Chapter 39

1 God’s judgment upon Gog. 8 Israel’s victory. 11 Gog’s burial in Hamon-gog. 17 The feast of the fowls. 23 Israel, having been plagued for their sins, shall be gathered again with eternal favour.

1. Prophesy against Gog. This chapter continues the subject of the preceding one, repeating in part what has already been said concerning Gog, but adding further details as to the extensive spoils (vs. 9, 10), the system of burial (vs. 11–16), and the extent of the carnage (vs. 17–20). Verses 21–29 recapitulate God’s gracious promises concerning the restoration.

Gog. See on ch. 38:2.

2. Leave but the sixth part. Heb. shashaХ, a word occurring only here, and thought to mean “to lead [like a child].” The translation of the KJV is based upon the idea that the root of shashaХ is shesh, “six.” This is questionable. The Targums read nashaХ, which means “to lead into error,” “to deceive,” “to impose upon anyone.” The LXX has kathodeµgeµsoµ, “I will lead [or bring] thee down.” These different readings correspond to the combination of ideas in ch. 38:4, 16.

3. Smite thy bow. The invaders are represented as bowmen.

4. Birds … beasts. Vultures and jackals were ever ready to feast upon the corpses of the slain in battle (see 1 Sam. 17:46; Eze. 33:27).

6. A fire on Magog. Magog is the country of Gog (see on ch. 38:2). The judgment strikes there also and extends to the coastlands and isles of the sea.

7. The heathen shall know. God’s name would be vindicated in these judgments (see on ch. 38:16).

9. Burn them with fire seven years. This section of the prophecy will clearly not have a literal fulfillment in connection with the second coming of Christ and the millennium. According to the principle outlined in comments on ch. 38:1, history would have taken a vastly different course if Israel had permitted God to work out His designs with respect to them. In the natural course of events the restored and prosperous nation would become the target of attack from envious heathen nations that refused to accept Israel’s message of the true God. In such a war as here described, God would protect His people by giving them overwhelming victory. This prophetic description of the great conflict would doubtless have been as literally fulfilled as the promises of a national restoration and world mission for the returned exiles of Israel. The question may be asked, Why, then, will not these things come to pass now that there is once more a national state of Israel in Palestine in modern times? The answer is that in the meantime the Jews, upon their rejection of Jesus, were rejected of God as a nation, and the promises have for two thousand years belonged to the Christian church, to be fulfilled in a spiritual sense for spiritual Israel (see pp. 35, 36).

11. A place there of graves. Gog, who had hoped to gain complete mastery over the land of Israel, would receive from the Lord but a place for burial there.

Passengers. Heb. Фoberim, “those that pass through or over,” or “travelers.” The valley cannot be definitely located. It is said to be east of the sea, doubtless meaning the Dead Sea. The precise location is not important to the interpretation of the passage.

Noses of the passengers. There is no word for “noses” in the Hebrew. The sentence should read, “It will stop the travelers.” The meaning may be that the travelers would be arrested as they pass by this notorious spot, and would be compelled to consider the signal judgment inflicted on the enemies of the people of God. Or the meaning may be that the valley or gorge would have no exit at one end.

The valley of Hamon-gog. Literally, “the valley of the multitude of Gog.”

14. Men of continual employment. Literally, “men of continuance,” men appointed to this business to stay by the task until it was completed. The work was to be systematically performed.

With the passengers. The Hebrew preposition Хeth, here translated “with,” may also be the sign of the direct object, making the passage read, “passing through the land to bury the passengers, those that remain.” The LXX and the Syriac have no word corresponding to “passengers,” and simply read, “to bury those that remain.”

15. Set up a sign. The sign would attract the attention of the burial party.

16. Hamonah. Probably derived from the Heb. hamon, meaning “multitude.”

17. Every feathered fowl. The representations of vs. 17–20 are not to be considered as picturing events subsequent to those mentioned in the earlier part of the chapter. They simply depict the same events under another figure. The new figure serves to heighten the description of the immense slaughter. Other representations of the destructive judgments of God as a sacrifice are found in Isa. 34:6; Jer. 46:10. This whole section is strikingly parallel to Rev. 19:17, 18, a passage that indicates when and how this scripture will meet a measure of fulfillment with reference to the Christian Era. By the use of the same imagery John represents the immense slaughter of the wicked at the second coming of Christ, a destruction so complete, however, as to leave none to bury the dead.

21. My glory among the heathen. Ezekiel predicts the course history would have taken if Israel, in captivity, had fully profited by her chastisement (see on ch. 38:1). The overthrow of the multitudes of Gog does not represent the ultimate annihilation of all sinful elements and the introduction of completely renovated new heavens and new earth. It describes, instead, an intermediate step. The stupendousness of the whole scene would evoke such universal marvel that the attention of men everywhere would be directed toward God and His purposes for the inhabitants of this earth. This would become the occasion for great missionary expansion on the part of Israel, which activity would ultimately bring about the kingdom of God.

23. The heathen shall know. No longer would they hold, as formerly, that the sufferings of Israel were the result of God’s lack of power to protect them. They would see, instead, the righteousness and reasonableness of God’s purposes, and as a result they would be attracted to His kingdom, and seek admittance.

29. Poured out my spirit. The revival of Israel would have been accompanied by a great outpouring of the Spirit. This promised power would have enabled them speedily to evangelize the world and prepare for the coming of the Messiah.