1And the wordH1697 of the LORDH3068 came unto me, sayingH559, 2SonH1121 of manH120, setH7760 thy faceH6440 against GogH1463, the landH776 of MagogH4031, the chiefH7218 princeH5387 of MeshechH4902 and TubalH8422, and prophesyH5012 against him, 3And sayH559, Thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; Behold, I am against thee, O GogH1463, the chiefH7218 princeH5387 of MeshechH4902 and TubalH8422: 4And I will turn thee backH7725, and putH5414 hooksH2397 into thy jawsH3895, and I will bring thee forthH3318, and all thine armyH2428, horsesH5483 and horsemenH6571, all of them clothedH3847 with all sortsH4358 of armour, even a greatH7227 companyH6951 with bucklersH6793 and shieldsH4043, all of them handlingH8610 swordsH2719: 5PersiaH6539, EthiopiaH3568, and LibyaH6316 with them; all of them with shieldH4043 and helmetH3553: 6GomerH1586, and all his bandsH102; the houseH1004 of TogarmahH8425 of the northH6828 quartersH3411, and all his bandsH102: and manyH7227 peopleH5971 with thee. 7Be thou preparedH3559, and prepareH3559 for thyself, thou, and all thy companyH6951 that are assembledH6950 unto thee, and be thou a guardH4929 unto them. 8After manyH7227 daysH3117 thou shalt be visitedH6485 : in the latterH319 yearsH8141 thou shalt comeH935 into the landH776 that is brought backH7725 from the swordH2719, and is gatheredH6908 out of manyH7227 peopleH5971, against the mountainsH2022 of IsraelH3478, which have been alwaysH8548 wasteH2723: but it is brought forthH3318 out of the nationsH5971, and they shall dwellH3427 safelyH983 all of them. 9Thou shalt ascendH5927 and comeH935 like a stormH7722, thou shalt be like a cloudH6051 to coverH3680 the landH776, thou, and all thy bandsH102, and manyH7227 peopleH5971 with thee. 10Thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; It shall also come to pass, that at the same timeH3117 shall thingsH1697 comeH5927 into thy mindH3824, and thou shalt thinkH2803 an evilH7451 thoughtH4284: 11And thou shalt sayH559, I will go upH5927 to the landH776 of unwalled villagesH6519; I will goH935 to them that are at restH8252, that dwellH3427 safelyH983, all of them dwellingH3427 without wallsH2346, and having neither barsH1280 nor gatesH1817, 12To takeH7997 a spoilH7998, and to takeH962 a preyH957; to turnH7725 thine handH3027 upon the desolate placesH2723 that are now inhabitedH3427, and upon the peopleH5971 that are gatheredH622 out of the nationsH1471, which have gottenH6213 cattleH4735 and goodsH7075, that dwellH3427 in the midstH2872 of the landH776. 13ShebaH7614, and DedanH1719, and the merchantsH5503 of TarshishH8659, with all the young lionsH3715 thereof, shall sayH559 unto thee, Art thou comeH935 to takeH7997 a spoilH7998? hast thou gatheredH6950 thy companyH6951 to takeH962 a preyH957? to carry awayH5375 silverH3701 and goldH2091, to take awayH3947 cattleH4735 and goodsH7075, to takeH7997 a greatH1419 spoilH7998? 14Therefore, sonH1121 of manH120, prophesyH5012 and sayH559 unto GogH1463, Thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; In that dayH3117 when my peopleH5971 of IsraelH3478 dwellethH3427 safelyH983, shalt thou not knowH3045 it? 15And thou shalt comeH935 from thy placeH4725 out of the northH6828 partsH3411, thou, and manyH7227 peopleH5971 with thee, all of them ridingH7392 upon horsesH5483, a greatH1419 companyH6951, and a mightyH7227 armyH2428: 16And thou shalt come upH5927 against my peopleH5971 of IsraelH3478, as a cloudH6051 to coverH3680 the landH776; it shall be in the latterH319 daysH3117, and I will bringH935 thee against my landH776, that the heathenH1471 may knowH3045 me, when I shall be sanctifiedH6942 in thee, O GogH1463, before their eyesH5869. 17Thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; Art thou he of whom I have spokenH1696 in oldH6931 timeH3117 byH3027 my servantsH5650 the prophetsH5030 of IsraelH3478, which prophesiedH5012 in those daysH3117 many yearsH8141 that I would bringH935 thee against them? 18And it shall come to pass at the same timeH3117 whenH3117 GogH1463 shall comeH935 against the landH127 of IsraelH3478, saithH5002 the LordH136 GODH3069, that my furyH2534 shall come upH5927 in my faceH639. 19For in my jealousyH7068 and in the fireH784 of my wrathH5678 have I spokenH1696, Surely in that dayH3117 there shall be a greatH1419 shakingH7494 in the landH127 of IsraelH3478; 20So that the fishesH1709 of the seaH3220, and the fowlsH5775 of the heavenH8064, and the beastsH2416 of the fieldH7704, and all creeping thingsH7431 that creepH7430 upon the earthH127, and all the menH120 that are upon the faceH6440 of the earthH127, shall shakeH7493 at my presenceH6440, and the mountainsH2022 shall be thrown downH2040, and the steep placesH4095 shall fallH5307, and every wallH2346 shall fallH5307 to the groundH776. 21And I will callH7121 for a swordH2719 against him throughout all my mountainsH2022, saithH5002 the LordH136 GODH3069: every man'sH376 swordH2719 shall be against his brotherH251. 22And I will pleadH8199 against him with pestilenceH1698 and with bloodH1818; and I will rainH4305 upon him, and upon his bandsH102, and upon the manyH7227 peopleH5971 that are with him, an overflowingH7857 rainH1653, and great hailstonesH417 H68, fireH784, and brimstoneH1614. 23Thus will I magnifyH1431 myself, and sanctifyH6942 myself; and I will be knownH3045 in the eyesH5869 of manyH7227 nationsH1471, and they shall knowH3045 that I am the LORDH3068.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 The critical expositors have enough to do here to enquire out Gog and Magog. We cannot pretend either to add to their observations or to determine their controversies. Gog seems to be the king and Magog the kingdom; so that Gog and Magog are like Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Some think they find them afar off, in Scythia, Tartary, and Russia. Others think they find them nearer the land of Israel, in Syria, and Asia the Less. Ezekiel is appointed to prophesy against Gog, and to tell him that
God is against him, Ezek 38:2,
Ezek 38:3. Note, God does not only see those that are now the enemies of his church and set himself against them, but he foresees those that will be so and lets them know by his word that he is against them too, and yet is pleased to make use of them to serve his own purposes, for the glory of his own name; surely
their wrath shall
praise him, and the
remainder thereof he will restrain, Pss 76:10. Let us observe here,
I. The confusion which God designed to put this enemy to. It is remarkable that this is put first in the prophecy; before it is foretold that God will
bring him forth against Israel it is foretold that God will
put hooks into his jaws and
turn him back (
Ezek 38:4), that they might have assurance of their deliverance before they had the prospect given them of their danger. Thus tender is God of the comfort of his people, thus careful that they may not be frightened; even before the trouble begins he tells them it will end well.
II. The undertaking which he designed to engage him in, in order to this defeat and disappointment. 1. The nations that shall be confederate in this enterprise against Israel are many, and great, and mighty (
Ezek 38:5,
Ezek 38:6),
Persia, Ethiopia, etc. Antiochus had an army made up of all the nations here named, and many others. These people had been at variance with one another, and yet in combination against Israel. How are those increased that trouble God's people! 2. They are well furnished with arms and ammunition, and bring a good train of artillery into the field -
horses and horsemen (
Ezek 38:4) bravely equipped
with all sorts of armour, bucklers and shields for defence,
and all handling swords for offence. Orders are given to make all imaginable preparation for this expedition (
Ezek 38:7):
Be thou prepared, and do thou prepare. See what warlike preparations thou hast already in store, and, lest that should not suffice, make further preparation,
thou and all thy company, Let Gog himself be a guard to the rest of the confederates. As commander-in-chief, let him engage to take care of them and their safety; let him pass his word for their security, and take them under his particular protection. The leaders of an army, instead of exposing their soldiers needlessly and presumptuously, and throwing away their lives upon desperate undertakings, should study to be a guard to them, and, whenever they send them forth in danger, should contrive to support and cover them. This call to prepare seems to be ironical -
Do thy worst, but I will
turn thee back; like that
Isa 8:9.
Gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces. 3. Their design is against
the mountains of Israel (
Ezek 38:8), against
the land that is brought back from the sword. It is not long since it was harassed with the sword of war, and it has been always wasted, more or less, with one judgment or other; it is but newly
gathered out of many people, and
brought forth out of the nations; it has enjoyed comparatively but a short breathing-time, has scarcely recovered any strength since it was brought down by war and captivity; and therefore its neighbours need not fear its being too great, nay, and therefore it is very barbarous to pick a quarrel with it so soon. It is a people that
dwell safely, all of them, in unwalled villages, very secure, and
having neither bars nor gates, Ezek 38:11. It is a certain sign that they intend no mischief to their neighbours, for they fear no mischief from them. It cannot be thought that those will offend others who do not take care to defend themselves; and this aggravates the sin of these invaders. It is base and barbarous to
devise evil against thy neighbour while he dwells securely by thee, and has no distrust of thee,
Prov 3:29. But see here how
the clouds return after the rain in this world, and what little reason we have ever to be secure till we come to heaven. It is not long since Israel was brought back from the sword of one enemy, and behold the sword of another is drawn against it. Former troubles will not excuse us from further troubles; but when we think we have
put off the harness, at least for some time, by a fresh and sudden alarm we may be called to
gird it on again; and therefore we must never boast nor be off our guard. 4. That which the enemy has in view, in forming this project, is to enrich himself and to make himself master, not of the country, but of the wealth of it, to spoil and plunder it, and make a prey of it:
At the same time that God intends to bring this matter about
things shall come into the mind of this enemy, and
he shall think an evil thought, Ezek 38:10. Note, All the mischief men do, and particularly the mischief they do to the church of God, arises from evil thoughts that come into their mind, ambitious thoughts, covetous thoughts, spiteful thoughts against those that are good, for the sake of their goodness. It came into Antiochus's mind what a singular people these religious Jews were, and how their worship witnessed against and condemned the idolatries of their neighbours, and therefore, in enmity to their religion, he would plague them. It came into his mind what a wealthy people they were, that they had
gotten cattle and goods in the midst of the land (
Ezek 38:12), and withal how weak they were, how unable to make any resistance, how easy it would be to carry off what they had, and how much glory this rapine would add to his victorious sword; these things coming into his mind, and one evil thought drawing on another, he came at last to this resolve (
Ezek 38:11,
Ezek 38:12):
I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; yea, that I will; it will cost me nothing to make them all my own. I will go and disturb
those that are at rest, without giving them any notice, not to crush their growing greatness, or chastise their insolence, or make reprisals upon them for any wrong they have done us (they had none of these pretences to make war upon them), but purely
to take a spoil and to take a prey (
Ezek 38:12), in open defiance to all the laws of justice and equity, as much as the highwayman's killing the traveller that he may take his money. These were the thoughts that came into the mind of this wicked prince, and God knew them; nay, he knew them before they came into his mind, for he
understands our thoughts afar off, Pss 139:2. 5. According to the project thus formed he pours in all his forces upon the land of Israel, and finds those that are ready to come in to his assistance with the same prospects (
Ezek 38:9):
Thou shalt ascent and come like a storm, with all the force, and fury, and fierceness imaginable, and
thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, to darken it, and to threaten it,
thou and not only
all thy bands, all the force thou canst bring into the field, but
many people with thee (such as are spoken of
Ezek 38:13),
Sheba and Dedan, the Arabians and the Edomites,
and the merchants of Tarshish, of Tyre and Sidon and other maritime cities, they and their
young lions that are greedy of spoil and live upon it,
shall say, Hast thou come to take the spoil of this land? Yes he has; and therefore they wish him success. Or perhaps they envy him, or grudge it to him. Hast thou come for riches who art thyself so rich already? Or, knowing that God was on Israel's side, they thus ridicule his attempts, foreseeing that they would be baffled and that he would be disappointed of the prey he promised himself. Or, if he come to
take the prey, they will come and join with him, and add to his forces. When Lysias, who was general of Antiochus's army, came against the Jews, the neighbouring nations joined with him (1 Macc. 3:41), to share in the guilt, in hopes to share in the prey.
When thou sawest a thief then thou consentedst with him. 14 This latter part of the chapter is a repetition of the former; the dream is doubled, for the thing is certain and to be very carefully regarded.
I. It is here again foretold that this spiteful enemy should make a formidable descent upon the land of Israel (
Ezek 38:15):
Thou shalt come out of the north parts (Syria lay on the north of Canaan) with
a mighty army, shalt come like
a cloud, and
cover the land of my people Israel, Ezek 38:16. These words (
Ezek 38:14),
When my people Israel dwell safely, shalt thou not know it? may be taken two ways: - 1. As intimating his inducements to this attempt. Thou shalt have intelligence brought thee how securely, and therefore how carelessly, the people of Israel dwell, which shall give rise to thy project against them; for when thou knowest not only what a rich, but what an easy prey they are likely to be, thou wilt soon determine to fall upon them Note, God's providence is to be acknowledged in the occasion, the small occasion perhaps, that is given, and that not designedly neither, to those first thoughts from which great enterprises take their original. God, to bring about his own purposes, lets men know that which yet he knows they will make a bad use of, as here. Or, 2. As intimating his disappointment in this attempt, which here, as before, the prophecy begins with:
When my people Israel dwell safely, not in their own apprehension only, but in reality, forasmuch as they dwell safely under the divine protection, shalt not thou be made to know it by the fruitlessness of thy endeavours to destroy them? Thou shalt soon find that there is
no enchantment against Jacob, that
no weapon formed against them shall prosper; thou shalt know to thy cost, shalt know to thy shame, that though they have no walls, nor bars, nor gates, they have God himself, a
wall of fire, round about them, and that he who
touches them touches the apple of his eye; whosoever meddles with them meddles to his own hurt. And it is for the demonstrating of this to all the world that God will bring this mighty enemy against his people. Those that
gathered themselves against Israel said,
Let us take the spoil and take they prey, but they
knew not the thoughts of the Lord, Mic 4:11,
Mic 4:12.
I will bring thee against my land. This is strange news, that God will not only permit his enemies to come against his own children, but will himself bring them; but, if we understand what he aims at, we shall be well reconciled even to this: it is
that the heathen may know me to be the only living and true God
when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog! that is, in thy defeat and destruction
before their eyes, that all the nations may see, and say,
There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, that rides on the heavens for the help of his people. Note, God brings his people into danger and distress that he may have the honour of bringing about their deliverance, and suffers the enemies of his church to prevail awhile, though they profane his name by their sin, that he may have the honour of prevailing at last and sanctifying his own name in their ruin. Now it is said, This shall be
in the latter days, namely, in the latter days of the Old Testament church; so the mischief that Antiochus did to Israel was; but in the latter days of the New Testament church another like enemy should arise, that should in like manner be defeated. Note, Effectual securities are treasured up in the word of God against the troubles and dangers the church may be brought into a great while hence, even in the latter days.
II. Reference is herein had to the predictions of the former prophets (
Ezek 38:17):
Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time, of whom Moses spoke in his prophecy of the latter days (
Deut 32:43,
He will render vengeance to his adversaries ), and David,
Pss 9:15 (
The heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made ) and often elsewhere in the Psalms? This is the leviathan of whom Isaiah spoke (
Isa 27:1), that congress of the nations of which Joel spoke,
Joel 3:1. Many of the prophets had perhaps spoken particularly of this event, though it be not written, as they all had spoken and written too that which is applicable to it. Note, There is an amiable admirable harmony and agreement between the Lord's prophets, though they lived in several ages, for they were all guided by one and the same Spirit.
III. It is here foretold that this furious formidable enemy should be utterly cut off in this attempt upon Israel, and that it should issue in his own ruin. This is supposed by many to have its accomplishment in the many defeats given by the Maccabees to the forces of Antiochus and the remarkable judgments of God executed upon his own person, for he died of sore diseases. But these things are here foretold, as usual, in figurative expressions, which we are not to look for the literal accomplishment of, and yet they might be fulfilled nearer the letter than we know of. 1. God will be highly displeased with this bold invader:
When he comes up in pride and anger
against the land of Israel, and thinks to carry all before him with a high hand, then
God's fury shall come up in his face, which is an allusion to the manner of men, whose colour rises in their faces when some high affront is offered them and they are resolved to show their resentment of it,
Ezek 38:18. God will speak against them in his
jealousy for his people and in
the fire of his wrath against his and their enemies,
Ezek 38:19. See how God's permitting sin, his laying occasions of sin before men, and his making use of it to serve his own purposes, consist with his hatred of sin and his displeasure against it. God
brings this enemy against his land, letting him know what an easy prey it might be and determining thereby to glorify himself; and yet,
when he comes against the land, God's
fury comes up, and
he speaks to him in the fire of his wrath. If any ask, Why does he thus find fault? for who has resisted his will? It is easy to answer,
Nay, but, O man! who art thou that repliest against God? 2. His forces shall be put into the greatest confusion and consternation imaginable (
Ezek 38:19):
There shall be a great shaking of them
in the land of Israel, a universal concussion (
Ezek 38:20), such as shall affect the
fishes and
fowls, the
beasts and
creeping things, and much more
the men that are upon the face of the earth, who sooner receive impressions of fear. There shall be such an earthquake as shall
throw down the
mountains, those natural heights, and the
steep places, towers and
walls, those artificial heights; they shall all
fall to the ground. Some understand this of the fright which the land of Israel should be put into by the fury of the enemy. But it is rather to be understood of the fright which the enemy should be put into by the wrath of God; all those things which they both raise themselves and stay themselves upon shall be shaken down, and their hearts shall fail them. 3. He shall be routed and utterly ruined; both earth and heaven shall be armed against him (1.) The earth shall muster up its forces to destroy him. If the people of Israel have not strength and courage to resist him, God will
call for a sword against him, Ezek 38:21. And he has swords always at command, that are
bathed in heaven, Isa 35:5. Throughout all the mountains of Israel, where he hoped to meet with spoil to enrich him, he shall meet with swords to destroy him, and, rather than fail,
every man's sword shall be against his brother, as in
the day of Midian, Pss 83:9. The great men of Syria shall undermine and overthrow one another, shall accuse one another, shall fight duels with one another. Note, God can, and often does, make the destroyers of his people to be their own destroyers and the destroyers of one another. However, he will himself be their destroyer, will take the work into his own hand, that it may be done thoroughly (
Ezek 38:22):
I will plead against him with pestilence and blood. Note, Whom God acts against he pleads against; he shows them the ground of his controversy with them, that their mouths may be stopped, and he may be clear when he judges. (2.) The artillery of heaven shall also be drawn out against them:
I will rain upon him an overflowing rain, Ezek 38:22. He comes like a storm upon Israel,
Ezek 38:9. But God will come like a storm upon him, will rain upon him
great hailstones as upon the Canaanites (
Josh 10:11), fire and brimstone as upon Sodom, and a
horrible tempest, Pss 11:6. Thus the Gog and Magog in the New Testament shall be devoured with
fire from heaven, and cast into the
lake of brimstone, Revel 20:9,
Revel 20:10. That will be the everlasting portion of all the impenitent implacable enemies of God's church and people. 4. God, in all this, will be glorified. The end he aimed at (
Ezek 38:16) shall be accomplished (
Ezek 38:23):
Thus will I magnify myself and sanctify myself. Note, In the destruction of sinners God makes it to appear that he is a great and holy God, and he will do so to eternity. And, if men do not magnify and sanctify him as they ought, he will magnify himself, and sanctify himself; and this we should desire and pray for daily,
Father, glorify thy own name.