And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 . Ih
Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
Son of man, See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .
Gog. A symbolical name for the nations north and east of Palestine, or the nations as a whole. That the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 are still future is clear from Ezekiel 38:8 , Ezekiel 38:14 , Ezekiel 38:16 ; Ezekiel 39:9 , Ezekiel 39:25 , Ezekiel 39:26 ; as Israel will have then already been "gathered", and complete restoration enjoyed immediately following the destruction of Gog "Now will I bring again the captivity of Israel". It must therefore precede the Millennium; and on that account must be distinguished from Revelation 20:8 , Revelation 20:10 ; and may therefore perhaps be identified with Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 17:14 ; Revelation 19:17-21 . Compare Matthew 24:14-30 . Zechariah 12:1-4 . It marks the climax of Satan's effort to destroy Israel from being a People, and clearly belongs to the close of a yet future kingdom age. See Ezekiel 38:8 , &c., above). The name is connected with "Og" (Deuteronomy 3:1-13 ), and "Agag "(Numbers 24:7 ), where the Samaritan Pentateuch reads "Agog", and the Septuagint reads "Gog", Here the Arabic reads "Agag". The historical interpretation of this prophecy is confessedly impossible.
the land of Magog = of the land of the Magog. If "Gog" denotes and symbolises all that is powerful, gigantic, and proud, then "Magog" is symbolical of the same lands and peoples. Magog was a son of Japheth.
the chief prince = the head, or leader of Rosh . Hebrew Rosh, which may point to Russia.
Meshech and Tubal. The Sept, renders these Mesoch and Thobel: i.e. the Moschi and Tibareni , occupying regions about the Caucasus. All these a nations distant from Palestine: not near nations, or nations connected by consanguinity. They were also descended from Japheth (Genesis 10:2 ).
And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
the Lord GOD. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah . See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos . App-6 ,
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
turn thee back: or, lead thee away enticingly. Compare Isaiah 47:10 (perverted). Jeremiah 50:6 . See the Oxford Gesenius.
put hooks , &c. Compare Isaiah 37:29 . Hebrew "curbs".
army , Hebrew "power"; put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for army, as translated.
company = gathered host. Compare Ezekiel 16:40 .
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
Ethiopia = Cush.
Libya = Phut. Compare Ezekiel 27:10 ; Ezekiel 30:5 . These were descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6 ).
Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
Gomer. North of Asia Minor; also descended from Japheth (Genesis 10:3 ),
Togarmah = Armenia. Compare Ezekiel 27:14 , Also descended from Japheth (Genesis 10:3 ).
bands = hordes.
People = peoples.
Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
company. So (singular) in many codices and seven early printed editions; but some codices, with three early printed editions, read plural. See note on Ezekiel 38:4 .
be thou a guard , &c. Septuagint reads "thou will be for Me a guard. "
After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
After many days . Pointing to a then, and yet future time, when Israel shall have been recently "gathered", and before the Restoration is perfected,
the latter years . See notes above and on Ezekiel 38:2 .
safely = confidently.
Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
things = words, or matters.
think an evil thought = devise a mischievous device. Compare Daniel 11:44 , Daniel 11:45 .
evil . Hebrew. ra`a` App-44 .
And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
unwalled villages = mere hamlets.
To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
To take a spoil , &c. The Hebrew exhibits the Figure of speech Polyptoton ( App-6 ) = "To spoil a spoil and to prey a prey". Compare Psalms 83:4 , &c.
upon = against. A special various reading called Sevin ( App-34 ) reads "over".
People : i.e. Israel, as in Ezekiel 39:13 ; not in verses: Ezekiel 38:6 , Ezekiel 38:8 , Ezekiel 38:9 , Eze 6:15 , Eze 6:22 .
midst . Hebrew = navel . Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunet), App-6 , for the middle.
land = earth. Hebrew ' eretz . Compare Ezekiel 38:18 . Of which Palestine is in the centre, politically and morally, if not exactly geographically.
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
Sheba, Ac. These are some who protest.
Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
shalt thou not know it? The Septuagint reads "wilt thou not rouse thyself? "
And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
in the latter days = in the end of days. Still future. See notes on Ezekiel 38:2 and Ezekiel 38:8 .
the heathen may know , &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:10
heathen = nations.
when I shall be sanctified , &c.: or, by My hallowing Myself, &c.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
the same time = that day.
the land of Israel = on the soil of Israel. Hebrew ' admath. See note on Ezekiel 11:17 .
saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle.
For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
shaking = trembling.
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
fall = sink down.
And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
every man's . Hebrew. ish . App-14 .
And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
great hailstones. As in Joshua 10:11 .
Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
they shall know , &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:10 .