The Valley of Dry Bones
"Can these bones come to life?"
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
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The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
In a vision, God set the prophet Ezekiel in a valley full of very dry bones and asked, "Son of man, can these bones come to life?" When Ezekiel spoke God's word, the bones came together and were covered with flesh, and when he called the breath, they came to life and stood up like a vast army. God explained that the bones were his hopeless people in exile, and promised, "I will put My Spirit in you and you will live."
Where it is in the Bible: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Ezekiel: A priest and prophet. He lives far from home, in Babylon. God calls him "son of man," which means "human being."
- The LORD: God. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
- The people of Israel: God's people, taken away from their land. They feel hopeless.
Setting
- A vision of a valley full of dry bones. A vision is something God shows a person, like a waking dream.
When
- About 2,600 years ago, after Jerusalem was destroyed and its people were taken to Babylon.
Before the Story
God's people had turned away from him again and again. The prophets warned them.
Jerusalem fell. The army of Babylon destroyed the city and the temple. Many people were killed. Many others were taken far away to Babylon (2 Kings 25:8-11).
Ezekiel was already in Babylon. He had been taken there years earlier (1:1-3).
Here's what the people were saying: "Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished" (37:11).
Map of the Passage
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A valley of bones | 37:1-3 | God asks, "Can these bones live?" |
| 2. Rattling | 37:4-8 | The bones come together |
| 3. Breath | 37:9-10 | God's breath brings them to life |
| 4. "I will open your graves" | 37:11-14 | God explains the vision |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 4A Valley of Bones
"The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones" (37:1).
God led Ezekiel all around them. There were a great many bones, and they were very dry.
The people had been dead a long time.
Then God asked, "Son of man, can these bones come to life?" (37:3).
"O Lord GOD," Ezekiel answered, "only You know" (37:3).
Scene 2 of 4Rattling
God told Ezekiel to preach to the bones.
"Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!" (37:4).
God promised to put breath in them, and muscles, and skin, and bring them to life.
So Ezekiel spoke. Suddenly there was a noise, a rattling. The bones came together, bone to bone.
Muscles and flesh grew on them. Skin covered them.
But there was no breath in them.
Scene 3 of 4Breath
God said, "Speak to the breath."
"Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!" (37:9).
So Ezekiel spoke, and breath came into them.
"They came to life and stood on their feet—a vast army" (37:10).
In Hebrew, the same word means breath, wind, and spirit. God's breath is God's Spirit.
Scene 4 of 4"I Will Open Your Graves"
Then God explained. "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel" (37:11).
The people were saying their hope was gone. They felt cut off, like dry bones.
God said, "O My people, I will open your graves and bring you up from them, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel" (37:12).
"I will put My Spirit in you and you will live" (37:14).
"I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it" (37:14).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "They were very dry" (37:2) | There was no life left, and no human hope. |
| "Can these bones come to life?" (37:3) | Only God could answer that. |
| "Hear the word of the LORD!" (37:4) | God's word brings life where there is none. |
| "There was no breath in them" (37:8) | Bodies alone aren't life. Life comes from God's breath. |
| "Our hope has perished" (37:11) | The people felt hopeless in exile. |
| "I will put My Spirit in you" (37:14) | God himself would give them new life. |
Back Then
The exile lasted about seventy years. Then God brought many of his people back home, as he promised (Ezra 1:1-3).
God breathed life into the first human. In Genesis, God formed a man from the dust and breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Ezekiel's vision echoes that.
Ezekiel saw many strange visions. His book starts with a vision of God's glory by a river in Babylon (1:1).
Literal Reader Alert
Did this really happen in a valley? It was a vision, something God showed Ezekiel. God explained what it meant: the bones were God's people, who felt dead and hopeless.
Is it scary? It can be. But it's a hope story. God takes the most hopeless thing imaginable, a valley of old bones, and brings it to life.
Does this mean the dead will rise? God first promised to bring his people home from exile. Christians also see in this vision God's power to raise the dead on the last day.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel | Unsure | He didn't know if the bones could live (37:3) |
| Ezekiel | Amazed | He watched the bones come together (37:7) |
| The people | Hopeless | They felt dried up and cut off (37:11) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Where do you need God's breath? Tap one.
I feel dried up
The people said that too. God said, "I will put My Spirit in you."
Something seems dead
"Can these bones live?" Only God knows, and he gives life.
I've lost hope
God speaks to hopeless people. His word still brings life.
I'm grieving
God promises to open graves. Death is not the end.
You Might Have Heard
"Some things are just too far gone."
What's true: Sometimes people and situations feel completely hopeless.
What the story is mainly about: Nothing is more hopeless than a valley of dry bones. But God's word and God's Spirit brought them to life. God specializes in raising what is dead.
Where Jesus is: After he rose from the dead, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). He is the resurrection and the life. He will open every grave on the last day.
Good News
The people said their hope was gone. God said he would open their graves.
"I will put My Spirit in you and you will live" (37:14).
God breathes life into dry bones. Jesus rose from the dead and sends his Spirit, and he promises that everyone who trusts him will rise too.
God brought dry bones to life by his word and his Spirit. He gives hope to the hopeless, and he will raise the dead.
Big Idea
God showed Ezekiel a valley of dry bones and brought them to life with his word and his breath. God gives life to the hopeless.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism, Luther wrote that the Holy Spirit calls us, gives us faith, and on the last day will raise us and all the dead. He taught that we can't come to life on our own. It is the Spirit's work.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year A, it reads Ezekiel 37:1-14 on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, next to Jesus raising Lazarus. In Year B, it is one of the readings for the Day of Pentecost. It is also read at the Easter Vigil.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
How did that feel?
You finished The Valley of Dry Bones.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Fifth Sunday in Lent Year AFirst reading, Ezekiel 37:1–14
For a newsletter or sermon notes
The Valley of Dry Bones, explained in plain words. God shows Ezekiel a valley of bones and asks if they can live. About 9 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/the-valley-of-dry-bones/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church