“You, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
Ezekiel 39
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I will turn you around, will lead you on, and will cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring you onto the mountains of Israel.
I will strike your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 3. Arrows. Cambyses thought himself the most skilful at shooting. This was the usual weapon of the Persians ( Calmet.) and Parthians. Bible.
You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you, and all your hordes, and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort and to the animals of the field to be devoured.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 4. Fall. In every part some shall resist Antichrist, who shall be overpowered. Worthington.—Cambyses died at Carmel.
You will fall on the open field, for I have spoken it,” says the Lord GOD.
“I will send a fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the islands. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 6. Islands; in the naval forces, or in the places of his dominion where discord shall prevail. Calmet.—Cambyses resolved to attack Ethiopia, the people near the temple of Ammon, and the Carthaginians: but his troops refused to go against the latter, and many were smothered in the sands, or starved to death in the other expeditions. Just. i. Lucan x. and so forth
“‘“I will make my holy name known among my people Israel. I won’t allow my holy name to be profaned any more. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Behold, it comes, and it will be done,” says the Lord GOD. “This is the day about which I have spoken.
“‘“Those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and will make fires of the weapons and burn them, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the war clubs and the spears, and they will make fires with them for seven years;
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 9. Years; for a long time. verse 12. Little fuel is necessary there. Mariana (Hist. xi. 24. A. 1212.) mentions, that the arms of the Moors supplied Spain four years with fuel. Calmet.
so that they will take no wood out of the field, and not cut down any out of the forests; for they will make fires with the weapons. They will plunder those who plundered them, and rob those who robbed them,” says the Lord GOD.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 10. Prey. The Jews relate that Zorobabel went out to oppose these nations, and took so much plunder as to be able to begin the temple. Theod.
“‘“It will happen in that day, that I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the valley of those who pass through on the east of the sea; and it will stop those who pass through. They will bury Gog and all his multitude there, and they will call it ‘The valley of Hamon Gog’.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 11. East of the Mediterranean and of Carmel, the high road from Assyria to Egypt, (Genesis 37:2. Calmet.) where the Romans had a station at Legion. Eus.—Called, or shall be. Isaiah 7:14 and 60:14. Calmet.—Valley. Septuagint “Gai, the grave of Gog.” Prot. “the valley of Haman-Gog.” verse 16. Bible.—Antichrist will not be burnt iwth material fire. But Catholics shall resist him zealously, and gain the victory. Worthington.
“‘“The house of Israel will be burying them for seven months, that they may cleanse the land.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 12. Land, to prevent infection, and to comply with the law. Numbers 19:16.
Yes, all the people of the land will bury them; and they will become famous in the day that I will be glorified,” says the Lord GOD.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 13. Day. It does not occur in the calendar. Yet Comestor and the Carthusian mentions Cambysa, the day when Bethulia was delivered. Judith 16:31. The history of Judith may perhaps relate to the defeat of this prince. The embellishments will not injure the truth. The Jews immediately after his death recommence the building of the temple, (1 Ezra 4. Agg. 1:14) which they are forced to discontinue, till Hystaspes confirmed the decree of Cyrus. This was the grand object of their desires, and therefore the day when Cambyses fell was ever memorable to them. Calmet. Diss.—So will that be for Christians, when Antichrist shall be no more. Menochius.
“‘“They will set apart men of continual employment who will pass through the land. Those who pass through will go with those who bury those who remain on the surface of the land, to cleanse it. After the end of seven months they will search.
Those who search through the land will pass through; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, then he will set up a sign by it, until the undertakers have buried it in the valley of Hamon Gog.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 15. Buriers. These might be foreign slaves, or Jews, who followed this employment. Calmet.—They would be habitually ( Bible.) unclean, and their company would be carefully avoided. Those who sought after the dead remains, contracted no uncleanness. Calmet.
Hamonah will also be the name of a city. Thus they will cleanse the land.”’
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 16. Amona. Hebrew hamon, ( Bible.) means “a multitude.” Calmet.—Septuagint “a place for many graves:” πολυανδριον. Bible.—So many would be buried there, that the place might justly receive such a name; though we find no such city in the neighbourhood. Calmet.—Rabbath, of Ammon, was sometimes so called. Bible.
“You, son of man, the Lord GOD says: ‘Speak to the birds of every sort, and to every animal of the field, “Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat meat and drink blood.
You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 18. That are. Hebrew “and of meries, (a species of oxen, in Syria. Bellon. ii. 50.) all of them from Basan,” beyond the Jordan, a most fertile country. Septuagint “all calves fattened.”
You shall eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
You shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men, and with all men of war,” says the Lord GOD.’
“I will set my glory among the nations. Then all the nations will see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.
So the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God, from that day and forward.
The nations will know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they trespassed against me, and I hid my face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 23. Sword. I could as easily have protected them against the Chaldeans as against this prince, if their sins had not been in the way. Calmet.—These bring on the ruin of God’s people more than the power of the enemy. Worthington.
I did to them according to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions. I hid my face from them.
“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Now I will reverse the captivity of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel. I will be jealous for my holy name.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 25. Israel. All who please may now return. Hystaspes was very favourable to them. He married Esther, raised Mardochai to great power, and sent Esdras into Judea with ample privileges. Many returned under him, Artazerxes, and Alexander.—Jealous. I will restore the people to favour, and will protect them ( Calmet.) like a husband. Bible.
They will forget their shame and all their trespasses by which they have trespassed against me, when they dwell securely in their land. No one will make them afraid
when I have brought them back from the peoples, gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am shown holy among them in the sight of many nations.
They will know that I am the LORD their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them to their own land. Then I will leave none of them captive any more.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 28. There, except such as refused to return. They have entire liberty. This and what follows was not fully accomplished till the propagation of the gospel. God wished all to embrace it; and though Israel has been partly blind, they will enter the Church after the Gentiles. Romans 11:25. Calmet.
I won’t hide my face from them any more, for I have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”