Ezekiel 37:4 (LSB)

Passage

Then He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh.’

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 37:2 He caused me to pass among them all around, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and behold, they were very dry.

Ezekiel 37:3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord Yahweh, You know.”

Ezekiel 37:4 Then He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 37:5 Thus says Lord Yahweh to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.

Ezekiel 37:6 I will put sinews on you, make flesh come up upon you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am Yahweh.’”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "prophesy", "over", "bones", "hear", "word", and "yahweh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "prophesy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "He said to me Son of man..." into verse 5's "Thus says Lord Yahweh to these bones...", so "said" and "prophesy" belong inside that flow. In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "prophesy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.