Ezekiel 38

Attack of Gog

1 The LORD's word came to me:

2 Human one, face Gog in the land of Magog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy concerning him

3 and say, The LORD God proclaims: I challenge you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal!

4 I will turn you about, set hooks in your jaws, and lead you out, you and all your army, horses and riders, handsomely dressed, all of them, a great assembly, with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords.

5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with you, all of them equipped with shield and helmet.

6 Gomer and all his troops, Beth-togarmah from the far north and all his troops; many peoples are with you.

7 Stand ready and be prepared, you and all your assembly. You will watch out for those who gather against you.

8 After many days you will be called out. In future years you will enter a country that has been freed from the sword, a gathering from many peoples on the mountains of Israel, which had become a perpetual ruin. This country was brought out from the peoples, and all of them live securely.

9 You will invade like a sudden storm. You and all your troops, and the many peoples with you, will be like clouds covering the earth.

10 The LORD God proclaims: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.

11 You will say, "I will go up against the open country and come against a quiet people who all live securely without walls, bars, or doors

12 to take plunder and seize loot, to use my power against the resettled waste places, against a people gathered from the nations, who are acquiring goods and cattle, and who live at the center of the earth."

13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants and officials of Tarshish will say to you, "Have you come to take plunder and seize loot? Have you assembled your army to take silver and gold, to take goods and cattle, to engage in great looting?"

14 So now, prophesy, human one, and say to Gog, The LORD God proclaims: Isn't that what you will decide to do on that day, when my people Israel live securely?

15 You will come up from your place from the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses, a great assembly, a mighty army.

16 You will go up against my people Israel like a cloud covering the earth. But when this happens in future days, I will be the one who brings you up against my land, so that the nations may know me, Gog, when through you I show my holiness in their sight!

17 The LORD God proclaims: Are you the one about whom I spoke in former times through my servants, Israel's prophets, the ones who prophesied for years in those days to bring you against them?

18 On that day, the day when Gog comes against Israel's fertile land, my wrath will be aroused. This is what the LORD God says.

19 In my jealousy and blazing anger I declare: On that day, a great quaking will come over Israel's fertile land.

20 The fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, all the creatures crawling on the ground, and every living human being will quake in my presence. Mountains will be thrown down and cliffs will crumble; every wall will fall to the ground.

21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains. This is what the LORD God says! The swords of the warriors will be against each other,

22 and I will enter into judgment with him, with plague and blood. I will pour out flooding rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him, on all his troops, and on the many peoples with him.

23 So I will display my greatness, show my holiness, and make myself known in the sight of many nations. And they will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 38 Commentary

Chapter 38

The army and malice of Gog. (1-13) God's judgments. (14-23)

Verses 1-13 These events will be in the latter days. It is supposed these enemies will come together to invade the land of Judea, and God will defeat them. God not only sees who are now the enemies of his church, but he foresees who will be so, and lets them know by his word that he is against them; though they join together, the wicked shall not be unpunished.

Verses 14-23 The enemy should make a formidable descent upon the land of Israel. When Israel dwell safely under the Divine protection, shalt not thou be made to know it by finding that endeavours to destroy them are made in vain? Promises of security are treasured up in the word of God, against the troubles and dangers the church may be brought into in the latter days. In the destruction of sinners, God makes it appear that he is a great and holy God. We should desire and pray daily. Father, glorify thine own name.

Footnotes

• [a]. Cf 38:6; MT them
• [b]. LXX; MT your
• [c]. Or navel
• [d]. Or you will know

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 38

This chapter gives an account of an enemy of the Jews, under the name of Gog, that shall invade their land, and disturb their peace, after they are settled in it; who is described by the countries over which he rules; and against whom the prophet is bid to set his face, and prophesy of him, the Lord being against him; and who would cause him to return from Judea unsuccessful, Eze 38:1-4, the number of his confederates, their warlike accoutrements and preparations for the invasion of the land of Israel, are foretold, Eze 38:4-9, his wicked designs and intentions to spoil and plunder the inhabitants of it, Eze 38:10-12, the notice taken of his projects by the merchants of Tarshish and others, Eze 38:13,14, his coming up to invade the land is again observed for the certainty of it; and the place from whence, and the time when he should come, are mentioned, as well as God's design in it, and which had been before predicted by his prophets, Eze 38:14-17, and the chapter is concluded with a denunciation of divine wrath, which shall be terrible to all the inhabitants of the earth, and to all creatures in heaven, earth, and sea; when he and his forces shall be destroyed by the sword, by pestilence, and by dreadful storms and tempests, Eze 38:18-23, of which destruction a fuller account is given in the next chapter.

the preceding prophecy did, as the copulative and shows; which predicts the restoration and conversion of the Jews; the union of their tribes under the King Messiah; and their settlement in their own land: and this respects some disturbance they should meet with upon it, for a short time, by a powerful enemy hereafter described:

\\saying\\; as follows:

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