Gomer, and all his bands Or all his army, as the Targum. Gomer was the eldest son of Japheth, ( Genesis 10:2 ) , from whom descended the people called by the Greeks Galatians, or Galio-Grecians, as Josephus
FOOTNOTES:
F9 says, who before were from him called Gomarians: others think that Phrygia, and the inhabitants of it, are meant; but, whether one or the other, they were both people of the lesser Asia, which is now in the hands of the Turks: the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands; Togarmah was one of the sons of Gomer, ( Genesis 10:3 ) whose posterity, according to the Greeks, as Josephus F11 says, were the Phrygians; but others rather think the Cappadocians descended from him; and that Togarmah designs their country, which also is a part of the Turkish dominions; (See Gill on Ezekiel 27:14). Several moderns, as Calmet F12 observes, believe that the children of Togarmah peopled Turcomania in Tartary, and Scythia, and which he approves of; and the Turks are mentioned by Ben Gorion F13 as one of the ten families of Togarmah. The Targum renders it here the province of Germany; as it is also interpreted in the Talmud F14, but wrongly: and many people with thee; from other places and nations, besides those named; especially out of the lesser Asia, as Pamphylia, Cilicia, and other places; and perhaps from Tartary, and elsewhere, F9 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 1. F11 lbid. F12 Dictionary in the word "Togarmah". F13 Heb. Hist. l. 1. c. 1. p. 3. F14 T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 10. 1.
4
I'm going to turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and drag you off with your whole army, your horses and riders in full armor - all those shields and bucklers and swords - fighting men armed to the teeth!
5
Persia and Cush and Put will be in the ranks, also well-armed, as will
6
Gomer and its army and Beth-togarmah out of the north with its army. Many nations will be with you!
7
"'Get ready to fight, you and the whole company that's been called out. Take charge and wait for orders.
8
After a long time, you'll be given your orders. In the distant future you'll arrive at a country that has recovered from a devastating war. People from many nations will be gathered there on the mountains of Israel, for a long time now a wasteland. These people have been brought back from many countries and now live safe and secure.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.