Ezekiel 37

Ezekiel 37:1

IN the spirit] namely, In extasie, and rapture of minde Bones] Dead mens bones.

Ezekiel 37:3

Can these bones] By any way or naturall power, that thou knowest.

Ezekiel 37:4

Prophecie] Be thou the instrument of mine Almightie Word; by which in vision these bones shall seeme to thee, to have life put into them; for a signe that by my power, my people shall be re-established in their former estate.

Ezekiel 37:7

Aoyse] A signe of Gods glorious presence, shewing his power in a miraculous and supernaturall worke To his bone] Joyning themselves againe to thir naturall joynts.

Ezekiel 37:9

To the wind] the Italian, To the spirit] According to some, to the soule of man, and according to some, to the holy Ghost, it selfe whose personall property is to vivifie and cause all things to live, Psal. 104. 30 From the foure] For to signifie the restauration of the people from all those places where they had been scattered Breathe upon] Send the soule and spirit of life into every one of these dead bodies by the operation of thy divine power. Hee seemes to intend to represent the manner of the creating and infusing the soule into Adam, described, Genesis 2:7.

Ezekiel 37:11

Our bones] Wee are destroyed beyond hope of restauration: Wee are in Babylon like dried bones in sepulchres, Psal. 41. 7.

Ezekiel 37:16

One sticke] Some little piece of boord, or a ruler, or a cleft sticke And write] Set downe upon it that part of the people which is signified by it For the children of Israel] Whereof many, namely, the two whole tribes of Levi & Benjamin, and many other particular men of the other tribes did joyne with Judah, when the ten tribes revolted, 2 Chron. 11. 12. 13. 16.Unto Joseph] namely, to the ten tribes whose head was the tribe of Ephraim, which came from Joseph.

Ezekiel 37:19

I will take] that is to say, I will gather together, and unite all mine elect of what nation soever they be, into one spirituall body, annihilating by Christs crosse, the divisions and enmities of the nations; as of Judah, and of the ten tribes, oftentimes used by the Prophets for a signe of the division which was between the Jews and the Gentiles, Isaiah 11:13. Ephes. 2. 14, 15, 16 The stick of Ioseph] of the ten tribes, represented by this tree of Joseph, by reason that the tribe of Ephraim had ruled over them.

Ezekiel 37:22

One King] namely, The Messias.

Ezekiel 37:23

Their dwelling places] Wheresoever they shall be in exile or captivity; as in Babylon, in Egypt, and other places of the world, where either willingly, or by compulsion, they have beene partakers of Pagan Idolatries, Jeremiah 44:8. Ezek. 14. 3. and 20. 30, 39.

Ezekiel 37:24

David] namely, Jesus Christ, the sonne of David, according to the flesh.

Ezekiel 37:25

In the land] A figure of the Church.

Ezekiel 37:26

will set my] I will be present in my Grace, Word and Spirit in their assemblies, and in their hearts, of which spirituall presence the Tabernacle and Sanctuarie, heretofore were signes and pledges, Leviticus 26:11-12. 1 Corinthians 3:16. 2 Corinthians 6:16. Ephes. 2. 21. 22.

Ezekiel 37:28

Doe sanctifie] That doe take it, and consecrate it to my selfe, and by my presence do make it holy and inviolable, against all manner of injuries and offences.