CHAP. XXXIX.
God will glorify himself in the terrible destruction of Gog and Magog, 1-7. The raultitude of weapons burned by Israel, 8 -10. The burial of Gog and his multitude in Hamon-gog, 11 -16. The birds and beasts invited to feed on the slain, 1720. The heathen shall see God's judgments, and the reasons
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thiLe arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the # open field: for which he punished Israel, 21-24; whom he will gather for I have spoken it , saith the Lord God. 6 And I will send a fire on Magog,
again with everlasting favor, 25-29.
prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus and among them that dwell carelessly in
saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal;
the LORD.
7 So * will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; 2 And I will turn thee back, and leave and I will not let them pollute my holy but the sixth part of thee, dand will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
y 36:23.
*Or, strike thee with six
z 16. 37:28. 39:7,13,27. Ps. 9: plagues; or, draw thee back 16. Rev. 15:3,4. 19:1-6.
a 38:2,3,
b 35:3. Nah. 2:13. 3:5.
c Ps. 40:14. 68:2. Is. 37:29.
with a hook of six teeth , as 38:4.
d 38:15. Dan. 11:40. Heb. sides of the north.
Hag . 2:6-9,20-23. Matt . 24:29-31. Rev. 6: 12-14. 11:13,14. 16:17-21.)
V. 21-23. 'God's decrees are expressed by 'his speaking the word and giving out the com'inand. ( Ps . 105:16. Lowth . Some think that the Lord will send assistance to Israel, by the armies of Christian princes. In addition, however, to all external opposition, he will occasion discord among the invaders, and they shall destroy one another; as well as perish by pestilence, hail-stones, and fire and brimstone. ( Marg . Ref . Notes , 13:10—16.14:13—21. Gen. 19:24,25. Josh . 10:11. Judg . 7:16–22. Is . 29:5,6. 30:29-32, υ. 30. Rev. 16:17-21.)
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. When God most effectually works to promote his cause, and to prosper his church in unity and purity; Satan will be most busy (if permitted, in exciting his servants, with combined efforts, to oppose it: and they, who on other occasions are most hostile to each other, often unite to fight against his people.
But he, whose all-seeing eye penetrates the deepest recesses of the human heart, through long series of ages, yea, from eternity; and who foresees what things will come into men's minds, and what evil thoughts they will think, is equally able to disappoint their devices.
In vain do men prepare for the defence and success of themselves and their companions, when God is pleased to fight against them; for "though hand j hand join in h hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished." -Those, who enjoy the Lord's protection are safe, and may be secure, though they have no other defence.--It is most atrocious to devise mischief against those who serve God in quietness and honesty, and who harmless, inoffensive, and unsuspecting.
are
But the love of riches, and the hatred of God and holiness, incite men to the most base and
destructive
name any more: and the heathen shall
e 30:21--24. Ps. 46:9. 76:3. 32:4. Jer. 8:2. 22:19. Jer. 21:4,5. Hos. 1:5.
f 17-20. 38:21.
h 30:8,16. 38:19-22. Am. 1:4, 7,10. Nah. 1:6.
g 32:4,5. 33:27. Is. 34:2-8. Jer. Or, confidently. 38:11. Judg.
15:3. Rev. 19:17-21.
Heb. wing.
Heb. to devour.
18:7.
i 38:13. Ps. 72:10. k 22. 38:16,23.
| Heb. face of the field. 29:5. 1 20:9,14,39. 36:20,21,36.
and a trade. (Notes, Is . 2:2-5. Rev. 20:4-6.) -All opposition to the cause of God will eventually tend to sanctify his great name, and to fulfil the writings of his ancient prophets; and that in proportion as it is formidable.-Those who love to terrify their neighbors, will be made to tremble at the power and indignation of the Lord. The whole creation will concur in the destruction of his devoted enemies: nay, they will help forward their own and each other's ruin, till they are driven by the tempest of his jealousy into "the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone;" and thus he will be magnified and sanctified upon all those, who refuse to submit to him and serve him.
NOTES.
CHAP. XXXIX. V. 1-5. Marg . and Marg . Ref . Notes , 17-20.38:2-4.- Chief prince of Meshech , &c. (1) Or, "prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal."- Leave , &c. (2) Or, "I will strike thee with six plagues." ( Marg . -Note, 38:19 --23.)--It seems probable, that none of the invaders will escape the general destruction: but perhaps the inhabitants of Magog in general are meant. The immense army of Gog, led forth to invade Israel, will almost empty his land; and the subsequent judgments of God, upor upon upon those that remain at home, will reduce them them to the sixth part of the whole. ( Note , 6.).
And will cause thee, &c.] 'The words may 'be better translated, "After I have caused thee 'to come up, &c."" Lowth .
V. 6. Some terrible judgment will destroy those countries, whence the army of Gog was led forth; about the same time that the army itself be cut off. "They that dwell carelessly in the isles," may denote the allies of Gog before-mentioned. ( Notes , 38:5-7,13.) — on en 'emy of my church; and upon those that being 'separated and guarded by the sea, live securely 'confident of their safety. Bp . Hall . ( Marg .
men to the most base and before mentioned
securely, bad men soon know of it, and mark them as their prey. Hence, alas! it is become necessary for those communities, which desire peace, to learn and encourage war as a science and Marg . Ref . ) VOL. IV.
know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GoD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it , The valley of Hamon-gog.
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the ar-nown, the day that I shall be glorified,
rows, and the * hand-staves, and the spears, and they shall + burn them with fire seven years.
10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GoD.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and
V. 7. 'I will not suffer my name to be dis'honored any more; nor let it be said among 'the heathen, that I was not able to rescue my 'people out of the hand of their enemies.' Lowth. ( Marg . Ref . 21,22. See on Note , 20:79. Notes, 36:20-24. 37:28. 38:16-23.)
V. 8. This was predicted above two thousand years before the event: yet the prophet spake of it, as already come and done, e, to denote the certainty of it; and as seeing in vision its actual accomplishment. The time appointgreat destruction is come; and it is the last and finishing stroke of God's justice 'upon the enemies of his church. Lowth . That is, before the millennium. ( Note , 38:2. Is . 66:15 -18.)-'This plague is fully determined in my 'counsel, and cannot be changed.' ( Marg . Ref . -Notes, 7:2-11. 38:16,17. 2 Pet . 3:8. Rev. 16: 17-21, ν. 17.)
13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them ; and it shall be to them "are
saith the Lord God.
14 And they shall sever out men of #continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those, that remain upon the face of the earth, 2 to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley Hamon-gog.
16 And also the name of the city shall be ** Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.
[Practical Observations.]
just before the millennium; at which happy period, "men shall every where beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not rise against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Notes, Is . 2:2-5. Rev. 20 20:1-6.) - Shall Shall spoil, &c. &c. (10) Marg . Ref . r.- Notes , Is . 14:1,2. 33: 1.
V. 11-16. Gog will expect to seize the whole land of Israel for his army and people: but the Lord will only give them "a place of graves" in some part of it; and not even that, till their bodies have lain for some time unburied. The multitudes of the slain will infect the air with their stench, and cause the travellers to stop their noses; or they will die in the way, and obstruct those that are passing on the road. So that the Israelites must bury them, though they had neither trouble nor peril in vanquishing them.
This will be the work of seven months to all the people of the land; that is, of all such, as can be spared from other needful employments. But it will be necessary in order to cleanse the land. No doubt the prophet referred to the ceremonial law, in this passage; though that law will not be regarded, when this prediction shall be fulfilled: but it will be also needful to cleanse the land from the natural defilement, which might otherwise cause an infection.
This labor of Israel will bring great honor to them, as well as redound to the glory of God.- 'The valley, 'near this sea,' ... (of Gennesaret, is called "the 'valley of the passengers;" because it was a 'great road, by which the merchants and tra 'ders from Syria, and other eastern countries, 'went into Egypt.... All the people shall be employed seven months in burying the dead: (13) and after they are ended, particular per'sons, appointed for that purpose, shall make a 'clear riddance.' Lowth . (Marg.and Marg . Ref .
V. 9, 10. The language, here used, seems to imply, that the army of Gog will be cut off by miracle, as that of Sennacherib had been: for the people are described, as going forth, not to fight and conquer, but merely to gather the spoil. ( Notes , 2 Chr . 20:22-25. Ps . 68:11, 12. Is . 33:23,24.) The immense destruction of the invaders is illustrated by the circumstance (perhaps hyperbolical) of the weapons found among the slain, serving for fuel during seven years, at least to the inhabitants of the adjacent cities.
But when it is considered, how little fuel comparatively is needed in warm climates, we may even conceive of this being literally fulfilled. The Israelites, however, will neither reserve these weapons for their own use, nor form them into trophies of their victory; but use them for fuel. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref . p, q.- Note , Ps . 46:8,9.) 'In token, of an 'entire conquest, and that such a lasting peace 'should ensue, that there should be no more 'need of warlike preparations. Lowth . It is supposed that this prediction will be fulfilled|| -Notes , Num . 19:11-21.)
17 And thou, son of man, thus saith || from them, and gave them into the hand the Lord GoD; Speak unto * every feath- of their enemies: so fell they all by the ered fowl, and to every beast of the field, sword. Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to myt sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
18 Ye shall deat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, • of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Ba
shan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day and forward.
23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore m hid I my face
b. Gen. 31:54. 1 Sam. 9:13. 16: 3. Is. 56:9. Jer. 12:9. Zeph. 1:7.
Heb. the fowl of every wing. c 4. 1 Sam. 17:46. Is. 18:6. 34: 6. Jer. 46:10.
† Or, slaughter.
d 29:5. 34.8. Rev. 19:17,18,21. Heb. great goats. 34:17. marg .
e Ps. 68:30. Is. 34:7. Jer. 50: 11,27. 51:40.
f Deut. 32:14. Ps. 22:12. Am. 4:1.
g 38:4. Ps. 76:6. Hag. 2:22. Rev. 19:18.
h 36:23. 38:16,23. Ex. 9:16. 14: 4. Is. 26:11. 37:20. Mal. 1:11. i Ex. 7:4. 8:19. 1 Sam. 5:7,11. 6:9. Ps. 32:4.
k 7,28. 28:26. 34:30. Jer. 24:7. 31:34. John 17:3. 1 John 5:20. 1 36:18-23,36. 2 Chr. 7:21,22. Jer. 22:8,9. 40:2,3. Lam. 2:15 -17.
m 29. Deut. 31:17,18. 32:20. Ps. 10:1. 30:7. Is. 8:17. 59:2. 64:7. Jer. 33:5,
Hamonak .] "This is probably meant of a 'city, that should be afterwards built near this 'valley, and called Hamonah , signifying a mul 'titude, to perpetuate the memory of such a 'transaction. Ibid . No such city, however, has yet been built, of which we have any account: and every circumstance, here predicted, so varies from what St. John foretels of Gog and Magog, as to be absolutely irreconcilable with it. ( Notes , 21,22.38:18-20.) - Hamon - gog signifies the multitude of Gog . Marg.
V. 17-20. It was the custom for persons 'that offered sacrifice, to invite their friends to 'a feast, that was made of the remainder: ( Gen. '31:54. 1 Sam . 9:13.) so here the prophet, by 'God's command, invites the beasts and fowls 'to partake of the sacrifice of his enemies slain. 'The slaughter of God's enemies is called a 'sacrifice, because it is offered up as an atone'ment to the divine justice. Lowth . ( Marg . and Marg . Ref. -Notes, 1-5, v . 4. Ps . 79:1-5, υυ. 2,3. Ιs. 34:3-7.56:9-12, v. 9. Jer. 50:27. Rev. 19:17-21.)
V. 21, 22. Marg . Ref . --Notes , 23-29. 38:16,
24o According to their uncleanness, and faccording to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GoD; P Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, t when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GoD.
o 36:19. Lev. 26:24. 2 Kings 17:7,&c. Is. 1:20. 3:11. 59:17, 18. Jer. 2:17,19. 4:18. 5:25. Dan. 9:5-10.
p 34:13. 36:24. Is. 27:12,13. 56: 8. Jer. 3:18. 23:3. 30:3,10,18. 31:3. 32:37. Am. 9:14. Rom. 11:26-31.
q 20:40. 37:21,22. Jer. 31:1. Hos. 1:11.
r 36:4-6,21-23. Joel 2:18. Zech. 1:14. 8:2.
s 16:52,57,58,63. 32:25,30. Jer. 3:24,25. Dan. 9:16.
t Lev. 26:5,6. Deut. 32:15. 1 Kings 4:25. Mic. 4:4.
u 25. 28:25,26.
x 13. 36:23,24. 38:16,23. Lev. 10:3. Is. 5:16.
y 22. 34:30. Hos. 2:20.
Heb. by my causing of them,
&-c. 23.
z Is. 27:12. Am. 9:9. Rom. 9:6 -8.11:1-7.
a 23-25. 37:26,27. Is. 45:17. 54:8-10.
b 36:25-27. Is. 32:15. 44:3-5. 59:20,21. Joel 2:28. Zech. 12: 10. Acts 2:17,18,33.
17,21-23.- From that day and forward . (22) This implies, that these events will take place not long after the conversion and restoration of Israel: and that a length of time shall succeed during which they will continue the true and accepted worshippers of God. ( Note , John 17:1-3, v . 3.) Neither of these circumstances can be made to accord with what St. John predicts of Gog and Magog, at the end of the millennium, and just before the last judgment. ( Notes , Rev. 20:7--15.)
V. 23-29. These verses seem to refer to this and all the preceding prophecies, concerning the restoration and subsequent prosperity of Israel. They did not go into captivity to Babylon, because JEHOVAH was unable to protect them, or through any breach of his promise; but "because of their transgressions," which provoked him to "hide his face from them," and to leave them in the hands of their enemies. In like manner they were expelled from the land by the Romans, and continue in a captive or exiled state to this day; because they rejected and crucified Christ, and pertinaciously fought against his gospel: and he has dealt with them accordingly. But when he shall at length have mercy on the whole