Ezekiel38
New American Standard
1Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
4So I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently dressed, a great contingent with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords;
5Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with buckler and helmet;
6Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops—many peoples with you.
7“Be ready, and be prepared, you and all your contingents that are assembled around you, and be a guard for them.
8After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual place of ruins; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.
9And you will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.”
10‘This is what the Lord God says: “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan,
11and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, who live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates,
12to capture spoils and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the ruins that are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who live at the center of the world.’
13Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoils? Have you assembled your contingent to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to capture great spoils?’”’
14“Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it?
15You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses, a large assembly and a mighty army;
16and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you before their eyes, Gog.”
17‘This is what the Lord God says: “Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them?
18It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” declares the Lord God, “that My fury will mount up in My anger.
19In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will certainly be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.
20The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, all the crawling things that crawl on the earth, and all mankind who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; and the mountains will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.
21And I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains,” declares the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
22With plague and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23So I will prove Myself great, show Myself holy, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.”’
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 38.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The army and malice of Gog. (1-13). God's judgments. (14-23).
vv1-13
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.
vv14-23
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.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
שׂוּם: to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
גּוֹג: Gog, the name of an Israelite, also of some nothern nation
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
מָגוֹג: Magog, a son of Japheth; also a barbarous northern region
רֹאשׁ: the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
Cross References
Ezekiel 38John's Apocalypse adopts 'Gog and Magog' from here as the ultimate global anti-Christian confederacy.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identical metaphor of Yahweh putting hooks into a proud, out-of-control monarch's jaws to turn him back.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Ezekiel's own parallel imagery of hooks in jaws, used of Pharaoh, showing God's sovereign restraint.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Genesis Table of Nations names Japheth's sons: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The direct sequel to this prophecy, repeating the identical threat against Gog and Magog.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical precedent of God causing invaders to turn their swords against their own brothers.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Earlier reference listing Meshech and Tubal together as trading partners with ancient Tyre.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Provides immediate context of Israel gathered and dwelling safely under God's covenant prior to the invasion.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The fire and brimstone judgment on Gog's army is echoed in Revelation's final judgment.
Supported by JFB
Genealogical parallel listing Japheth's sons, establishing the geographic origins of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal.
Supported by JFB
Pharaoh's identical evil logic, assuming God's people are trapped and vulnerable, prompting his pursuit.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Describes a wealthy, secure nation dwelling without gates or bars, parallel to Israel's state.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic parallel of God overthrowing thrones and making every man fall by his brother's sword.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God's jealousy and holy anger on behalf of his restored, sanctuary-dwelling people.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The historical archetype of fire and brimstone rained from heaven as divine judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God's ultimate purpose in both restoration and judgment: to vindicate and sanctify His great name.
Supported by Matthew Henry