Ezekiel 39:12-22

12 "For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to 1cleanse the land.
13 "Even all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their 2renown on the day that I 3glorify Myself," declares the Lord GOD.
14 "They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, 4burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search.
15 "As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.
16 "And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land."'
17 "As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Speak to every kind of 5bird and to every 6beast of the field, "Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to 7sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18 "You will 8eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were 9rams, lambs, goats and 10bulls, all of them fatlings of 11Bashan.
19 "So you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 "You will be glutted at My table with 12horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war," declares the Lord GOD.
21 "And I will set My 13glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them.
22 "And the house of Israel will 14know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward.

Ezekiel 39:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 39

This chapter is a continuation of the prophecy of the destruction of Gog, which is both repeated, and more largely described, Eze 39:1-8, then follows an account of the burning of his weapons of war, which will last seven years in burning, during which time there will be no need of the use of wood, Eze 39:9,10, and of the burial of him, and many of his army; the place where, and the time that will be taken up in doing this, even seven months, are observed, Eze 39:11-16, and every feathered fowl and beast of the field are called upon to feed on the flesh of those that are left unburied, Eze 39:17-20 and by all this the glory of the Lord will be seen, known, and acknowledged, both by the Heathens, and by the house of Israel, Eze 39:21,22, and the former will also be informed that the present captivity of the Jews has been for their sins and transgressions, Eze 39:23,24, and the chapter is concluded with a promise of their return from captivity, when they shall know the Lord, and their interest in him; who will after this no more hide his face from them, but pour out his Spirit upon them, under whose influence they shall ever continue, Eze 39:25-29.

Cross References 14

  • 1. Deuteronomy 21:23; Ezekiel 39:14, 16
  • 2. Jeremiah 33:9; Zephaniah 3:19, 20
  • 3. Ezekiel 28:22
  • 4. Jeremiah 14:16
  • 5. Isaiah 56:9; Jeremiah 12:9; Ezekiel 39:4; Revelation 19:17, 18
  • 6. Isaiah 56:9; Jeremiah 12:9; Ezekiel 39:4; Revelation 19:17, 18
  • 7. Isaiah 34:6, 7; Jeremiah 46:10; Zephaniah 1:7
  • 8. Ezekiel 29:5; Revelation 19:18
  • 9. Jeremiah 51:40
  • 10. Jeremiah 50:27
  • 11. Psalms 22:12; Amos 4:1
  • 12. Psalms 76:5, 6; Ezekiel 38:4; Haggai 2:22; Revelation 19:18
  • 13. Exodus 9:16; Isaiah 37:20; Ezekiel 36:23; Ezekiel 38:16, 23; Ezekiel 39:13
  • 14. Jeremiah 24:7

Footnotes 4

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.