And he said to me: Prophesy concerning these bones; and say to them: Ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

And again he said to me, Be a prophet to these bones, and say to them, O you dry bones, give ear to the word of the Lord.

And he said to me, "Prophesy about these bones. And you shall say to them: Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!

Prophesy - Not in the sense of predicting what was to come to pass, but simply in that of speaking under the inspiration of God. In Ezekiel 37:5, not "I will cause," but I cause or am causing.

Prophesy upon these bones - Declare to your miserable countrymen the gracious designs of the Lord; show them that their state, however deplorable, is not hopeless.

Again he said unto me, prophesy upon these bones,.... Or, "over these bones" (t); or, "concerning these bones" (u); foretell that they shall live; tell others of it, and them also:
and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord; the word of prophecy concerning you, as the Jews did in Babylon: so unconverted sinners may be preached unto, and their lost and miserable estate in which they are, like dry bones, may be set before them: they may be called upon to attend the external ministry of the word; and they are capable of hearing it with their bodily ears; though it is not profitable to them, for want of faith, yet faith comes hereby; and therefore it is right to attend upon the means, and hear the word.
(t) "super ossa haec", Starckius. (u) "De ossibus istis", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, Piscator.

Prophesy--Proclaim God's quickening word to them. On account of this innate power of the divine word to effect its end, prophets are said to do that which they prophesy as about to be done (Jeremiah 1:10).