Mark Martinez ENG 305

Ezekiel 37: 1-14 Close Reading This selection ro! the "ook o Ezekiel is a #onder $l %iece o literar& #ork' Thro$gh these (erses Ezekiel o ers his e)%eriences #ith a (ision gi(en to hi! "& God' *n this (ision+ Ezekiel is con ronted #ith grand i!ages that ha(e dee% !eaning gi(en "& the ,ord to assist his %ro%het' -ne o the !a.or the!es %resented in these (erses is that o the dr& "ones' *nitiall&+ Ezekiel see!s (er& intent on kee%ing the reader a#are o the a#e that these "ones re%resent to hi!' /ith this in !ind+ it is clear to see #h& there is s$ch oc$s on these dr& "ones as the (erses lead $s to Ezekiel %er or!ing a !iracle in(ol(ing these "ones' Thro$gh this %rocess+ #e are e(ent$all& led to see that the "ones re%resent the 0ho$se o *srael1' 2t this %oint+ #e see that Ezekiel is "eing told o the grand acts that are %ro!ised to the %eo%le o *srael' *n this #a&+ this selection oc$ses on the i!!ortalit& o s%irit tho$gh God or the %eo%le' To "egin+ Ezekiel o%ens the selection #ith a line that #e can recognize ro! earlier in his "ook' 3ere+ he states that the hand o the ,ord ca!e $%on hi!' This state!ent is so!ething that Ezekiel has $sed "e ore and has "een taken to "e o co!!on occ$rrence #ith the %ro%hets as the& e)%erience these di(ine (isions' Ezekiel then sa&s that the ,ord took hi! o$t "& the s%irit #hich #e can al!ost recognize as the trance-like states that the %ro%hets #ere #ell kno#n or' 2 ter this+ Ezekiel is set do#n in a (alle& $ll #ith "ones' 3ere #e see the irst !ention o the "ones that #ill re!ain a constant the!e thro$gho$t the selection' Ezekiel sa&s that he #as led all aro$nd the "ones and that there #ere !an& l&ing aro$nd "eing (er& dr&' There are t#o %oints o e!%hasis here+ the irst "eing that Ezekiel lets the reader kno# that there #ere many "ones' This is i!%ortant "eca$se it sets the the!e or #hat #e #ill e)%erience in the co!ing lines' The ne)t %oint o e!%hasis is seen #hen Ezekiel sa&s that the "ones

#ere very dr&' The "ones "eing (er& dr& con(e&s that Ezekiel recognizes a clear li elessness in these "ones' This recognition see!s to %a(e the #a& or the ne)t lines' *n the ne)t lines+ God asks Ezekiel+ calling hi! !ortal+ i the "ones can li(e and Ezekiel does not o er a direct ans#er+ "$t instead sa&s that God kno#s' 2gain+ #e can recognize t#o %oints o interest in these lines' The irst+ is that God calls Ezekiel !ortal rather than an& other title+ in this #a& #e can see that Ezekiel intends or the reader to kno# that in this (ision+ God is $sing the conce%t o !ortalit& to direct Ezekiel4s thinking' The second %oint is that Ezekiel chooses to ans#er #ith #hat #e can %res$!e he "elie(es the ,ord #o$ld #ant to hear' /e ha(e alread& seen that Ezekiel sees these "ones as (er& dr& and li eless and &et he does not sa& so to the ,ord' The ,ord then %roceeds to tell Ezekiel to %ro%hes& $nto the "ones and sa& 0- dry "ones+ hear the #ord o the ,ord'1 *n this state!ent+ #e can see that God recognizes that the "ones are indeed dr& .$st as Ezekiel did #hich lets $s kno# that Ezekiel has #ritten this %ortion to %resent the contin$ed e!%hasis o the dr& "ones' Ezekiel contin$es to %ro%hes& that the ,ord #ill ca$se "reath to enter into the "ones and in the ne)t line also states that the ,ord #ill %$t "reath into the! and the& shall li(e and shall kno# that God is the ,ord' 5reath is o"(io$sl& (er& signi icant to Ezekiel in this selection as #e see it again lines do#n #here Ezekiel he has %ro%hesied as the ,ord co!!anded and still there #as no "reath in the "ones' The ,ord then tells Ezekiel to %ro%hes& to "reath+ again calling Ezekiel !ortal' Ezekiel is told to tell "reath to "reathe $%on the slain that the& !a& li(e' 2s #e can clearl& see+ "reath is (astl& e!%hasized here and or good reason' /e can recognize that "reath in the 3e"re# translation can !ean s%irit and #ind' There ore+ Ezekiel4s re%eated $se o the #ord "reath can "e taken to !ean s%irit and #ind as #ell as "reath al!ost interchangea"l&' 6ee%ing the %re(io$s line in !ind+ #e can see that Ezekiel chooses to sa& 0these slain1 #hich stands o$t to dra# $s "ack to the %re(io$s !ention o the (alle&' The (alle& and 0these slain1 dra#s o$r attention to the act that these "ones are not laid here in a cere!onial ashion+ the& ha(e not "een "$ried here+ in act it see!s that these "ones la& in the (alle& as the a ter!ath o a "attle o sorts' 2 ter doing

as the ,ord co!!anded+ Ezekiel sa&s that the "reath ca!e into the "ones 0and the& li(ed and stood on their eet+ a (ast !$ltit$de'1 -nce again+ #e are a"le to see Ezekiel4s e!%hasis on the 7$antit& o "ones' Ezekiel then !o(es on to !ention ho# the ,ord s%eaks to hi!+ and or the last ti!e calling hi! !ortal+ sa&ing that the "ones are the 0#hole ho$se o *srael'1 *n this line+ #e see the #ord !ortal $sed again to address Ezekiel' *t is eas& to recognize that Ezekiel clearl& #anted to !ake s$re that the reader $nderstood his eeling in this (ision as one "elo# God and &et also related to the !ortalit& that is seen to do!inate the state o the "ones thro$gho$t the initial %ortion o the selection' Mo(ing or#ard+ Ezekiel s%eaks a"o$t #hat the ,ord tells hi! that the "ones sa& 0o$r "ones are dried $%+ and o$r ho%e is lost8 #e are c$t o co!%letel&'1 This is s$ch a %ro o$nd state!ent or Ezekiel to incl$de "eca$se it enco!%asses t#o o the see!ingl& !ost i!%ortant as%ects that Ezekiel e!%hasized thro$gho$t the selection' This state!ent s%eaks o the "ones #hich #e no# kno# to re%resent the ho$se o *srael and also the dr&ness o the "ones #hich #e no# see a le)i"le !eta%hor or the ho%elessness o the %eo%le' *n this line+ #e also co!e across the conce%t o "eing cut off #hich also its #ith the a ore!entioned !eta%hor o dr&ness "$t in its o#n #a& s%eaks to the tr$er state o the "ones that indicate the conce%t o death' *t is this conce%t o death that God is sho#ing to Ezekiel+ clai!ing all the %eo%le o *srael+ Ezekiel "egins to dra# all o his %oints together in the ollo#ing lines #here he is told "& God to %ro%hes& and tell the "ones that God #ill li t the! $% ro! their gra(es and "ring ne# li e to the! and %$t his s%irit #ithin the! so that the& !a& "e %laced on their o#n soil so that the& !a& kno# that God is ,ord+ 0has s%oken and #ill act'1 2n interesting o"ser(ance in this last line is that Ezekiel see!s to !ake it a %oint to $se the #ord spirit as o%%osed to "reath' /e can recognize that here+ "reath in all o its de initions+ has alread& "een gi(en to the %eo%le and no# the& #ill "e gi(en this s%irit #hich see!s to "e the re%resentati(e ke& to this section #hich con(e&s the i!!ortal %ro!ise o God to his %eo%le'