INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 39 This chapter is a continuation of the prophecy of the destruction of Gog, which is both repeated, and more largely described, Ezekiel 39:1, then follows an account of the burning of his weapons of war, which will last seven years in burning, during which time there will b... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, THOU SON OF MAN, PROPHESY AGAINST GOG,.... As he had been ordered to do before, and must still continue to do it: BEHOLD, I AM AGAINST THEE, O GOG; which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and to inject terror into him; for terrible it is to have God against any: THE CHIEF PRINCE O... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL TURN THEE BACK,.... Not from the land of Israel; for thither it is said in the latter part of the text he would bring him; but the meaning is, that he would "turn him about", as the word w signifies, in his own land, and lead him about at his pleasure, and bring him out of it, unto the la... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SMITE THY BOW OUT OF THY LEFT HAND,.... In which it is usually held, to have the arrow fitted to it: AND I WILL CAUSE THINE ARROWS TO FALL OUT OF THY RIGHT HAND; where they are commonly held when put into the bow, and then the bow is drawn with it; signifying hereby, that though he shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT FALL UPON THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL,.... Be slain, and his carcass lie there; so the Targum, "upon the mountains of the land of Israel thy carcass shall be cast:'' thou and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee; Gog and his army, auxiliaries and allies: I WILL GIVE THEE TO THE... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT FALL UPON THE OPEN FIELD,.... Some part of his army should fall upon the mountains, and others upon the plain; wherever they will be found, they will be destroyed, either by the sword of the Jews and Christian princes, or by God's judgments from heaven: FOR I HAVE SPOKEN IT, SAITH THE LO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SEND A FIRE ON MAGOG,.... On the land of Magog; see Ezekiel 38:2, while Gog is in the land of Israel, and he and his army perish there, his country shall be destroyed by fire, or by some judgment or judgments of God, which shall consume like fire. The Septuagint version renders it, "I wi... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WILL I MAKE MY HOLY NAME KNOWN IN THE MIDST OF MY PEOPLE ISRAEL,.... That is, his perfections; his holiness and justice in punishing their enemies; his truth and faithfulness in fulfilling his promises to them; his power in inflicting judgments on Gog and his army; and his goodness in their prese... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, IT IS COME, AND IT IS DONE, SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... That is, the salvation of his people, and the destruction of their enemies; the prophecy concerning all this is come to pass, and the whole is accomplished; thus, because of the certainty thereof, it is represented as if the time was actual... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT DWELL IN THE CITIES OF ISRAEL SHALL GO FORTH,.... Out of their houses into the streets, where Gog's soldiers will lie dead, and their armour by them; or rather out of their cities, where they dwelt safely, and where they kept themselves, and were secure from the enemy: these seem to be... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT THEY SHALL TAKE NO WOOD OUT OF THE FIELD,.... During that seven years; or they shall have no need to do so, as the Syriac version; having a sufficiency of armour: NEITHER CUT DOWN ANY OUT OF THE FOREST: out of the forest of Lebanon, or any other, where they used to fetch wood for their nece... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY,.... When this destruction of the army of Gog shall be made: THAT I WILL GIVE UNTO GOG A PLACE THERE OF GRAVES IN ISRAEL; or, "a place there, a grave in Israel" b; he that thought to have subdued the whole land, and taken possession of it, shall have no more of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SEVEN MONTHS SHALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL BE BURYING OF THEM,.... So long time will the burial of Gog's army take up, because of the multitude of it, and by reason their bones will be scattered here and there; which will require time to gather them together, and bring them to one place: the reason... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND SHALL BURY THEM,.... That is, a great number of the common people of the land of Israel, especially of those that dwell near the field of battle, shall be employed in burying the slain; and which they will be very ready to do, for the reasons above mentioned: AND IT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL SEVER OUT MEN OF CONTINUAL EMPLOYMENT,.... That is, the principal of the house of Israel, their magistrates and governors, shall select certain persons, to be daily employed in the following work, till ended: PASSING THROUGH THE LAND TO BURY WITH THE PASSENGERS THOSE THAT REMAIN UPON... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PASSENGERS THAT PASS THROUGH THE LAND,.... Not along with the searchers, but that travel through it upon business in it, or in other lands: WHEN ANY SEETH A MAN'S BONE, THEN SHALL HE SET UP A SIGN BY IT; as he passes along, if he happens to see a human bone in the way, or hard by, he shall... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALSO THE NAME OF THE CITY SHALL BE HAMONAH,.... The name of the city nearest to this place, where Gog and his multitude shall be buried, shall be called Hamonah from thence, which signifies a multitude; or Polyandrion, as the Septuagint version, a place where many graves are; or perhaps a new ci... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU, SON OF MAN, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... What the prophet is ordered by the Lord to say is to creatures not then in being, nor yet; and, were they, they could not understand his words; but however, when the time comes, partly by an instinct in nature, and partly by a particular direction o... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL EAT THE FLESH OF THE MIGHTY,.... Of the soldiers, men of strength and courage, and fit for war, with which the army of Gog will abound: AND DRINK THE BLOOD OF THE PRINCES OF THE EARTH: both the princes of his own family and court, and those of his allies and auxiliaries that will come alon... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL EAT FAT TILL YE BE FULL,.... The fat of men; and such as before described generally are fat, and of which they shall have enough; and, though voracious creatures, shall eat to satiety: AND DRINK BLOOD TILL YE BE DRUNKEN; as men are with wine, who become mad with it; and so birds and be... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SHALL YE BE FILLED AT MY TABLE WITH HORSES AND CHARIOTS,.... With the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, as John interprets it, Revelation 19:18, and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions: and with the flesh of men that ride in chariots used in war; for chariots themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SET MY GLORY AMONG THE HEATHEN,.... The glory of his divine perfections, particularly his power and his goodness, in destroying the enemies of his people, and saving them; which will be set in a clear point of view to the Heathen, that they cannot but observe it; and this is the ultimate... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD THEIR GOD,.... That has chosen them, redeemed them, called them, manifested his covenant love and grace to them, and protected and defended them: this destruction of their enemies will be a proof of it; and they will hereby be led into a clearer k... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE HEATHEN SHALL KNOW THAT THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WENT INTO CAPTIVITY FOR THEIR INIQUITY,.... Before this they thought the captivity of the Jews, and all their distresses, were owing to their own weakness, and the weakness of the God they served, and to the superior strength of their enemies, and... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THEIR UNCLEANNESS,.... Not ceremonial, but moral; they were an impure and adulterous generation, as our Lord calls them, Matthew 12:39: AND ACCORDING TO THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS HAVE I DONE UNTO THEM; or "rebellions", as the Targum renders it; or defections, as the word k signifies; their... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... The Jews having been long punished for their sins; and being brought to repentance for them, and to faith in Christ, as they will be in the latter day: hence it follows, NOW WILL I BRING AGAIN THE CAPTIVITY OF JACOB; or the captives of Jacob, the people of Israel,... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THAT THEY HAVE BORNE THEIR SHAME,.... And disgrace, among the nations where they are scattered; being captives, exiles, in distress and affliction, and under the manifest tokens of the divine wrath and vengeance: it may be rendered, "and they shall bear their shame" m; that is, as Jarchi gloss... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I HAVE BROUGHT THEM AGAIN FROM THE PEOPLE,.... That is, then shall they be ashamed, and repent of all their trespasses and sins: AND GATHERED THEM OUT OF THEIR ENEMIES LANDS; from the provinces of their enemies, as the Targum; when they are collected together in a body out of each of the natio... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THEY KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD THEIR GOD,.... Ezekiel 39:22; WHICH CAUSED THEM TO BE LED INTO CAPTIVITY AMONG THE HEATHEN; for their sins and transgressions: and so the Targum adds, "because they sinned before me:'' BUT I HAVE GATHERED THEM INTO THEIR OWN LAND; being now penitent for th... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER WILL I HIDE MY FACE ANY MORE FROM THEM,.... The Jews, upon their future conversion, will always have the worship of God among them, and his presence with them; he will always take notice of them; they will ever be under his protection and care; he will never remove his Shechinah from them an... [ Continue Reading ]