Ezekiel39
New Living Translation
1“Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal.
2I will turn you around and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north.
3I will knock the bow from your left hand and the arrows from your right hand, and I will leave you helpless.
4You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals.
5You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord.
6And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
7“In this way, I will make known my holy name among my people of Israel. I will not let anyone bring shame on it. And the nations, too, will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
8That day of judgment will come, says the Sovereign Lord. Everything will happen just as I have declared it.
9“Then the people in the towns of Israel will go out and pick up your small and large shields, bows and arrows, javelins and spears, and they will use them for fuel. There will be enough to last them seven years!
10They won’t need to cut wood from the fields or forests, for these weapons will give them all the fuel they need. They will plunder those who planned to plunder them, and they will rob those who planned to rob them, says the Sovereign Lord.
11“And I will make a vast graveyard for Gog and his hordes in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. It will block the way of those who travel there, and they will change the name of the place to the Valley of Gog’s Hordes.
12It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land.
13Everyone in Israel will help, for it will be a glorious victory for Israel when I demonstrate my glory on that day, says the Sovereign Lord.
14“After seven months, teams of men will be appointed to search the land for skeletons to bury, so the land will be made clean again.
15Whenever bones are found, a marker will be set up so the burial crews will take them to be buried in the Valley of Gog’s Hordes.
16(There will be a town there named Hamonah, which means ‘horde.’) And so the land will finally be cleansed.
17“And now, son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call all the birds and wild animals. Say to them: Gather together for my great sacrificial feast. Come from far and near to the mountains of Israel, and there eat flesh and drink blood!
18Eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of princes as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all fattened animals from Bashan!
19Gorge yourselves with flesh until you are glutted; drink blood until you are drunk. This is the sacrificial feast I have prepared for you.
20Feast at my banquet table—feast on horses and charioteers, on mighty men and all kinds of valiant warriors, says the Sovereign Lord.
21“In this way, I will demonstrate my glory to the nations. Everyone will see the punishment I have inflicted on them and the power of my fist when I strike.
22And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God.
23The nations will then know why Israel was sent away to exile—it was punishment for sin, for they were unfaithful to their God. Therefore, I turned away from them and let their enemies destroy them.
24I turned my face away and punished them because of their defilement and their sins.
25“So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation!
26They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them.
27When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see.
28Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind.
29And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 39.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The destruction of Gog. (1-10). Its extent. (11-22). Israel again favoured. (23-29).
vv1-10
The Lord will make the most careless and hardened transgressors know his holy name, either by his righteous anger, or by the riches of his mercy and grace. The weapons formed against Zion shall not prosper. Though this prophecy is to be fulfilled in the latter days, it is certain. From the language used, it seems that the army of Gog will be destroyed by miracle.
vv11-22
How numerous the enemies which God destroyed for the defence of his people Israel! Times of great deliverances should be times of reformation. Every one should help the utmost he can, toward cleansing the land from reproach. Sin is an enemy every man should strive against. Those engaged in public work, especially of cleansing and reforming a land, ought to be men who will go through with what they undertake, who will be always employed. When good work is to be done, every one should further it. Having received special favours from God, let us cleanse ourselves from all evil. It is a work which will require persevering diligence, that search may be made into the secret recesses of sin. The judgments of the Lord, brought upon sin and sinners, are a sacrifice to the justice of God, and a feast to the faith and hope of God's people. See how evil pursues sinners, even after death. After all that ambitious and covetous men do and look for, "a place of graves" is all the Lord gives them on earth, while their guilty souls are doomed to misery in another world.
vv23-29
When the Lord shall have mercy on the whole house of Israel, by converting them to Christianity, and when they shall have borne the shame of being cast off for their sins, then the nations shall learn to know, worship, and serve him. Then Israel also shall know the Lord, as revealed in and by Christ. Past events do not answer to these predictions. The pouring out of the Spirit is a pledge that God's favour will continue. He will hide his face no more from those on whom he has poured out his Spirit. When we pray that God would never cast us from his presence, we must as earnestly pray that, in order thereto, he would never take his Holy Spirit from us.
Key Words
אַתָּה: thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you
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.)
נָבָא: to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
גּוֹג: Gog, the name of an Israelite, also of some nothern nation
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
כֹּה: properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
אֲדֹנָי: the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)
הִנֵּה: lo!
Cross References
Ezekiel 39John's invitation to birds of prey to consume kings and captains directly echoes Ezekiel's sacrificial feast.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Direct reiteration of the divine indictment and titles of Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel theme of God making wars to cease by breaking and burning the weapons of war.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Identifies the divine plagues of destruction sent against Gog's hosts.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Similar judgment of being cast onto the open fields and given to ravenous beasts.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms this judgment is the great day of recompense spoken of by former prophets.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The solemn declaration 'it is done' matches the seventh bowl judgment in Revelation.
Supported by JFB
Eschatological development of the ultimate gathering of Gog and Magog for final defeat.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The sovereign pouring out of God's Spirit as the guarantee of covenant restoration.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels God's turning back of the northern invader as with hooks in jaws.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Verifies that Gog's armies originate from the extreme recesses of the north parts.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God acts to preserve His holy name from being polluted among the heathen.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God's holy jealousy to vindicate His name, which had been profaned by His people's exile.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Mosaic requirement to bury the dead promptly so that the land is not defiled.
Supported by JFB
The legal ritual context for cleansing the land from defilement caused by human bones.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic parallel of a great slaughter framed as a sacrificial feast for wild creatures.
Supported by JFB
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice and invited his guests to consume the wicked.
Supported by JFB
Textual cross-connection within the chapter locating the massive burial site at Hamon-gog.
Supported by JFB
The stouthearted are spoiled and the men of might cannot find their hands.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God walking contrary to Israel and hiding His face due to their persistent uncleanness.
Supported by Matthew Poole