Ezekiel 38:11

11 and shalt say, I shall go up to the land without wall(s), I shall come to them that rest, and dwell securely; all these dwell without wall(s), bars, [or locks,] and gates be not to them; (and thou shalt say, I shall go up to the land without walls, I shall come to those who rest, and live in security; yea, all those who live without walls, and bars, or locks, and gates be not to them;)

Ezekiel 38:11 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 38:11

And thou shall say
What came into his mind, and what he thought of; this he shall say to his privy counsellors and ministers of state; or to the generals and officers of his army; or to his confederates and allies, and even to them all, to have their opinion and approbation of it; and to encourage them to join him, and go with him: I will go up to the land of unwalled villages;
a land which has nothing but villages in it, and those no walls about them to protect them: this he said by way of contempt; and the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it "the abject land"; and to observe how easily he could conquer it, there being nothing in his way to hinder him, or give him trouble: I will go to them that are at rest, and dwell safely:
as the Jews will do in the latter day, when they shall own and acknowledge the Messiah, ( Jeremiah 23:5 Jeremiah 23:6 ) , and dwell in their own land, where they will be quiet and peaceable, and think and do no harm to any, nor mistrust their neighbours doing any harm to them; but shall live in the utmost tranquillity and security; and which Gog or the Turks will take the advantage of; and from hence promise themselves an easy conquest of them: all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates;
no walls to their cities; no gates to walls; nor bars to gates; but without either; being under the protection of God, and putting their trust in him, who is a wall of fire round about his people; and is better to them, than gates with bars.

Ezekiel 38:11 In-Context

9 Forsooth thou shalt ascend, and shalt come as a tempest, and as a cloud, for to cover the land, thou, and all thy companies, and many peoples with thee. (And thou shalt ascend, and shalt come like a tempest, and like a cloud, and shalt cover the land, yea, thou, and all thy companies, and many peoples with thee.)
10 The Lord God saith these things, In that day (On that day), words shall ascend [up]on thine heart, and thou shalt think the worst thought;
11 and shalt say, I shall go up to the land without wall(s), I shall come to them that rest, and dwell securely; all these dwell without wall(s), bars, [or locks,] and gates be not to them; (and thou shalt say, I shall go up to the land without walls, I shall come to those who rest, and live in security; yea, all those who live without walls, and bars, or locks, and gates be not to them;)
12 that thou ravish spoils, and assail prey; that thou bring in thine hand on them that were forsaken, and afterward restored, and on the people which is gathered of heathen men, that began to wield, and to be inhabiter of the navel of [the] earth. (in order to rob spoils, and to assail prey; and that thou bring in thy hand upon those who were forsaken, and afterward restored, and upon the people who be gathered back from the heathen, who began to possess their things again, and to be the inhabitants at the centre of the world.)
13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, and all the lions thereof, shall say to thee, Whether thou comest to take spoils? Lo! to ravish prey thou hast gathered thy multitude (Lo! thou hast gathered thy multitude to rob prey), that thou take away gold and silver, and do away purtenance of household and cattle, and that thou ravish preys without number.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.