Ezekiel 39:15

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 39:15 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And they that pass through the land shall pass through; and when any seeth a man`s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And they that pass through the land shall pass through; and when any seeth a man`s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.
Ezekiel 39:15 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 39

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
15And they that pass through the land shall pass through; and when any seeth a man`s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the passengers that pass through the land, &c.] Not along with the searchers, but that travel through it upon business in it, or in other lands: when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it; as he passes along, if he happens to see a human bone in the way, or hard by, he shall stop and lay a stone, or a heap of stones, by it, or some such mark or token, signifying that a man’s bone lies there: till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog, that is, which sign shall continue till searchers come that way and take up the bone, and carry it to be buried in the valley of Hamon-gog; for carcasses and bones were not to be buried in the place where they were found,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“First "all the people of the land" engaged in the burying for seven months; then special men were employed, at the end of the seven months, to search for any still left unburied. The passers-by helped them by setting up a mark near any such bones, in order to keep others from being defiled by casually touching them, and that the buriers might come and remove them. Denoting the minute care to put away every relic of heathen pollution from the Holy Land.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“set: Heb. build, Luk 11:44 in the: Eze 39:11 Ezekiel 39:16”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification