Ezekiel 38:20

20 Every fish and bird, every animal large and small, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble for fear of me. Mountains will fall, cliffs will crumble, and every wall will collapse.

Ezekiel 38:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 38:20

So that the fishes of the sea shall shake at my presence
From whence it appears that this great shaking shall not be on account of the army of Gog, and the devastations that it shall make; but on account of the powerful presence of God, which will be manifest in the destruction of his army: and what is here said of the shaking of the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beast of the field, and all
creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are
upon the earth,
must be understood figuratively and hyperbolically, as Kimchi observes, and in allusion to earthquakes, which both shake and terrify all kind of creatures; the blow given to Gog will be so terrible, that all nature will seem to be thrown into a convulsion and agitation by it; see ( Jeremiah 4:24 Jeremiah 4:25 ) : and the mountains shall be thrown down;
as they are sometimes by earthquakes; and as the mount of Olives will at this time cleave asunder; and perhaps other mountains will, as Kimchi observes, see ( Zechariah 14:2-4 ) ( Isaiah 2:12-15 ) ( 30:25 ) : and the steep places shall fall;
the Targum renders the word "towers"; and so the Syriac version, and Piscator: the word signifies stairs or steps ^F20, such as in a ladder; and is translated "stairs", ( Song of Solomon 2:14 ) it seems to me to design such mounts as are raised by besiegers of a city, by means of which they may be able to scale the walls of it, which Jarchi suggests; though he says he had heard it said that these, are rocks bending over and hanging, and appear as if they were falling; which agrees with our version; and it may be observed, in some of those precipices, there are like stairs or steps to go up them: and every wall shall fall to the ground:
this shows that the words are not to be taken literally, but figuratively; only to express how sensibly the power of God should be felt and perceived by all creatures, and in all parts of the land; since now the Jews will dwell in a land of unwalled villages, and in cities without walls, bars, and gates; see ( Ezekiel 38:11 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (twgrdmh) "gradus", Munster, Pagninus, Montanus.

Ezekiel 38:20 In-Context

18 The Sovereign Lord says, "On the day when Gog invades Israel, I will become furious.

19 I declare in the heat of my anger that on that day there will be a severe earthquake in the land of Israel.

20 Every fish and bird, every animal large and small, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble for fear of me. Mountains will fall, cliffs will crumble, and every wall will collapse.

21 I will terrify Gog with all sorts of calamities. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. His men will turn their swords against one another.

22 I will punish him with disease and bloodshed. Torrents of rain and hail, together with fire and sulfur, will pour down on him and his army and on the many nations that are on his side.