Rabanus Maurus' Commentary on Ezekiel 37:1-14

 Rabanus was born around 780 in Mainz, Francia, now modern day Germany. He studied under Alcuin of York and became one of the leading intellectual lights of the Carolingian Renaissance. In 822 he became Abbot of the Benedictine Monastery at Fulda and served in that capacity until 842, during which time the monastery became a renowned center of learning, manuscript production and missionary activity. In 847 he became Archbishop of Mainz and served in that capacity until his death on Feb. 4, 856. Rabanus wrote commentaries on most of the biblical books, usually contenting himself to compiling or elucidating the work of many of the greats who came before him, being especially fond of St Jerome, St Augustine, Pope St Gregory the Great and St Bede the Venerable. He openly acknowledges his debt to the Fathers, describing himself as a "gatherer of flowers" from their meadows. His commentaries are often structured as catena-like selections. He routinely employs the allegorical, tropological (moral), and anagogical senses alongside the literal-historical, though with greater restraint than some earlier medieval exegetes (see CCC 115-119). His interpretations are directed toward the edification of clergy and laity, emphasizing moral application and doctrinal orthodoxy. The translation to produce this post was done by Qwen.

Commentary on Ezekiel 37:1-14 by Rabanus Maurus 

St. Jerome: "This is a famous vision, celebrated in the reading of all the churches of Christ."

On the Interpretation of the Resurrection Those therefore who think that God is speaking concerning the resurrection which is believed by all, both Jews and Christians, are accustomed to say the following:

Ezek 37:1 "The hand of the Lord was upon the Prophet": that is, the Lord and Savior, upon whom the Father has wrought all things. For "all things were made by Him, and without Him was made nothing that was made" (John 1:3).

"And He brought me out," he says, "in the Spirit of the Lord": the phrase "the hand of the Lord" is understood [as the subject]. Moreover, He brought him out in the Spirit, not in the body, but "outside the body" (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:2).

Ezek 37:1 cont., Ezek 37:2 "And He placed him" (or "set him down") "in the midst of a field which was full of human bones." Nor did He permit him to rest, but made him circle around all the bones, which were not covered with earth but lying upon the field. And not only many, but very many, and on account of the antiquity of time, dry and exceedingly parched, having no moisture in themselves.

Ezek 37:3 And when the divine word had asked him whether he thought these bones could live, he responded: "O Lord God, You know"—You who have full knowledge of future things.

Ezek 37:4 And the Lord said to him: "Prophesy concerning these bones" (or "upon these bones"), "and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord."

A Question on the Address to the Bones Here it is remarkable how He spoke to dry bones, which before [receiving] sinews, flesh, skin, and the life-giving spirit, could hear the word of God.

Ezek 37:5-8 First, the bones are joined with other bones by the bonds of sinews; then they are filled with flesh, and above, for beauty, the skin is extended, which may cover the ugliness of naked flesh. And then they receive the spirit which makes them live; and after they have lived, then let them know that He is the Lord.

Therefore, when the Prophet said what had been commanded to him, immediately a commotion was made, and the bones were applied to their own framework, bound by sinews, filled with flesh, covered with skin; and human bodies lay [there], not having the spirit.

Ezek 37:9 Therefore the Prophet prophesies to the spirit and says: "Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O spirit"—from the four quarters of the world, namely—so that just as in the first creation of man "God breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7), so also the second creation, that is, the resurrection of the dead, may be vivified by the breathing of the Spirit.

Ezek 37:10 Who [Spirit], having entered the human bodies, immediately they lived and stood upon their feet. Whence also the resurrection is called a gathering or church of the dead; and as it is had in the Hebrew, "a great army." And when that time is fulfilled: "Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth" (Psalm 103:30).

Ezek 37:11 The Application to Israel: A Question Raised But what follows—"And He said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel"—seems to raise a question, because it is said not concerning the general resurrection, but properly concerning the resurrection of the house of Israel, which says: "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost, and we are cut off from our land" (or: "we have utterly despaired").

Ezek 37:12-13 To those saying these things, he is compelled to prophesy a third time and to say to the dry bones: "Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your tombs."

Here it is asked: if He opens tombs, how did He say above: "And behold, they were very many upon the face of the field, and exceedingly dry"? He says: "I will bring you up from your sepulchres, O My people"—according to that which is written in the Gospel (John 5:28): "The hour comes when all who are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life." And again: "They that hear shall live" (John 5:25).

Ezek 37:14 And if, as some suppose, the divine speech concerns the general resurrection, what need was there to say specially: "And I will bring you into the land of Israel," since the dead ought to rise in the whole orb of the earth from those places in which they are buried?

And when He says: "When I shall have brought you up from your tombs, and shall have put My spirit in you, and you shall live, then I shall make you rest upon your own land"—so that after you have rested in the land of Israel, then you may know that I am the Lord, who have fulfilled My promises by My work.

The Two Resurrections Therefore, those who understand these things to have been spoken concerning the general resurrection refer that which seems to raise a question—"These bones are the whole house of Israel"—to the resurrection of the saints, concerning which also the Apostle John speaks in the Apocalypse: "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection; on such the second death has no power" (Apocalypse 20:6). That is to say, there is one resurrection of the saints, another of sinners. Whence also in Psalm 1 it is said: "The wicked shall not rise again in judgment, nor sinners in the council of the just" (Psalm 1:5).

Moreover, they affirm that the land of Israel, which the Lord promises to those rising again, is that concerning which it is written: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land" (Matthew 5:4); and: "I shall please the Lord in the region of the living" (Psalm 114:9, Vulgate).

These things say those who suppose, as we have said, that Ezekiel wrote concerning the general resurrection.

St. Jerome's Balanced Hermeneutic But those who interpret these things otherwise ought not to make envy against us, expounding this place otherwise, as if we seem to deny the resurrection. For we know much more robust testimonies, and in which there is no doubt, to be found in the Holy Scriptures: such as that [word] of Job: "You shall raise up my skin" (Job 19:26); and in Daniel: "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting confusion" (Daniel 12:2); and in the Gospel: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Luke 12:4–5); and in the Apostle Paul: "Who shall also quicken your mortal bodies, because of His Spirit that dwells in you" (Romans 8:11); and many others.

From this it is perspicuous that we do not deny the resurrection, but contend that these things are not written concerning the resurrection, but that concerning the restitution of Israel—who at that time was a captive in Babylon—is prophesied through the parabola of resurrection.

Nor shall we immediately give occasion to heretics if we deny that these things are to be understood concerning the common resurrection. For never would a similitude of resurrection be placed for signifying the restitution of the Israelitic people unless the resurrection itself stood and was believed to be future, because no one confirms uncertain things concerning things not existing.

And our whole assertion tends to this: that just as it seems incredible that future resurrection is promised to dry bones and those confeated by much antiquity, and yet that which is promised will be future, so also the resurrection [i.e., restoration] of the people of Israel—who were led into captivity and dispersed throughout the whole world—seems indeed incredible to those who do not know the power of God, but nevertheless it will be future, because, as the Lord says: "I have spoken and I will do it, as I have promised."

Typological Fulfillment Finally, also in the preceding prophecy, in which the ancient state is promised to the mountains of Israel, He says to them: "And I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled, and you shall receive seed; and I will multiply upon you men, the whole house of Israel." And again, that the house of Israel shall dwell in its land, which once uncultivated shall afterwards be like a garden of pleasure; and that the deserted and destitute cities shall be fortified; and that the house of Israel shall be multiplied in them like a flock of sheep; and the other things which follow pertain to the same sense, which is now said under a tropology and parabola concerning dry bones having utterly no moisture of life.

That [word] is fulfilled which is written in the Gospel: "The things which seem impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).

Historical and Spiritual Fulfillment Moreover, they [the Jews] were ejected from their sepulchres—that is, from the sepulchres of captivity and the chains by which, held in servitude, they were bound in Babylon.

But all these things the Jews affirm were fulfilled either under Zerubbabel, as I said before, when a great commotion was made and the kingdom of the Chaldeans was transferred to the Medes and Persians; or in the presence of their Christ, whom they think is yet to come.

But we spiritually commemorate [these things] as fulfilled after the cross of the Lord Savior, and [as] happening daily, especially in those who, like Lazarus, bound with the bands of their sins, are raised at the voice of the Lord; and who truly are the house of Israel—once dry and having no hope of salvation—but, the Spirit of grace entering into them and the Lord extending His hand, are freed from the depth of hell; and they who before had said "O Lord God, You know," afterwards, having been liberated, hear: "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31).

CONTINUE