Ezekiel 38:5

5 Persians, Ethiopians, and Libyans with them, all be arrayed with shields and helmets.

Ezekiel 38:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 38:5

Persia, Ethiopia, and Lybia with them
These are the confederates or auxiliaries of the Turks, which shall join with them in this expedition. Persia is a neighbouring kingdom to the Turks, and may fall into their hands before this comes to pass; and is in a fair way for it at this time, through the internal divisions in it; however, it will be confederate with them. Ethiopia or Cush does not design the country of the Abyssines in the dominions of the Great Mogul, but Arabia Chusea, which lay between Judea and Egypt, and is now in the hands of the Turks; and Lybia or Phut is the name of one of the sons of Ham, ( Genesis 10:6 ) who, according to Josephus F7, founded Lybia; and from him the inhabitants of it were called Phuteans (as they are here by the Targum); and he observes that there is a river of his name in Mauritania. Lybia is a country in Africa, to the west of Egypt and subject to the Turks: all of them with shield and helmet;
the Lybians are described by Jeremiah, ( Jeremiah 46:9 ) , as those that handle the shield;
and the Egyptians, to whom the Lybians were near neighbours, and whom they might imitate in their warlike arms, as in other things, wore shields down to the feet, as Xenophon


FOOTNOTES:

F8 relates.
F7 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 2.
F8 Cyropaedia, l. 6. c. 14. & l. 7. c. 11.

Ezekiel 38:5 In-Context

3 And thou shalt say to him, The Lord God saith these things, A! Gog, lo! I to thee, prince of the head of Meshech and of Tubal; (And thou shalt say to him, The Lord God saith these things, O! Gog, lo! I am against thee, the chief leader of Meshech and of Tubal/the prince of Rosh and Meshech and Tubal;)
4 and I shall lead thee about, and I shall set a bridle in thy cheeks, and I shall lead out thee, and all thine host, horses, and horsemen, all clothed with habergeons, a great multitude of men, taking spear, and shield, and sword. (and I shall lead thee about, and I shall put a bridle upon thy jaw, and I shall lead out thee, and all of thy army, yea, the horses, and the horsemen, all clothed in breastplates, a great multitude of men, taking spears, and shields, and swords.)
5 Persians, Ethiopians, and Libyans with them, all be arrayed with shields and helmets.
6 Gomer, and all the companies of him, the house of Togarmah, the sides of the north, and all the host thereof (and all its army), and many peoples be with thee.
7 Make ready, and array thee, and all thy multitude which is gathered to thee, and be thou into commandment to them (and be thou ready to follow his commands!).
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.