_Set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog_ We find, Genesis 10:2, that the second son of Japhet was called Magog, but Ezekiel uses the word here as the name of the country of which Gog was prince: and Michaelis thinks that it denotes those vast regions to the north of India and China, which the G... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws_ I will disappoint all thy designs, and turn thee about as easily as a fisherman masters a great fish, when he hath once fastened the hook into its jaws: see Ezekiel 29:4. _And I will bring thee forth_ Or, _after I have brought thee forth;_ that is... [ Continue Reading ]
_Be thou prepared_ The prophet, speaking ironically, encourages Gog and his allies to make all warlike preparations, and muster all their forces together, that God might gain the greater honour by their signal defeat: see Ezekiel 38:16. _And be thou a guard unto them_ Let them rely upon thy prowess... [ Continue Reading ]
_After many days thou shalt be visited_ In the latter days of the Messiah's kingdom among men, or after a succession of many generations, shall the judgment here mentioned be inflicted by God upon thee. _In the latter years_ Or _days_, as in the former clause, and Ezekiel 38:16; that is, toward the... [ Continue Reading ]
_It shall come to pass at the same time_ The time when my people are gathered together, settled in peace in their own land, and think themselves secure; _shall things come into thy mind_ Mischievous things; _and thou shalt think an evil thought_ Shalt entertain a malicious design for the destruction... [ Continue Reading ]
_In that day_, &c. At that remarkable time, when I shall gather my people from their dispersions and bring them again to their own land, and they shall be established therein and _dwell safely_, without apprehension of danger from any enemy, and without any defence to prevent their being attacked; _... [ Continue Reading ]
_Art thou he?_ This would be better translated, _Art thou not he?_ a sense which the Hebrew particle of interrogation often imports; _of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets_ “It is doubtful by what prophets God foretold the irruption of Gog; but though nothing of this kind be... [ Continue Reading ]
_My fury shall come up in my face_ An expression taken from human passions, which cause the blood to fly up into the face. So Isaiah describes Almighty God as _burning with anger, his lips_ being _full of indignation_, and _his tongue as a consuming fire, Ezekiel 22:31_, where see the note. _For in... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I will call_ Rather, _But I will call, for a sword against him_ That is, when he has carried all before him for some time, I will at length raise up those who shall withstand him. God's doing a thing is often expressed in Scripture by his speaking the word, and giving out his command. Thus he i... [ Continue Reading ]