Ezekiel 38:13

Eze 38:13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

Ver. 13. Sheba and Dedan.] The Arabians, who lived by roving and robbing.

With all the young lions.] That lie in wait for gain, as lions do for prey.

Art thou come to take a prey?] q.d., If thou art, we are ready to set in with thee, or to traffic with thee for it. Mohammed came of these Arabians; the Pope hath his money merchants’ great store. {Rev 18:3-17}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38:13 The merchant nations of the world, from Sheba and Dedan in the east to Tarshish in the west, would line up to market the spoils from the apparently sure victory of Gog and his allies.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

One enemy shall envy another because everyone shall think to have the spoil of the Church.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Sheba, &c.--These mercantile peoples, though not taking an active part against the cause of God, are well pleased to see others do it. Worldliness makes them ready to deal in the ill-gotten spoil of the invaders of God's people. Gain is before godliness with them (1 Maccabees 3:41).

young lions--daring princes and leaders.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. Sheba, and Dedan] The Arabians, anciently great plunderers; and Tarshish, the inhabitants of the famous isle of Tartessus, the most noted merchants of the time. They are here represented as coming to Antiochus before he undertook the expedition, and bargaining for the spoils of the Jews. Art thou come to take a spoil, to carry away silver and gold, cattle and goods?

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(13) Sheba, and Dedan . . . . Tarshish.—The first two are districts of Arabia, and the last is probably the Tartessus in Spain. These names seem to be added to those of Eze_38:5-6, to show that all the nations of the world sympathise in this attack upon the Church.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. The merchant peoples are roused to excitement by the enterprise of Gog; probably it is the hope of gain by trafficking with him for his spoil that excites them—hardly envy at the rich harvest lying before him. On Sheba Eze_27:22; Dedan Eze_27:20; Tarshish Eze_27:12.

all the young lions] Cf. Eze_19:3; Eze_19:5, Eze_32:2. The term might be thought not very suitable to a troop of camp followers intent merely on traffic. The term is probably used generally to describe the eminence of these merchant people—hardly to represent them as thirsting for gain, as lions for prey!

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say unto Gog,.... Since these are his thoughts and designs, and those his big words, and which he will endeavour to put in practice, and be applauded for it by others; deliver this prophecy to him, or concerning him:

thus saith the Lord God, in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shall thou not know it? that Israel are returned to their own land? that they dwell in it safely? that they have abundance of cattle, gold, and silver that they have no walls, gates, and bars to protect them? that they live without fear or suspicion of any enemy to annoy them, and therefore may be easily surprised and taken? this, when it comes to pass, will soon be known by the Turks, through their spies and informers: or, "shall thou not know?" (q) or experience the divine vengeance for thy wicked thoughts, intentions, and attempts against Israel? he should. So the Targum,

"shalt thou not know the vengeance of my power?''

or shalt thou not know that all attempts to make them uneasy and uncomfortable will be in vain?

(q) "experturus esses", Junius & Tremellius; "experieris, scil. poenam meam", Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Tharsis. Septuagint, "Carthage, and all their villages." The merchants or naval forces of Cambyses spurred him forward, (see Psalm lxxvii. 6.) as well as the Arabs, Cuthites, &c., 1 Esdras iv. 8. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Sheba: see Eze 27:22; this Sheba was southward, and contains all of that coast which assisted Gog.

Dedan; Idumeans, or the most easterly parts of Arabia Deserta: by these are noted the eastern nations that assisted, say some.

The merchants of Tarshish; the inhabitants of the sea-coast westward, and Magog north. Robbers by land on three sides, pirates by sea on the fourth, in a confederacy to spoil the church of God.

The young lions; young men thirsty of blood, but more of spoil, flock to Gog, resolved to join, if they may rob and spoil for themselves.

Art thou come to take a spoil? this repeated inquiry made by these, I suppose, is not so much to sound the intentions of Gog, as it is a capitulation and agreement to come to his assistance; and on condition they might have, possess, and carry away what they seize, they are for him; and they mention particulars,

silver, gold, cattle, goods. They are thus exact, out of foresight what little part they might have without such a compact.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. For Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish see notes Eze_27:20; Eze_27:22; Eze_27:25. The prominent and prosperous condition of the new Israel (Eze_38:12) and the terrific attack of Gog upon it draw the attention of these states and the young lions thereof. If the text is correct, compare Eze_29:3; Eze_29:6. Cornill reads, “traffickers thereof.” Slave dealers and other traders always hang upon the heels of an oriental army. (Compare Isa_23:8.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sheba, and Dorian, and the merchants of Tarshish were the great trading communities of the South, East, and West respectively. (see on Eze_27:15, Eze_27:20, Eze_27:22, Eze_27:25) The young lions thereofi.e. of Tarshish, not of the other communities (Keil) were probably intended to represent, not the" authorities" of Tarshish, as Hitzig suggests, but its smaller tradesmen who were equally rapacious with its larger merchants. All are depicted as following in the wake of Gog, like vultures in the rear of an army, and as inquiring whether Gog had come simply for the purpose of destruction or in the hope of trading with the booty he should capture. In this case they intimate their wish to be partakers of the spoil This (Plumptre), rather than the thirst for booty which characterized them (Keil), their question to Gog signified; Schroder"s idea, that they purposed ironically to ridicule the smallness of the spoil which would reward so gigantic an expedition, has as little to recommend it as Kliefoth"s suggestion, that they designed to intimate their sympathy with Gog"s invasion of Israel.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sheba - This Sheba was southward, and contains all of that coast which assisted Gog. Dedan - By these are noted, the eastern nations that assisted. Tarshish - The inhabitants of the sea-coast westward, and Magog north. The young lions - Young men thirsty of blood, but more of spoil, resolve to join, if they may rob and spoil for themselves. Art thou come - This repeated enquiry seems to be an agreement to come to his assistance, on condition they might have, possess, and carry away what they seize.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Connecting Statement:

Yahweh continues speaking to Gog.

Sheba

See how you translated this in Ezekiel 27:22.

Dedan

See how you translated this in Ezekiel 25:13.

Have you come to plunder? Have you assembled your armies ... to haul away much plunder?

These two questions are used to accuse Gog of attacking Israel without cause. These can be translated as statements. AT: "It is not right for you to assemble your army to plunder, to carry off silver and gold, to take their livestock and property, and to haul away much plunder!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

to take their livestock and property ... to haul away much plunder

These phrases have similar meaning and can be combined into a single phrase. AT: "to take away their livestock and all their valuable possessions" (See: Doublet)

translationWords

Tarshish

gold

livestock

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and all its magnates [Heb. כְּפִירֶיהָ,] shrewd merchants therein, who are accustomed to roam, like young lions (כְּפִירִים), in all the countries and who know where the place of riches is.

Are you coming to take spoil i.e., who told you the place of the riches? Did you know [for a fact] that you are going to a land full of spoil and loot, and that there you will really find powerful wealth?

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.