Hesekiel 38:20

20 daß vor meinem Angesicht zittern sollen die Fische im Meer, die Vögel unter dem Himmel, die Tiere auf dem Felde und alles, was sich regt und bewegt auf dem Lande, und alle Menschen, so auf der Erde sind; und sollen die Berge umgekehrt werden und die Felswände und alle Mauern zu Boden fallen. {~}

Hesekiel 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.

Hesekiel 38:20 In-Context

18 Und es wird geschehen zu der Zeit, wann Gog kommen wird über das Land Israel, spricht der HERR HERR, wird heraufziehen mein Zorn in meinem Grimm.

19 Und ich rede solches in meinem Eifer und im Feuer meines Zorns. Denn zur selben Zeit wird großes Zittern sein im Lande Israel,

20 daß vor meinem Angesicht zittern sollen die Fische im Meer, die Vögel unter dem Himmel, die Tiere auf dem Felde und alles, was sich regt und bewegt auf dem Lande, und alle Menschen, so auf der Erde sind; und sollen die Berge umgekehrt werden und die Felswände und alle Mauern zu Boden fallen. {~}

21 Ich will aber wider ihn herbeirufen das Schwert auf allen meinen Bergen, spricht der HERR HERR, daß eines jeglichen Schwert soll wider den andern sein.

22 Und ich will ihn richten mit Pestilenz und Blut und will regnen lassen Platzregen mit Schloßen, Feuer und Schwefel über ihn und sein Heer und über das große Volk, das mit ihm ist.