The hand of Hashem was upon me, and Hashem carried me out in a spirit, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones;
verse value 2443
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "upon·me" (עָלַי֮, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·He·brought·me·out" (וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נִֽי, 7 letters). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hand·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "was" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "upon·me" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·valley', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: הָיְתָ֣ה [was] (420) + עָלַי֮ [upon·me] (110) + יַד־יְהֹוָה֒ [hand·of·Hashem] (40) + וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נִֽי [and·He·brought·me·out] (173) + בְר֙וּחַ֙ [in·spirit·of] (216) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + וַיְנִיחֵ֖נִי [and·He·set·me·down] (144) + בְּת֣וֹךְ [in·midst·of] (428) + הַבִּקְעָ֑ה [the·valley] (182) + וְהִ֖יא [and·it] (22) + מְלֵאָ֥ה [full] (76) + עֲצָמֽוֹת [bones] (606) = 2443.
Rashi
“And the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord…” – “The hand of the Lord”: Every instance of “the hand of the Lord” in prophecy denotes compulsion, meaning that the Spirit compelled him to go, as one possessed, to the place where the Spirit desired.
“And it was full of bones.” Our Sages said that they were from the tribe of Ephraim, who had left Egypt before the appointed time, and the men of Gath, who were born in the land, killed them, as stated in Chronicles.
Radak
“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He set me down.” As its Targum renders it: “And He rested me.” The matter concerns rest.
"Within the valley." It is possible that the valley in which he received the prophecy was already there, as stated at the beginning of the book:
“And it was full of bones.” Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated [this as] “bones of men.” And this matter the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him as a parable, that the children of Israel will emerge from the exile in which they are, and they are like dry bones, by way of parable. Or, He showed him this to indicate to him that He is destined to revive the dead of Israel at the time of salvation, so that they too may see the salvation. And there is a dispute in the words of our Sages of blessed memory regarding this. It is taught: Rabbi Eliezer says: The dead whom Ezekiel revived stood on their feet and recited a song. And what song did they recite? “The Lord kills and makes alive.” [They added:] “He kills with justice and makes alive with mercy.” And Rabbi Yehoshua says: This song they recited: “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and brings up.” Rabbi Yehuda says: It was truly a parable. Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosei the Galilean, says: The dead whom Ezekiel revived came up to the Land of Israel, took wives, and bore sons and daughters. Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira stood on his feet and said: I am of their children’s children, and these are the phylacteries which my father’s father left me from them. And they asked: Who were the dead whom Ezekiel revived? Rav said: These were the sons of Ephraim, who were appointed for the end [of days] and erred, as it is written: “And the sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, etc.; and the men of Gath slew them, etc.; and Ephraim their father mourned for them.” And Shmuel said: These were people who denied the resurrection of the dead. And Rabbi Yochanan said: These were the dead in the Valley of Dura, etc., as it is written in the chapter of Chelek.
Metzudat David
The hand of the Lord. The power and strength of prophecy.
And He brought me out. He brought me out from my place:
“By the Spirit of the Lord.” This means that the expulsion was by the will of the Omnipresent, and not by my will, but rather against my will.
And it was full of bones. Our Sages of blessed memory said that they were from the tribe of Ephraim, who hastened the end to leave Egypt, and the men of Gath killed them.
Metzudat Zion
In the spirit. The matter of desire:
"and He set me down." The word is from the root *hanachah* (to set down).
The valley. The valley:
Malbim
(A-B) Our Sages had already disagreed whether this was an allegory or a literal reality, as is well known. And in any case, even if it was an allegory, what the prophet sees appears as if it were actually taking place; he sees the future as though it were the present. Now, they were brought forth by the Spirit of God that rested upon him, and He placed him within a valley which was full of bones. Our Sages of blessed memory stated that these were from those who denied the End [of Days] and denied the resurrection of the dead, and who, in truth, were unworthy of resurrection. It has already been explained in the words of the divine sages that within the bones of the dead remains a "costa de chiyuta" (a spark of life) or a "hebla de garmi" (a vapor of the body), which will act like leaven in dough at the time of resurrection, and from it the body will be rebuilt anew. Our Sages of blessed memory further stated that the righteous are destined to become dust, for before the resurrection, the dust must necessarily return to the earth, and the first body must decay completely. Then, a new, superior body will sprout from the dust, as is the case with everything whose existence is preceded by non-existence: a chick does not come into being until the egg decays, and wheat does not grow until the seed decays in the soil. Only one bone, called luz, remains, and from it, in conjunction with the decayed dust, a new structure will sprout. However, here there were two anomalies: First, the bones were still intact and had not decayed into dust, so that when they are resurrected, the first body itself will be revived. This is impossible, for existence cannot occur without prior non-existence. Second, the bones were extremely dry, meaning that no spirit of life, "hebla de garmi," or "costa de chiyuta" remained in them—the element necessary to act as leaven in the dough. This is what the verse means when it states that the valley was full of bones, and they were numerous, not merely the single luz bone, for all of them were still intact and lay on the surface of the valley. They were not at all in the grave, such that Sheol would have decayed them, and they were extremely dry, so that the "costa de chiyuta" did not remain in them.
and He caused me to pass by them round about, and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
verse value 2626
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. Verse gematria: 2626 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "very" (מְאֹד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·He·made·me·pass" (וְהֶעֱבִירַ֥נִי, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 74: round, about. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·He·made·me·pass" (וְהֶעֱבִירַ֥נִי), "dry" (יְבֵשׁ֥וֹת). The root סביב appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "over·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "upon·the·face·of" (root פנים, 150x in Ezekiel); "round" (root סביב, 112x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'about', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְהֶעֱבִירַ֥נִי [and·He·made·me·pass] (353) + עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם [over·them] (155) + סָבִ֣יב [round] (74) + סָבִ֑יב [about] (74) + וְהִנֵּ֨ה [and·behold] (66) + רַבּ֤וֹת [many] (608) + מְאֹד֙ [very] (45) + עַל־פְּנֵ֣י [upon·the·face·of] (240) + הַבִּקְעָ֔ה [the·valley] (182) + וְהִנֵּ֖ה [and·behold] (66) + יְבֵשׁ֥וֹת [dry] (718) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 2626.
Rashi
“And He made me pass over them round about.” To the valley, but He did not bring me inside it, because he was a priest.
Radak
And He carried me away. And all of this was in a prophetic vision:
“Around them, all around.” In order that I might see them all. And what Rashi, of blessed memory, explained, that “all around” means around the valley, and they did not enter into it, so as not to become impure, since he was a priest—if so, how did He command him to pass the razor over his head and beard? And likewise, Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated regarding the priests, “They shall not shave the corners of their beards.” Moreover, it is stated, “And He set me in the midst of the valley.” Rather, everything was in a prophetic vision, and the events were not literal.
Metzudat David
"And He passed me by." He passed me by close to them, around them, so that I might see their quality and their quantity. And He did not pass me among the bones, for he was a priest.
"And behold, many." This means: I saw that they were exceedingly numerous and exceedingly dry.
And He said to me: ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered: ‘O Lord Hashem, You know.’
verse value 2763
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "they·will·live" (הֲתִֽחְיֶ֖ינָה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 41: to·me, these. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "they·will·live" (הֲתִֽחְיֶ֖ינָה), "You·know" (יָדָֽעְתָּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'these', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם [son·of·man] (97) + הֲתִֽחְיֶ֖ינָה [they·will·live] (488) + הָעֲצָמ֣וֹת [the·bones] (611) + הָאֵ֑לֶּה [these] (41) + וָאֹמַ֕ר [and·I·said] (247) + אֲדֹנָ֥י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אַתָּ֥ה [you] (406) + יָדָֽעְתָּ [You·know] (484) = 2763.
Rashi
Will they live? Do you not see that they will be able to live?
Radak
And He said, "Son of man." It is clear:
Metzudat David
The word "התחיינה" (will they live?) is spelled with a heh of interrogation, for they asked whether it is possible for these bones to live.
"You know." This is to say: According to nature, there is no place where they would live; but if it is Your will that they live, then indeed they will live. And who besides You knows Your will? Hence, You know whether they will live.
Malbim
And He said to me, Son of man, Can these bones live? Although Ezekiel certainly believed in resurrection, he accepted that resurrection would occur only after the body had completely decayed, and through the spirit of life that remained in the bones. But not so with these bones, which do not meet the conditions for resurrection. Therefore, he said, "O Lord, You know", because this does not accord with the conditions established for him regarding the matter of the resurrection of the dead.
Then He said to me: ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: O you dry bones, hear the word of Hashem:
verse value 3823
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "over·the·bones" (עַל־הָעֲצָמ֣וֹת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 41: to·me, these. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "over·the·bones" (עַל־הָעֲצָמ֣וֹת), "the·dry" (הַיְבֵשׁ֔וֹת). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "to·me" (root אל, 204x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'these', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + הִנָּבֵ֖א [prophesy] (58) + עַל־הָעֲצָמ֣וֹת [over·the·bones] (711) + הָאֵ֑לֶּה [these] (41) + וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ [and·you·shall·say] (647) + אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם [to·them] (86) + הָֽעֲצָמוֹת֙ [the·bones] (611) + הַיְבֵשׁ֔וֹת [the·dry] (723) + שִׁמְע֖וּ [hear] (416) + דְּבַר־יְהֹוָֽה [word·of·Hashem] (232) = 3823.
Radak
And it says, “Prophesy.” It is clear:
Malbim
And He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones,” for the future resurrection will be such that the body, dissolved in the dust, will resemble the creation of man in his mother’s womb: first, a skin will form around the seminal drop, and afterward flesh will be formed there (as it is written, “Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? You clothed me with skin and flesh, and fenced me in with bones and sinews”—skin, and afterward flesh). Then the limbs will be joined by sinews and bones. This is the second point: the remaining bone, the luz bone, contains a *costa de chiyuta* (a spark of life), which is the foundation for the breath of life, and from it the corpse’s body will be rebuilt. It will resemble a drop of semen, which contains vitality and from which the body grows. Not so with these dry bones, which lack the breath of life. Therefore, He commanded him to prophesy: “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring into you breath.” This is the fundamental breath of life, the *costa de chiyuta*, which is lacking in these bones because they were not prepared for resurrection due to their evil deeds, and they dried up completely like a dry tree that will no longer sprout. “And you shall live”—meaning you will receive the power of life. Afterward, “And I will lay sinews upon you,” not in the manner of the formation of a fetus, nor in the manner of the future resurrection, where first skin and flesh, then sinews and bones are formed. Here, since the bones still remain, the order is reversed: first sinews upon the bones, then flesh, and afterward skin. Then, “And I will put breath into you.” This is the supernal soul that comes afterward upon the constructed body; it is the breath that was in them previously, bound in the bundle of life. “And you shall live,” which is the complete resurrection.
Thus says the Lord Hashem to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
verse value 1958
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·bones" (לָעֲצָמ֖וֹת, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "to·the·bones" (לָעֲצָמ֖וֹת). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'these', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֤ה [thus] (25) + אָמַר֙ [said] (241) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + לָעֲצָמ֖וֹת [to·the·bones] (636) + הָאֵ֑לֶּה [these] (41) + הִנֵּ֨ה [they] (60) + אֲנִ֜י [I] (61) + מֵבִ֥יא [bringing] (53) + בָכֶ֛ם [into·you] (62) + ר֖וּחַ [breath] (214) + וִחְיִיתֶֽם [and·you·will·live] (474) = 1958.
Radak
Thus it is stated: "He brings upon you spirit." After the flesh, the skin, and the sinews, just as it is stated in the subsequent verse in order:
Metzudat David
"He brings into you breath." This means that into the bones there will come wind and air blowing, and from this there will come a little life into the bones, so that they will move and come together, as explained in the matter.
And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am Hashem.’
verse value 5761
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 75 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "flesh" (בָּשָׂ֗ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring·up" (וְֽהַעֲלֵתִ֧י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 866: and·I·will·give, and·I·will·give. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "sinews" (גִּידִ֜ים), "and·I·will·bring·up" (וְֽהַעֲלֵתִ֧י), "and·I·will·cover" (וְקָרַמְתִּ֤י). The root על appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "upon·you" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·you·will·live', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 3 words.
Rashi
“And I will put upon you sinews…” . And in the Book of Job it says, “You will clothe me with skin and flesh” (Job 10:11) first, and afterward, “You will cover me with bones and sinews” (Job 10:11). But why are these likened to a person who undresses and then dresses again? For what he undressed last, he dresses first. But at the beginning of the creation of the fetus, skin and flesh come first, and afterward, bones and sinews.
"and I will make a covering for it." This is the language of a membrane, *ikrutariya* in the vernacular.
Radak
"And I will put sinews upon you." For they are the beginning of the formation of the fetus and its constitution, for many of them are attached to the bones, and after the sinews comes the flesh, and after that the skin, for it is the outermost layer. As for what Job said, "You would clothe me with skin and flesh, and cover me with bones and sinews," he did not mean that the skin and flesh are first in the formation, but rather he mentioned them first because he said, "You would clothe me," implying that they are like a garment, which is the outermost covering.
And I will cover [them with skin]. It is a transitive verb; “and skin covered over them” is an intransitive verb, just as it also says, “and the flesh came up,” and it refers to the matter of a crust. In the words of our Sages of blessed memory, they said: so that its surface would form a crust.
Metzudat David
"And I will put upon you..." After the bones have drawn near, each to its proper place, I will place upon you sinews to join and bind the bones together.
And I will make a skin for you. I will make for you a covering of skin, and after this I will give into you the life-giving spirit, and you will remain alive and established.
"For I am the Lord. And everything is in My hand:"
Metzudat Zion
And I formed a crust over them. From the term "skin," similar to a peel or rind. And our Sages of blessed memory said: "Skin" refers to a scab that formed as a result of a wound (Chullin 43b).
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a commotion, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
verse value 4154
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "bone" (עֶ֖צֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·there·was·a·noise" (וַֽיְהִי־ק֤וֹל, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·prophesied" (וְנִבֵּ֖אתִי), "and·behold·quaking" (וְהִנֵּה־רַ֔עַשׁ), "and·they·came·near" (וַתִּקְרְב֣וּ). The root נבא appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "and·there·was·a·noise" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "to·its·bone" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·commanded', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְנִבֵּ֖אתִי [and·I·prophesied] (469) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר [as] (521) + צֻוֵּ֑יתִי [was·commanded] (516) + וַֽיְהִי־ק֤וֹל [and·there·was·a·noise] (167) + כְּהִנָּֽבְאִי֙ [as·I·prophesied] (88) + וְהִנֵּה־רַ֔עַשׁ [and·behold·quaking] (636) + וַתִּקְרְב֣וּ [and·they·came·near] (714) + עֲצָמ֔וֹת [bones] (606) + עֶ֖צֶם [bone] (200) + אֶל־עַצְמֽוֹ [to·its·bone] (237) = 4154.
Rashi
"And there was a voice." And behold, it was the sound of the bones rattling as they came together, each striking against its fellow.
“Bone to its own.” The bones of each individual, wherever they were scattered, would leap and draw near, each one to the place of its joining.
Radak
"And I prophesied, and they drew near." The bones that had already separated from one another over the course of time. And it says "they drew near" in the feminine form with only one sign, because for the most part it is said with two signs, "they drew near," and like it: "Your widows shall trust in You," and in the majority of cases "bone" is in the feminine form, and when it says "bone to its bone," it is in the masculine form, and it means that each bone is to the bone that is fit to be joined to it according to its creation.
Metzudat David
And there was a voice. From the wind and air that blows.
And behold, there is a trembling. And behold, there is a swaying and movement of the bones, each one drawing close to the bone to which it was attached when it was alive.
Metzudat Zion
"Ra'ash." The meaning is swaying and movement.
Malbim
And I prophesied, and there was a voice, and behold, a tumult, because the spirit of revival came into the bones, and because the bones drew near to one another in the proper place.
And I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
verse value 2848
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "went·up" (עָלָ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·behold·upon·them" (וְהִנֵּֽה־עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·behold·upon·them" (וְהִנֵּֽה־עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם), "sinews" (גִּדִים֙), "and·flesh" (וּבָשָׂ֣ר). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "in·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel); "and·I·saw" (root ראה, 74x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'on·top', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְרָאִ֜יתִי [and·I·saw] (627) + וְהִנֵּֽה־עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם [and·behold·upon·them] (221) + גִּדִים֙ [sinews] (57) + וּבָשָׂ֣ר [and·flesh] (508) + עָלָ֔ה [went·up] (105) + וַיִּקְרַ֧ם [and·covered] (356) + עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם [upon·them] (155) + ע֖וֹר [skin] (276) + מִלְמָ֑עְלָה [on·top] (215) + וְר֖וּחַ [but·breath] (220) + אֵ֥ין [nothing] (61) + בָּהֶֽם [in·them] (47) = 2848.
Radak
And I saw, and flesh came up. The interpretation is that it came up upon the sinews, for the sinews are within the flesh. And some say that "came up" means "grew," like [the verse] "and one of its branches grew up."
Metzudat David
"And behold, upon them." This means that tendons, etc., are placed upon them.
And there was no spirit in them. The vital spirit had not yet been in them:
Metzudat Zion
And it formed a crust. It became a membrane:
Malbim
And I saw first the sinews, and afterward the flesh, and afterward the skin; but the breath was not in them. It was the primary breath that gives life to the body as a whole that was lacking. And it has already been explained in his commentary on Parashat Bereshit, that all changes in nature are effected through the prophet, but to restore souls to corpses will be done only by God alone. Therefore, when Elijah needed to revive the son of the Zarephath woman, he needed prayer, and therefore the breath did not come through the prophet.
Then said He to me: ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord Hashem: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’
verse value 3631
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 88 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "on·the·slain" (בַּהֲרוּגִ֥ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 266: thus·says, on·the·slain. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "from·four" (מֵאַרְבַּ֤ע), "go·in" (בֹּ֣אִי), "and·breathe" (וּפְחִ֛י). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "to·the·breath" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·breath', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 15 words.
Rashi
“From the four winds.” Wherever their souls went to wander to the four corners of the world, from there they will be gathered and come.
And "pachai." Like "the bellows blow upon the coals" (Isaiah 54:16):
Radak
"And He said, 'Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.'" This is the breath of life; therefore He said "from the four winds," meaning: from whichever direction it may be, it shall come, for it is of the air. And what He said, "And I will put My spirit within you," refers to the spirit of intellect. Therefore, He said "spirit," and the proof is that He said this after He said, "And I will bring you up from your graves."
And he puffed. Its root is N-P-KH, on the pattern of GSHY from NGSH, pertaining to the matter of “He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”
Regarding these slain ones. It does not say "slain by the sword," but rather it intends to say "the dead," for the term "slain" is also used for those who died without the sword, as in "the slain of death." And if they were of the sons of Ephraim, as it is written above, they would have been "slain by the sword."
Metzudat David
“From the four winds.” This means that from wherever their souls went to wander to the four corners of the world, from there they will be gathered and come and be breathed into the bodies of these slain ones, and they will live.
Metzudat Zion
And breathe. From the language of "the blowing" and "breathing":
Malbim
And the prophet said to the spirit: “Prophesy to the spirit.” And because you are a human being, you shall say to the spirit: “Thus says the Lord.” For this matter depends specifically on the word of the Lord. And he said, “From the four winds, come, O spirit.” His intent refers to the spirit that remains after death: the spirit of the righteous is bound in the bundle of life, whereas the spirit of the wicked is scattered like dust in the sling across the four winds and has no rest. And he said that the spirit should come from the four winds because they were wicked, and their spirit had no rest. And Mahar”i explained that the spirit is composed of four winds: the natural soul, the vital soul, the rational soul, and the eternal soul. And He commanded that it should come in all its parts and breathe into these slain.
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great host.
verse value 2577
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "into·them" (בָהֶ֨ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·their·feet" (עַל־רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·prophesied" (וְהִנַּבֵּ֖אתִי), "He·commanded·me" (צִוָּ֑נִי), "upon·their·feet" (עַל־רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "and·she·came" (root בוא, 175x in Ezekiel); "into·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'He·commanded·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וְהִנַּבֵּ֖אתִי [and·I·prophesied] (474) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר [as] (521) + צִוָּ֑נִי [He·commanded·me] (156) + וַתָּבוֹא֩ [and·she·came] (415) + בָהֶ֨ם [into·them] (47) + הָר֜וּחַ [the·spirit] (219) + וַיִּֽחְי֗וּ [and·they·lived] (40) + וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ֙ [and·they·stood] (136) + עַל־רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם [upon·their·feet] (388) + חַ֖יִל [strength] (48) + גָּד֥וֹל [great] (43) + מְאֹד־מְאֹֽד [exceedingly] (90) = 2577.
Radak
And I will prophesy. It is missing the letter tav, in the hitpa'el conjugation, and its proper form would be "and I will prophesy" (vehitnaviti); therefore, the nun is dageshed to compensate for the missing tav.
Then He said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.
verse value 4823
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "and·has·perished" (וְאָבְדָ֥ה) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 4823 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַי֒, 3 letters) and the longest is "our·bones" (עַצְמוֹתֵ֛ינוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 41: to·me, these. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "they·put·to·shame" (יָבְשׁ֧וּ), "our·bones" (עַצְמוֹתֵ֛ינוּ), "and·has·perished" (וְאָבְדָ֥ה). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "to·me" (root אל, 204x in Ezekiel); "abundance" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'abundance', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Rashi
"These bones are all of the House of Israel." This serves as an allusion and a parable for the entire House of Israel in their times of distress, for they say, "Our bones have become dry in our distress, our hope has perished, and what more can we hope for salvation?" Another interpretation: They were all from the portion of Israel, and because they were revived at that time, they say, "Our hope has perished, and we shall no longer live." A second time, when the dead will be resurrected.
Radak
"And He said to me, 'These bones are all the House of Israel.' If this matter is an allegory, He said to him: 'That which I showed you in the prophetic vision—the dry bones that lived and stood upon their feet—is an allegory for all the House of Israel, who were in exile for so long that they despaired of redemption and said, "Our bones have become dry, and our hope has perished," etc. That is to say, behold, we are like dry bones that have no hope anymore.' And if the matter is according to its literal meaning, He said: 'Just as I showed you in these bones, so shall all the House of Israel live, who died during the time of the exile, which lasted so long, and behold, they are as if they are saying, "Our bones have become dry, and our hope has perished." It was decreed for us that we would not see the salvation of Israel that will be in the time of redemption. And how could we live for a thousand years or more?'"
It has been decreed for us, for ourselves:
Metzudat David
"All the house of Israel are they." This means that they serve as an allusion, to be a sign and token for all the house of Israel who died in exile.
Behold, they say: “the dead of the exile” They say: “Behold, before the redemption comes, we have already died, and our bones have dried up; thus, our hope is lost. What we were hoping for in the redemption—since we are cut off from ourselves and will not be among the community of people who witness the redemption—it is as if they were to say: ‘What, then, is the benefit to us from the redemption?’”
Metzudat Zion
We are cut off. The matter of cutting is as it says, “I have been cut off” (Lamentations 3:54):
Malbim
And He said to me, “Son of man,” He explained to him the parable, that these bones are the House of Israel, who are exceedingly dry and have no preparation for the general bodily resurrection, for they lack the “costa de chiyuta” (the element of life), having neither king nor princes, nor might nor stirring of military might, until they are at the utmost point of despair, saying that the bones have become dry and all hope is lost, for hope is the “costa de chiyuta.” Moreover, we have been decreed as cut off and separated from the totality of the bones of the body, and furthermore, they lack the “costa de chiyuta” due to [a lack of] good deeds; they resemble these bones that were not prepared for resurrection because of the evil of their deeds. Nevertheless, they are not like a body that has decayed and turned to rot, for the bones remain intact and the nation as a whole stands forever; only have they been scattered to the four corners of the heavens.
Therefore prophesy, and say to them: Thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
verse value 6868
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 93 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵן֩, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·graves" (אֶת־קִבְרֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 461: you, you. The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 4 words.
Rashi
Therefore, prophesy: "I am destined to revive them once more."
Radak
Therefore. If the matter is an allegory, the lands of the nations and the exile are the graves, and if it is according to its plain meaning, it is clear. And there is a dispute in the words of our Sages of blessed memory regarding the dead outside the Land: some said that outside the Land they will rise from their graves, and some said that from their graves they will rise to the Land of Israel by rolling through tunnels. And this verse proves that outside the Land they will live like the dead of the Land of Israel, for it says, "I will open your graves, and I will bring you up from your graves," and afterward, "And I will bring you into the land of Israel."
Metzudat David
“Behold, I am opening…” – In the time of the redemption, I will open your graves and bring you up from them; you will be alive and enduring, and you shall be My people. This is akin to saying that the revival [of the dead] is signified by the bones of the valley, as a sign of the future resurrection.
“And I will bring…” And if so, you too will see the redemption.
Malbim
Therefore, the prophet says, “Behold, I will open your graves.” This contains both a rhetorical figure and a literal meaning. If it refers to the complete resurrection that will occur in the End of Days, then he stated that the graves of all the dead will be opened, for all will rise in the resurrection, as it is written, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Therefore, he said that the graves of all will be opened. And “I will bring you up from your graves, O My people” — the bringing up from the graves to everlasting life will not be for all, but only for the righteous people of God. And our Sages of blessed memory received that the resurrection will not be in the Land of Israel’s exile, but only in the Land of Israel, and those who die in exile will be rolled to the Land of Israel, and there they will rise in resurrection. And this is what it says, “And I will bring you into the land of Israel,” and he subsequently says, “And I will put My spirit within you, and you shall live,” and this will be in the Land of Israel. And with this in mind it says, “And I will place you upon your land,” meaning that you will remain there alive.
And if it is by way of parable and rhetoric, wherein he compared the body of the nation as a whole to dry bones, in which there is no spirit, and the exile is like graves, where the body of the general nation sleeps in darkness and in the depths, he said that God will open the graves, meaning He will remove the subjugation, and this applies to all. And “I will bring you up from your graves, O My people” — the ascent to the Land of Israel will be only for the righteous, as it is written (above, chapter 20), “And I will bring you out from among the nations... and I will purge from among you those who rebel against Me and transgress against Me... and to the land of Israel they shall not come.”
And you shall know that I am Hashem, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people.
verse value 4254
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "my·people" (עַמִּֽי, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·graves" (אֶת־קִבְרֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם, 10 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "when·I·open" (בְּפִתְחִ֣י), "and·when·I·bring·up" (וּבְהַעֲלוֹתִ֥י). The root קבר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "that·I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel); "and·you·shall·know" (root ידע, 99x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וִידַעְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·know] (530) + כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י [that·I] (91) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּפִתְחִ֣י [when·I·open] (500) + אֶת־קִבְרֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם [your·graves] (1179) + וּבְהַעֲלוֹתִ֥י [and·when·I·bring·up] (529) + אֶתְכֶ֛ם [you] (461) + מִקִּבְרוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם [from·your·graves] (818) + עַמִּֽי [my·people] (120) = 4254.
Radak
"And you shall know." It is clear:
Metzudat David
"And you shall know..." (Ezekiel 37:13). "When I open..." (ibid.) means: At the time that I open your graves and bring you up from there, you shall be My people; then you shall know that I am the Lord, faithful to My words.
Malbim
“And you shall know that I am the Lord” – “when I open” etc. – This means: both from the opening of the graves and from the resurrection, you shall know that I am the Lord, for everything will be above the course of nature.
And I will put My spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and you shall know that I Hashem have spoken, and performed it, says Hashem.’
verse value 5347
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 69 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·you" (בָכֶם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·your·land" (עַל־אַדְמַתְכֶ֑ם, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "in·your·land" (עַל־אַדְמַתְכֶ֑ם). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·make" (root עשה, 214x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֨י [and·I·will·give] (866) + רוּחִ֤י [my·spirit] (224) + בָכֶם֙ [in·you] (62) + וִחְיִיתֶ֔ם [and·you·will·live] (474) + וְהִנַּחְתִּ֥י [and·I·will·place] (479) + אֶתְכֶ֖ם [you] (461) + עַל־אַדְמַתְכֶ֑ם [in·your·land] (605) + וִידַעְתֶּ֞ם [and·you·shall·know] (530) + כִּֽי־אֲנִ֧י [that·I] (91) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי [I·have·spoken] (616) + וְעָשִׂ֖יתִי [and·I·will·make] (796) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [utterance·of·Hashem] (117) = 5347.
Radak
"And I will put My spirit within you." This refers to the spirit of intellect, as we have explained. Since He said, "When I lift you up," this implies the spirit of life, for a person cannot move without the spirit of life. Therefore, what He subsequently said, "And I will put My spirit within you," refers to the spirit of intellect. He promised them that He would place within them knowledge, understanding, and intellect, so that they would no longer sin, as He also promised them, saying, "They shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them."
"And you shall live." He assured them that they would live many days, as it is stated in the prophecy of Isaiah: "For as the days of the tree shall be the days of My people."
"And I will leave you upon your land." He assured them that they would no longer be exiled from it.
Metzudat David
"And I will put My spirit within you." I will place within you the vital spirit, and you will remain alive and enduring, and I will settle you in tranquility upon your land. Then you will know that I am the Lord, faithful to My words: I spoke, and I have done as I spoke.
Metzudat Zion
And I will lay them down. From the language of rest:
Malbim
"And you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken and I have done it"—meaning that I have already spoken to do thus in the future, and I have already done so in the days of Ezekiel, when the dead arose and came to life. This serves as a sign, whether regarding the future resurrection or regarding the redemption and the general revival of the nation, which is likened to dry bones scattered about, in which there is no natural preparation for resurrection.
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "saying" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel). Full calculation: וַיְהִ֥י [and·it·was] (31) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלַ֥י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 575.
Radak
And it came to pass:
Malbim
And the word of the Lord came: After the Lord had shown him how the dry bones would live and how the spirit would enter them, He showed him how this general body, which stands in resurrection, would be governed in such a way that it would no longer die. That is to say, how the governance of the kingship—which is the spirit that gives life to the general body—would be, and how they would return to the Lord through the observance of His Torah and commandments, which pertains to the intellectual soul within the general body.
’And you, son of man, take you one stick, and write upon it: For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it: For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and of all the house of Israel his companions;
verse value 5068
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֔ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "tree" (עֵ֣ץ, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·Judah" (לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 541: Israel, Israel. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "for·Judah" (לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה), "and·to·sons·of" (וְלִבְנֵ֥י), "for·Joseph" (לְיוֹסֵף֙). The root עץ appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·it" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "and·all·house·of" (root בית, 159x in Ezekiel); "Israel" (root ישראל, 154x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root יוסף ("for·Joseph") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root אפרים ("Ephraim") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·companions', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 11 words.
Rashi
"And you, son of man, take for yourself a single piece of wood, etc." And it is written upon it: "For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions." These four words, "for Judah, and for the children of Israel, his companions," mean to say: This piece of wood is for Judah and for the tribe of Benjamin, who is attached to it.
"And he shall take one piece of wood, and write upon it." This refers to the tribe of Joseph, which is the "piece of wood" of Ephraim, and the other nine tribes that were after Jeroboam, which were from the tribe of Ephraim.
Radak
“And you… And to the children of Israel, his companions.” This refers to the tribe of Benjamin, which remained allied with the tribe of Judah at all times, even after the kingdom was divided.
“Joined.” So it is written, because they were from one tribe.
“To Joseph, the tree of Ephraim.” Because when the kingdom was divided, King Jeroboam, who was from the tribe of Ephraim, reigned, the Ten Tribes were called by the name of Ephraim.
"And all the house of Israel joined together." The word "joined" is written in the manner of a general statement, as it is said regarding "the house of Jacob."
Metzudat David
One piece of wood. A single piece of wood:
“Judah and his companions, the sons of Israel.” These words are written about him as if to say: “That tree” alludes to Judah, and “his companions, the sons of Israel” refers to the sons of Benjamin, who joined with him to form a single kingdom.
“And he took one stick.” And he took another stick, and it was written upon it, “For Joseph, for Ephraim,” etc., as if to say that the stick alludes to Joseph, and it is Ephraim who comes from Joseph, for the kingdom of Israel is called by his name, since the first king who reigned over them was Jeroboam, who descended from Ephraim, and that stick alludes to him and to the other tribes that joined with him to be under his rule.
Malbim
And he was commanded to take one piece of wood, and write upon it these words: “To Judah and his companions, the sons of Israel.” This means that it serves as a sign for Judah and for those who join with him from the sons of Israel, such as the tribe of Benjamin, and from the sons of Levi and the rest of the people who joined with Judah. And he shall take another piece of wood and write upon it these words: “To Joseph, the wood of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel, his companions.” This means that it serves as a sign for Joseph, who is the head of the tribe, and from whom the kingdom of Ephraim sprouted forth, which began with Jeroboam; therefore, they called it “the wood of Ephraim.” And “all the house of Israel,” because all of Israel, who are the ten tribes, joined with him.
and join them for you one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.
verse value 1215
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֧ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֖, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·one" (לַאֲחָדִ֖ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 13: one, one. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·near" (וְקָרַ֨ב), "to·one" (אֶל־אֶחָ֛ד), "as·one" (לַאֲחָדִ֖ים). The root אחד appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "to·one" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "one" (root אחד, 104x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְקָרַ֨ב [and·near] (308) + אֹתָ֜ם [them] (441) + אֶחָ֧ד [one] (13) + אֶל־אֶחָ֛ד [to·one] (44) + לְךָ֖ [to·you] (50) + לְעֵ֣ץ [as·wood·of] (190) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + וְהָי֥וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + לַאֲחָדִ֖ים [as·one] (93) + בְּיָדֶֽךָ [in·your·hand] (36) = 1215.
Rashi
“And they shall be one.” I shall join the two trees together, so that there will be one tree in your hand.
Radak
"Uk'raav." The command is from the dagesh, and the resh comes with a patakh, just as in "keter li pelag lashonam" (Wait for me, divide their tongue).
“Go to one tree.” After you have taken two trees and written on each one a name by itself—which is a sign of the kingdom of Israel that was subsequently divided—you shall then bring them close to one another, and they will be in your hand together as if they were one tree.
“And they shall become one in your hand.” The two “ones” shall be in your hand as a single one, serving as a sign for the kingdom of Israel that it shall be one. And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained that [God] told him to bring the two sticks close together and they shall join together and make one stick through a miraculous act. And the Targum translated every instance of “stick” in this passage until “speak to them” as “lucha” (tablet), and likewise “and the sticks” it translated as “luchai” (tablets). And in the verse “speak,” it translated “the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim” as “the tribe of Joseph, which is the tribe of Ephraim,” and “the stick of Judah” as “the tribe of Judah,” and “and you shall make them one stick” as “into one people.”
Metzudat David
"And you shall bring them near." You shall bring the pieces of wood close to one another, so that they appear to you as if they were a single piece of wood.
"And they shall be one in your hand." When they are still in your hand, they will be joined together by a miracle and truly become a single piece.
Malbim
And He commanded him to bring the two sticks, each of which had been united in itself, to one another, until they would be for you as one stick by means of holding them in the hand; and then, by a miracle, they would become one in your hand, meaning that they would actually unite by a miracle and be truly one.
And when the children of your people shall speak to you, saying: Will you not tell us what you mean by these?
verse value 1984
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "to·us" (לָ֖נוּ) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָּֽךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "will·you·not·tell" (הֲלֽוֹא־תַגִּ֥יד, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·when" (וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙), "will·you·not·tell" (הֲלֽוֹא־תַגִּ֥יד). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·say" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "and·when" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "to·you" (root אל, 204x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ [and·when] (527) + יֹאמְר֣וּ [they·will·say] (257) + אֵלֶ֔יךָ [to·you] (61) + בְּנֵ֥י [son] (62) + עַמְּךָ֖ [your·people] (130) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + הֲלֽוֹא־תַגִּ֥יד [will·you·not·tell] (459) + לָ֖נוּ [to·us] (86) + מָה־אֵ֥לֶּה [what·these] (81) + לָּֽךְ [to·you] (50) = 1984.
Radak
And as it says. Just as He told him to write before their eyes, and they will ask him what the parable is:
Metzudat David
“Is it not that you will say?”—This means: Is it not fitting for you to tell us why these are for you? What is the allusion here?
Malbim
And when the children of your people will say, and this means: if immediately when they see this miracle they will ask, “What are these to you?”—meaning, what does this miracle signify, and what is the general sign of the two sticks?—He said to them, etc.: “Behold, I take.” This is in accordance with the received tradition of our Sages of blessed memory, that initially the Messiah son of Joseph will arise; he is the king from the Ten Tribes, and he will wage wars, and all Israel will gather under his banner, until afterwards the son of David will come and he will reign over them. The first parable was initially about the unification of Israel under the banner of the Messiah son of Joseph. He commanded that one stick be taken and written upon it, “For Judah and the children of Israel his companions,” because initially Judah and Benjamin, who were exiled in the First Temple period, joined together and gathered under Zerubbabel in the days of Cyrus, and they became one nation in the days of the Second Temple. And even after the destruction of the Temple, although they were scattered, they are united in general and hope for the redemption. In the end of days, the Ten Lost Tribes, the lost and wandering ones, will gather under the banner of Joseph, who is the Messiah son of Joseph, who will gather the wandering ones; this was the parable of the second stick, “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel,” who will join to him at the time of the end. Afterwards, the children of Judah, who are already gathered, will also unite to be under his tribe and his rule, and they will become one nation through the miracles and wonders of the Lord. And this is what He said in the parable: afterwards He will take a stick and write upon it, “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim,” which signifies the unification of the Ten Tribes in the end of days. And afterwards He will bring them near, one to another; and the first bringing near was when the children of Judah drew near to the children of Joseph under the Messiah son of Joseph. And this is what He said: “Behold, I take the stick of Joseph and the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will put them upon it,” meaning that initially He will put them upon it, namely, that He will put the tribes of Israel upon the stick of Joseph, meaning that they will gather under the banner of the Messiah son of Joseph. And also the stick of Judah He will put upon it, so that Judah will also stand under his banner. And through this, “You shall make them one stick,” and they will be one in My hand through a miracle.
say into them: Thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them to him together with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.
verse value 6662
Insights
Verse structure: 26 words, 107 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִה֒) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "speak" (דַּבֵּ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·hand·of·Ephraim" (בְּיַד־אֶפְרַ֔יִם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 561: the·stick, with·stick·of. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "in·the·hand·of·Ephraim" (בְּיַד־אֶפְרַ֔יִם), "and·tribes·of" (וְשִׁבְטֵ֥י), "in·my·hand" (בְּיָדִֽי). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 22 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "thus·says" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "which" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·companions', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 11 words.
Rashi
"Behold, I take the wood..." – so that they should no longer be two kingdoms.
Radak
"Davar, chavero." A written and read variant: "chavereiv" (his companions).
"And I will put them upon it." I will place the tribes of Israel, together with the tribe of Ephraim, upon the wood of Judah.
“Alav.” Its meaning is “with him.”
"Et etz." Its meaning is "with wood":
Metzudat David
“The staff of Joseph.” This means the tribe of the kingship of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim.
"And the tribes of Israel shall be his companions." This means: I will also take the tribes of Israel, who have joined him, and I will give them to him. That is to say, along with Ephraim, I will give them to become the tribe of the kingdom of Judah, and I will make them into one tribe of the kingdom. And so it shall stand by My strong hand.
Metzudat Zion
The word "tree." This means "royal scepter." And since he made a parable of a tree, he employed the term "tree."
"Upon him." This means: with him, in close proximity to him.
With. That is, with:
And the sticks whereon you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.
verse value 1971
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "in·your·hand" (בְּיָדְךָ֖) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "and·they·shall·be" (וְהָי֨וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "which·you·write" (אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּכְתֹּ֧ב, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 215: tree, to·their·eyes. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "which·you·write" (אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּכְתֹּ֧ב). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which·you·write" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "upon·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel). Full calculation: וְהָי֨וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + הָעֵצִ֜ים [tree] (215) + אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּכְתֹּ֧ב [which·you·write] (1323) + עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם [upon·them] (155) + בְּיָדְךָ֖ [in·your·hand] (36) + לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם [to·their·eyes] (215) = 1971.
Radak
And they shall be. It is clear:
Metzudat David
"And the pieces of wood." This means that those pieces of wood upon which you will write these words, you shall grasp them in your hand before them.
Malbim
"And they shall be" – He commanded him further that even afterward, the sticks upon which you write shall remain in your hand before their eyes, so that they not be removed from his hand, and the writing shall not be erased; rather, the sticks upon which he writes shall remain, for there is still another matter to be done with them. This is an allusion to the fact that afterward they will be reunited once again under the banner of the Kingdom of the House of David. In this way, the writing remains in the sense that it will be reversed, in that the Ten Tribes and the "tree" of Joseph will draw near to the "tree" of Judah. And this too will be accomplished through the hand of the prophet and by a miracle.
And say to them: Thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land;
verse value 5536
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 90 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֨ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·their·ground" (אֶל־אַדְמָתָֽם, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "they·went·there" (הָֽלְכוּ־שָׁ֑ם). 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "thus·says" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "which" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·went·there', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Radak
"And He spoke." It is clear:
Metzudat David
"And speak to them." At the time that you grasp those staves in your hand, you shall speak to them, saying: "Thus says the Lord, etc."
Malbim
"And speak to them now" expounds the matters in detail: "Behold, I take..." This corresponds to what was stated above, "And I will take you from among the nations," to which they were exiled; and from there they were subsequently scattered from among the nations to the surrounding lands in dispersion. And with this it says, "And I will gather them from around."
and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all;
verse value 4943
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 93 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֤ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "them" (אֹ֠תָ֠ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "they·will·be·again" (יִֽהְיוּ־עוֹד֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 120: to·all·of·them, to·king. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "into·a·nation" (לְג֨וֹי), "in·mountains·of" (בְּהָרֵ֣י), "and·king" (וּמֶ֧לֶךְ). The root היה appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "it·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·make" (root עשה, 214x in Ezekiel); "and·not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 11 words.
Radak
"And I will make" – implying that it shall not be. It is written in the manner of a general statement, yet read as "they shall be."
Metzudat David
"To one nation in the land." When they will be in the land, it returns and explains: "In the mountains of Israel, there I will make them into one nation, and they will no longer be divided into two, with Judah as a separate people and the Ten Tribes as a separate people."
"And they shall not divide, etc." The matter is repeated in what is written:
Again. This means: forever.
Metzudat Zion
They shall be divided. The matter of division, as in: "and it shall be divided into the four winds" (Daniel 11:4).
Malbim
"And I will make them, at the time that they are in the land, one nation, and one king shall be for them all; initially, the Messiah son of Joseph will reign over them all, as it is stated, 'And I will place them with it, the stick of Judah.' And they shall no longer be [two nations], for initially they were two nations due to the fact that the Ten Tribes served idolatry and abandoned the Sanctuary of the Lord; this shall no longer be the case, for all will serve the Lord. Furthermore, initially they were two kingdoms due to the division of the monarchy, whether in the days of Ish Bosheth or from the days of Jeroboam onward. This is what is meant by 'and they shall no longer be divided.' For whether at the time that the Messiah son of Joseph reigns, Judah will follow Ephraim, or subsequently, when the son of David reigns, they will all follow the House of David—this is what is meant by the word 'no longer' appearing twice."
neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them; so shall they be My people, and I will be their God.
verse value 5697
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 105 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֧א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·their·detestable·things" (וּבְשִׁקּ֣וּצֵיהֶ֔ם, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 67: and·they·shall·be·to·me, and·I. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·in·their·detestable·things" (וּבְשִׁקּ֣וּצֵיהֶ֔ם), "their·transgressions" (פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֑ם), "their·settlements" (מוֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיהֶם֙). The root כל appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "and·they·shall·be·to·me" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "and·not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·transgressions', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 15 words.
Radak
"And they shall not defile themselves." It is from the hitpa'el conjugation, and its grammatical form should be "yittame'u" (they shall defile themselves).
Metzudat David
"And they shall not defile themselves anymore." They shall not be defiled anymore by idolatry and by the other sins through which they had defiled themselves while they were in Babylonia.
"And I will save them, etc." For many of them became defiled among the Babylonians in their places of dwelling during the exile, and they acted wickedly like them. Therefore He said, "I will save them," to bring them out from there and return them to the religion of Israel; and "I will purify them" from the defilement of their sins, for "I will forgive them." And from then on, they will be a people to Me, to believe in Me and to observe My commandments, and I will be to them a God, to save them and to help them.
Metzudat Zion
And in their detestable things. The word is from the root "shakatz" and "to'evah" (detestable).
Malbim
"And they shall not defile themselves": Initially, the ten tribes defiled themselves through their idols and abominations, and the tribe of Judah defiled itself through all its transgressions. Likewise, in the days of the First Temple, they defiled themselves through idols and idolatry, and in the days of the Second Temple, they defiled themselves through all their transgressions. Therefore it is said, "And they shall not defile themselves anymore," etc. Afterwards, in the days of the exile of Edom, they sinned through their settlements, because they dwelled among the idolaters, and through their settlements among themselves they sinned. Regarding this it is said, "And I will save them from all their settlements in which they sinned." Afterwards, "And I will purify them," until they shall be a people to Me, and I will be their God, to conduct them with miraculous providence. Then, "And My servant David shall be king over them." Then the monarchy will return to the House of David, both from the aspect of the governance of the kingdom, and likewise from the aspect of the governance of religion, as it is said, "And one shepherd shall be to them all," for they will all walk in My judgments, and there will be no distinction among them regarding matters of religion. Consequently, "And they shall dwell in the land," they will dwell in a permanent settlement, in a manner that it will be a possession for them. And it is said, "Which I gave to My servant Jacob," meaning that it will be for them both the land that was given to Jacob, which is the inheritance without boundaries, and the land in which your fathers dwelt, in the eastern border. For the future border will extend beyond the border they initially had, as stated in the prophecy of Ezekiel below (chapter 47). And furthermore, it seized upon the phrase "Which I gave to Jacob," because to Jacob this miracle was shown, that the stones united into one stone, just as the logs united into one log, and this was also a sign that Israel would unite into one nation in the end of days. And then they will inherit an inheritance without boundaries. And David, My servant, promises them three things that will be perpetual forever: 1. The inheritance of the land, which is what is meant by "And they shall dwell on it... forever." 2. The monarchy of the House of David, regarding which it is said, "And David, My servant, shall be their prince forever." 3. That the covenant between the Lord and them shall not cease, which is what is meant by (verses 26-28) "And I will make with them a covenant of peace." This includes: if it is the peace between the Lord and Israel, that they will no longer sin and He will not hide His face from them; if it is the peace among the people; if it is the peace for each individual in body, soul, and property. And this covenant will be an everlasting covenant. And "And I will give them," meaning "And I will give them the covenant of peace," as it is said, "Behold, I give him My covenant of peace." For there is a difference between a covenant that is cut (made) and a covenant that is given. In a covenant that is cut, the obligation is from both sides. In a covenant that is given, the obligation is only from the side of the Giver, to fulfill the covenant in any way and without any condition. Which is what is said regarding Pinchas, "And he shall have it, and his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood." Consequently, "And I will multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them." This is according to the idea of what is written in Jeremiah (chapter 3), "And it shall come to pass, when you multiply and increase in the land in those days, that they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord... In that day they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord." For when Israel multiplies with a distinguished multitude, the Divine Presence will be upon Israel, and they will not need the holiness of the Ark and the Temple. Now, the holiness of the Temple, which depicts that the Lord and His Presence constrict Himself within a constricted point between the two staves of the Ark, indicates the love between Him and Israel, as it is said, "When our love was intense," etc. However, that the Divine Presence of the Lord should be upon Israel, to the extent that they themselves will be the chariot for His Presence from Zion, indicates the great exaltation of Israel. And this is what it says, "And I will set My sanctuary among them, and My dwelling place shall be with them," meaning that both things will be: the sanctuary within them, and the Divine Presence of the Lord upon them, upon all Israel. To the extent that they themselves will not need the holiness of the Temple, for they themselves will be the staves, the Ark, the Holy, and the Sanctuary, upon which the Lord will dwell in the Holy and the Sanctuary that will be within, between the inheritance of the tribes (as stated in Ezekiel chapter 48). This will only be so that the nations may know that the Lord sanctifies Israel by the fact that His sanctuary is among them. Now, the Tabernacle upon them is due to their power and the arousal from below, without divine aid. And the sanctuary among them is due to divine aid that sanctifies them. And the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel through the sanctuary that is among them. Understand this.
And My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd; they shall also walk in Mine ordinances, and observe My statutes, and do them.
verse value 3229
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "David" (דָוִד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·My·ordinances" (וּבְמִשְׁפָּטַ֣י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 447: and·in·My·ordinances, them. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·pasturing" (וְרוֹעֶ֥ה), "and·in·My·ordinances" (וּבְמִשְׁפָּטַ֣י). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "it·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "over·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "and·they·will·do" (root עשה, 214x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·all·of·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְעַבְדִּ֤י [and·my·servant] (92) + דָוִד֙ [David] (14) + מֶ֣לֶךְ [king] (90) + עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם [over·them] (155) + וְרוֹעֶ֥ה [and·pasturing] (287) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + יִהְיֶ֣ה [it·will·be] (30) + לְכֻלָּ֑ם [to·all·of·them] (120) + וּבְמִשְׁפָּטַ֣י [and·in·My·ordinances] (447) + יֵלֵ֔כוּ [they·will·walk] (66) + וְחֻקּוֹתַ֥י [statute] (530) + יִשְׁמְר֖וּ [they·shall·keep] (556) + וְעָשׂ֥וּ [and·they·will·do] (382) + אוֹתָֽם [them] (447) = 3229.
Radak
"And My servant David shall be king." The King Messiah will be called by the name David, because he will be from the seed of David, they call him David; or it is an allusion to the resurrection of the dead.
Metzudat David
And My servant David. The King Messiah, who will come from the seed of David, will be king over them.
"And one shepherd." For the ten tribes will no longer appoint a king for themselves, apart from Me.
"And they shall keep My statutes." They shall keep them in their heart and perform them in deed.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, for ever; and David My servant shall be their prince for ever.
verse value 5429
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 97 letters. Notable word values: "my·servant" (עַבְדִּ֔י) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "which" (אֲשֶׁ֤ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·fathers" (אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: which, which. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "dwelt·in·it" (יָֽשְׁבוּ־בָ֖הּ), "and·their·sons" (וּבְנֵיהֶ֞ם), "and·David" (וְדָוִ֣ד). The root ישב appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "on" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "I·gave" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·fathers', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 12 words.
Rashi
"To My servant Jacob." Just as I gave it to Jacob without limit:
Radak
And they dwelled. “To My servant, Jacob.” Because Abraham and Isaac had other sons who did not inherit the land, it mentions Jacob specifically, because the land was given to him and to his seed after him.
Metzudat David
Forever. This means that the kingship shall never cease from the seed of David forever.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them—it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for ever.
verse value 7285
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·be or become great" (וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֣י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 612: covenant, covenant. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·will·give·them" (וּנְתַתִּים֙). The root ברית appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "it·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·give·them" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "to·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'them', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Radak
"And I will cut" – let it be read as "them." The meaning is: "with them," for there are some of the rafeh forms [of "otam"] whose meaning is "with them."
"And I will give them." The explanation is that "I will give them" refers to giving them in My land or in My blessing. And Jonathan translated: "And I will bless them."
Metzudat David
A covenant of peace. That they may dwell in their land in peace, and this covenant shall be with them forever.
"And I will place them." This means: I will place them in their designated positions, and they shall not move from there.
Forever. And it shall not be desolate again:
My dwelling-place also shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
verse value 1500
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1500 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·be" (וְהָיִ֥יתִי, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "my·Tabernacle" (מִשְׁכָּנִי֙), "and·I·will·be" (וְהָיִ֥יתִי), "they·shall·be·to·me" (יִהְיוּ־לִ֥י). The root היה appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "over·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "to·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֤ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + מִשְׁכָּנִי֙ [my·Tabernacle] (420) + עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם [over·them] (155) + וְהָיִ֥יתִי [and·I·will·be] (441) + לָהֶ֖ם [to·them] (75) + לֵאלֹהִ֑ים [for·God] (116) + וְהֵ֖מָּה [and·they] (56) + יִהְיוּ־לִ֥י [they·shall·be·to·me] (71) + לְעָֽם [for·a·people] (140) = 1500.
Radak
“And My dwelling place shall be upon them.” Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as “among them,” because in other places the Divine Presence of God, blessed be He, is associated with the preposition “within.” And what he said here is “upon them,” to indicate that His awe will be upon them forever, for His glory will dwell within them forever.
Metzudat David
"And My dwelling place shall be." My Shekhinah will dwell upon them, and I will be to them a God, to help and to save; and they will be to Me a people, to believe in Me and to keep My commandments.
Metzudat Zion
“My dwelling place.” This means the indwelling of My Divine Presence, and it is derived from the terms “dwelling” (mishkan) and “encampment” (chanuyah).
And the nations shall know that I am Hashem that sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever.’
verse value 3184
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֚י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Israel" (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "sanctifying" (מְקַדֵּ֖שׁ), "Israel" (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "in·being" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְיָֽדְעוּ֙ [and·they·shall·know] (96) + הַגּוֹיִ֔ם [the·nations] (64) + כִּ֚י [that] (30) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + מְקַדֵּ֖שׁ [sanctifying] (444) + אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (942) + בִּהְי֧וֹת [in·being] (423) + מִקְדָּשִׁ֛י [my·sanctuary] (454) + בְּתוֹכָ֖ם [in·their·midst] (468) + לְעוֹלָֽם [to·ever] (176) = 3184.
Radak
And they shall know. It is clear:
Metzudat David
“And they shall know, etc.” – “When, etc.”: This means that when My sanctuary shall continually be among them forever, then the nations will know that I, the Lord, have sanctified Israel to be My people.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim