25 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Ezekiel 38 This chapter gives an account of an enemy of the Jews, under the name of Gog, that shall invade their land, and disturb their peace, after they are settled in it; who is described by the countries over which he rules; and against whom the prophet is bid to set his face, and prophesy of him, the Lord being against him;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the word of the Lord came unto me,.... At the same time as the preceding prophecy did, as the copulative and shows; which predicts the restoration and conversion of the Jews; the union of their tribes under the King Messiah; and their settlement in their own land: and this respects some disturbance they should meet with upon it, for a short...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
This chapter, and that which follows it, are concerning Gog and Magog, a powerful enemy to the people of Israel, that should make a formidable descent upon them, and put them into a consternation, but their army should be routed and their design defeated; and this prophecy, it is most probable, had its accomplishment some time after the return of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Son of man, set thy face against Gog,.... Of the phrase, "setting the face towards", or "against", [See comments on Ezekiel 6:2] [See comments on Ezekiel 21:2] [See comments on Ezekiel 25:2] but who this Gog is the prophet is bid boldly to face, and intrepidly declare the wrath of God against, interpreters are divided about. Calmet (m) thinks that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And say, thus saith the Lord God, behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Which is repeated for the confirmation of it, that so it would certainly be; that the Lord, the mighty God, and King of kings, would in his providence frown upon him, and appear against him; and his titles are repeated also, to show that all...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,.... Or, I will put hooks in thy jaws, and with them turn thee back; or rather, "turn thee about" (f); and lead thee where and as I please; for this is not to be understood of God's putting hooks into his jaws, and leading him back from his enterprise of invading the land of Judea; as he put a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Gomer, and all his bands,.... Or all his army, as the Targum. Gomer was the eldest son of Japheth, Genesis 10:2, from whom descended the people called by the Greeks Galatians, or Galio-Grecians, as Josephus (i) says, who before were from him called Gomarians: others think that Phrygia, and the inhabitants of it, are meant; but, whether one or the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself,.... All warlike stores and provisions: this is ironically said; and suggests that he would do so, and yet all would be in vain, and to no purpose: thou and all thy company, that are assembled unto thee; or all thine armies, as the Targum, gathered out of his dominions, and made up of his auxiliaries and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
After many days thou shalt be visited,.... After the Ottoman empire has stood a long time, as it has already; when the many days will be ended that Israel should be without a king and a prince, c. Hosea 3:4, then shall Gog or the Turk be visited of God, not in a way of grace, but vengeance he shall be punished for all his iniquities, and his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thou shall ascend and come like a storm,.... That comes suddenly, looks black and terrible, and causes darkness and horror; makes a great noise, and is very threatening of danger; signifying, that the Turks will come into the land of Judea suddenly to surprise it, and with great wrath and fury, and threaten them with utter destruction; so the king...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord, it shall also come to pass,.... Who is the Lord God omniscient, and knows the thoughts of men's hearts afar off; which, though they are contingent and voluntary, yet certain to the foreknowledge of God; who knows them before they are conceived, and can foretell what they will be, and which come to pass accordingly: it is now...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
To take a spoil, and to take a prey,.... These are the words of Gog continued; suggesting that he should have no occasion to fight; should have nothing else to do but to seize upon the goods and plunder the substance of these people: to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited: such as were before desolate, and had lain long...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish,.... These are not any of the people that shall come along with Gog on his expedition; but some neighbouring nations bordering on Judea, who will address him in the following manner, as he passes through them, or by them. Sheba and Dedan design the Arabians inhabiting that part of Arabia which lay...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say unto Gog,.... Since these are his thoughts and designs, and those his big words, and which he will endeavour to put in practice, and be applauded for it by others; deliver this prophecy to him, or concerning him: thus saith the Lord God, in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shall thou not...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts,.... Whose original was from Scythia, or Cathaia in Tartary, that lies to the north of China; and who will bring with him many people from the Euxine and Caspian seas, and from the northern parts of lesser Asia; and the Turk is, by many interpreters, thought to be the king of the north, in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou shall come up against my people of Israel,.... Which is repeated for the certainty of it; and not for his comfort, but his ruin; not to the terror of Israel, but for the glory of God: as a cloud to cover the land; the land of Israel, so great should be his army; [See comments on Ezekiel 38:9], it shall be in the latter days; of the Gospel...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord God,.... Putting the question that follows: art thou he of whom I have spoken of old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I will bring thee against them? certainly thou art he: but who were the prophets that prophesied of Gog before Ezekiel, since he is the first that makes...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it shall come to pass at the same time, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God,.... As before prophesied of and described: that my fury shall come up in my face; as a man's blood rises up in his face, and his colour appears, when he is wroth and angry: or, "in my nose" (s); as men when they are angry puff and blow,...