life.

• came (Hebrew: בָּא - ba): To come or arrive. Denotes the movement towards or presence of the flesh.

• upon (Hebrew: עַל - al): On, upon, over. Indicates where the flesh appeared.

• them (Hebrew: הֵמָּה - hemmah): Third-person masculine plural pronoun, referring back to the bones.

• and (Hebrew: וְ - ve): Again, the conjunction for continuation.

• sinews (Hebrew: גִּיד - gid): Means sinew, tendon, or nerve. Represents the connecting tissues that give structure and enable movement to the body.

• joined (Hebrew: חָבַר - chabar): To join, knit, bind together, unite. Shows the act of reconnecting the disassembled parts.

• to (Hebrew: אֶל - el): To, toward. Indicates the connection point.

• them (Hebrew: הֵמָּה - hemmah): Again, the pronoun referring to the bones.

• and (Hebrew: וְ - ve): Conjunction.

• skin (Hebrew: עוֹר - or): Means skin, hide, or leather. The outermost covering of the body, signifying completion of the physical form.

• covered (Hebrew: כָּסָה - kasah): To cover, conceal, overwhelm. Denotes the act of encasing the sinews and flesh.

• them (Hebrew: עֲלֵיהֶם - aleihem): On them; a compound of 'al' (upon) and 'hem' (them).

• and (Hebrew: וְ - ve): Conjunction.

• breath (Hebrew: רוּחַ - ruach): Spirit, wind, breath. Often signifies the animating principle of life, or divine power.

• was (Hebrew: הָיָה - hayah): Was, became, happened. States the existence or action.

• not (Hebrew: אֵין - ein): Not, there is not. Negation.

• in (Hebrew: בָּם - bam): In them; a compound of 'b' (in) and 'hem' (them).

• them (Hebrew: הֵמָּה - hemmah): The bones.

• The sequence of restoration: The progression from bones to sinews, then skin, highlights a methodical and organized rebuilding process.

• Absence of breath initially: The emphasis that "breath was not yet in them" underscores that this is a physical reconstruction phase, awaiting the spirit or life-breath, which is a distinct act.

• Emphasis on "Lo": The "Behold" (Lo) is crucial for Ezekiel and the audience, signaling a miraculous, observable transformation.

Ezekiel 37 8 Bonus Section

The vision of dry bones being reassembled and re-covered is a powerful metaphor. It visually depicts God's absolute power over death and decay. The repetition of "upon them" and "in them" reinforces the idea of God's pervasive and life-giving action. This concept of restoration of the dead back to life, even if the mechanism is initially described in stages (bones, sinews, skin), points to the ultimate resurrection described in the New Testament, particularly in 1 Corinthians 15, where the body is resurrected, perfected, and given new life by God's Spirit. The verse resonates with God's power to reconstitute what is utterly destroyed, bringing about a new reality from nothingness.

Ezekiel 37 8 Commentary

This verse details the second stage of God's restoration of the dry bones. After the bones were realigned and reconnected (v. 7), the next step is the reappearance of the flesh and skin. This signifies a return to a complete human form. The absence of "breath" (ruach) at this point is significant; it means the physical structure is present, but life itself has not yet returned. This foreshadows the ultimate source of life coming from God, typically through His Spirit, as seen in the next verse. For the exiles, this symbolized a hope of regaining their full national identity and vitality, a physical and spiritual revival orchestrated by God.