Ezekiel 38:4

Eze 38:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts [of armour, even] a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

Ver. 4. And I will turn thee back.] As he did Antiochus Epiphanes by the Jews; the Turks oft by Hunniades; the Pope’s forces by the Hussites in Germany, and lately by the Swedes. It hath been long ago foretold, and for many ages believed, and by the Turks themselves not a little feared, that the Mohammedan superstition, by the sword begun, and by the sword maintained, shall at length, by the Christian sword, also be destroyed, so that the name of Gog and Magog, saith the historian, {a} shall be no more heard of under heaven. A cold sweat also stands at this time upon the limbs of the western antichrist, by reason of the growing greatness of the Protestant princes.

And put hooks into thy jaws.] A metaphor from those that catch whales. Compare Eze 29:4.

And I will bring thee.] But for an ill bargain.

{a} Turkish History, 1153.

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.

Eze 38:4-6. 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 Eze 29:4. And I will bring thee forth — Or, after I have brought thee forth; that is, after I have so disposed matters that thou hast been induced to come forth out of thine own country, to invade, spoil, and destroy other countries. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them — As their allies. Ethiopia and Libya are called Cush and Phut in the Hebrew, and are joined together as allies, Eze 30:5, where see the note. The Persians are in like manner joined with Africans, Eze 27:10. All of them with shield and helmet — So the Libyans, or people of Phut, are described, Jer 46:9, as handling the shield, that is, being remarkable for their great and large shields, as Xenophon relates of them, Cyropæd., lib. 6. Gomer and all his bands — Gomer is joined with Magog, Gen 10:2, and probably here signifies Galatia, Phrygia, and Bithynia, which, with Cappadocia, denoted by Togarmah, comprehend all the northern parts of Asia Minor, which border upon the Euxine sea. Concerning Togarmah, see note on Eze 27:14. And many people with thee — Those of Cilicia, Pamphylia, and other nations inhabiting Asia Minor.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38:4 Gog’s rebellion would be under God’s complete control. Though they would regard themselves as free-willed aggressors, they would actually be prisoners with hooks in their jaws (cp. 29:4).

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

He showeth that the enemies should bend themselves against the Church, but it should be to their own destruction.

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

turn thee back--as a refractory wild beast, which thinks to take its own way, but is bent by a superior power to turn on a course which must end in its destruction. Satan shall be, by overruling Providence, permitted to deceive them to their ruin (Rev 20:7-8).

hooks into thy jaws-- (Eze 29:4; Kg2 19:28).

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 4. I will turn thee back] Thy enterprise shall fail.

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

(4) I will turn thee back.—This is the more common meaning of the word; but if this meaning be retained here, it is not to be taken in the sense of turning back from the holy land, but rather, in connection with the figure of the next clause, of turning away the wild beast from his natural inclination to the fulfilment of God’s purpose. It is better, however, to take it in the sense in which it is used in Isa_47:10 (perverted) and Jer_8:5 (slidden back; comp. Eze_1:6), “I will lead thee astray.” In Rev_20:8, this leading astray of the nations is ascribed to Satan, just as in 2Sa_24:1, God, and in 1Ch_21:1, Satan, are said to move David to number the people; in either case God is said to do that which He allows to be done by Satan. For the same Divine gathering of the nations against God’s people see Joe_3:2; Zec_14:2-3.

Hooks into thy jaws.—See the same figure in Eze_29:4.

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

4. I will turn thee back] Either: I will turn thee about, or, I will lead thee. The sense entice or “decoy” (Ew.) has scarcely evidence (Isa_47:10). The clause “and I will turn … jaws” is wanting in LXX. Putting hooks into the jaws suggests unwillingness and compulsion (ch. Eze_29:4; 2Ki_19:28), whereas Gog comes up of his own accord. This, however, is not quite conclusive, as Jehovah is leading him on to his destruction.

with all sorts of armour] Rather: clothed gorgeously (cf. Eze_23:12), or, in full armour (R.V.). The host of Gog is probably not exclusively cavalry, though these are specially mentioned; and besides their vast numbers their splendid uniforms and heavy armour are vividly pictured.

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.

Persia, Ethiopia, and Lybia with them,.... These are the confederates or auxiliaries of the Turks, which shall join with them in this expedition. Persia is a neighbouring kingdom to the Turks, and may fall into their hands before this comes to pass; and is in a fair way for it at this time, through the internal divisions in it; however, it will be confederate with them. Ethiopia or Cush does not design the country of the Abyssines in the dominions of the Great Mogul, but Arabia Chusea, which lay between Judea and Egypt, and is now in the hands of the Turks; and Lybia or Phut is the name of one of the sons of Ham, Gen 10:6 who, according to Josephus (g), founded Lybia; and from him the inhabitants of it were called Phuteans (as they are here by the Targum); and he observes that there is a river of his name in Mauritania. Lybia is a country in Africa, to the west of Egypt and subject to the Turks:

all of them with shield and helmet; the Lybians are described by Jeremiah, Jer 46:9, as

those that handle the shield; and the Egyptians, to whom the Lybians were near neighbours, and whom they might imitate in their warlike arms, as in other things, wore shields down to the feet, as Xenophon (h) relates.

(g) Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 2. (h) Cyropaedia, l. 6. c. 14. & l. 7. c. 11.

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

With all sorts - Or, “gorgeously;” see the marginal reference. Omit “of armor.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Jaws. Thus Cambyses treated the son of Psammenites. God has the most absolute dominion over all monarchs, ver. 7.

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).

I will turn thee back: the words seem to imply a diverting him from some other enterprise, or else intimate to us, when that mighty power come out, that they are still under God’s control, and he will turn them back from what they intended, that they shall not effect it.

Hooks: see this expression Eze 29:4.

I will bring thee forth; so dispose affairs, thou shalt leave thine own country to invade, and spoil, and destroy.

All thy army; the whole power thou canst make.

Horses; those nations, Sarmatee, or Scythians, Cappadocians, &c., or which comprise all the Turks and Tartars, are to this day strong in horse, and their armies consist much of horsemen.

All of them clothed; their leaders both rich and gaudy, yet well armed, and their soldiers well provided too, and we know how they and other antichristian soldiers march with all warlike provisions.

A great company; in vast armies, far greater than any of their neighbours can bring out against them.

Bucklers for their foot, and

shields for their horsemen, as Servius observes the difference between the two Latin words scutum and clypeus, if not misreported. I doubt whether the Hebrew words do so differ; however, these were for defence of those that bear them, and to this day the Tartars use oblong shields for defence on horseback, as the figures represent them to our eye.

Handling swords; that is, very ready, expert, and strong in using the sword; this to slay the enemies, as the other to save themselves.

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

4. Put hooks into thy jaws — So the Pharaonic “dragon” was pulled out of the Nile (Eze_29:4). On the Assyrian monuments the king of Tyre (Baal) and the king of Egypt (Tirhakah) are represented as led by the great king Esar-haddon by cords attached to rings or hooks through their lips or jaws. (Compare Isa_37:29.) The figure represents control by a superior power.

With all sorts of armor — Rather, “in full armor” (R.V.), or, “gorgeously” (Eze_23:12).

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

I will turn thee back. (pilel of bWv, and signifying "to cause to return") has by Hitzig, Havernick, Ewald, and Keil, been interpreted in the sense of "enticing," "misleading," decoying to a dangerous enterprise, as in Isa_47:10; but the ordinary meaning seems sufficient, that Jehovah would turn him back from his own self-devised career, or turn him about like a wild beast, putting hooks into his jaws (comp. Eze_29:4; 2Ki_19:28; Isa_37:29) and socompelling him to follow the lead of a power superior to himself. It is as evident that a turning back from the Holy Land cannot be intended, as it is that a turning back to the Holy Land is unsuitable, unless, with Hengstenberg and Ewald, one regards Gog as the Chaldeans, or, with Hitzig, and Schroder, as the Scythiaus, though these latter never were in Palestine, having left it unvisited in their campaign in B.C. 626, and had not as yet formed the design of invading Israel. Smend is not wide of the mark in suggesting that the thought expressed in the verb is simply that of the superior might of Jehovah. I will bring thee forth. That the power which stirs up Gog is here represented as that of Jehovah, while in Rev_20:8 it is affirmed to be that of Satan, need occasion no more difficultythan the similar statements, in 1Sa_24:1, about God and in 1Ch_21:1 about Satan, stirring up David to number Israel. The enumeration of horses and horsemen in Gog"s army points to the Scythians, who, according to Herodotus (4:46, 136), were mostly equestrian tribes, although the Scythian remains discovered at Kerteh do not give an example of a Scythian horse-archer (see Rawlinson"s "Herodotus," vol. 3. p. 34, note 6). All of them clothed with all sorts of armor, better, clothed with perfection, i.e. splendidly attired, all of them. A characteristic of the Assyrian army. (comp. Eze_23:12; Nah_2:3) The arms of the warlike hosta great company, as in Eze_17:17 (Rev_20:8, "the number of whom is as the sand of the sea are described as consisting of bucklers, or shields large enough to cover the whole of the soldier, and not so suitable for cavalry as for infantry; (comp. Eze_23:24) shields, i.e. bucklers of smaller size than the proceeding, such as Assyrian warriors were accustomed to carry (Sayce, "Assyria, its Princes, Priests, and People," p. 126); and swords, or weapons for laying waste. The Assyrian soldiery employed "the short dagger, or dirk, and the sword, which was of two kinds. The ordinary kind was long and straight, the less usual kind being curved, like a scimitar" ("Assyria, its Princes," etc.). In connection with the allied nations in ver. 5, only the small "shield" and "helmet" are mentioned.

Divine control.

The picture of Israel"s foes is indeed one fitted to strike dismay into any heart depending upon human aid, defense, or deliverance. Gog and his armies, the hostile nations in league with him, are described with all the pomp and circumstance of war. Yet, when Jehovah declares, "I will turn thee about, and will put hooks into thy jaws," this declaration outweighs all the professions, all the threats, all the designs of the enemy. We are reminded and the whole Church in every age needs, in time of danger especially, to learn the lesson that above all the plans and purposes of men there reigns Divine control.

I IT IS LITTLE EXPECTED. When plans are laid, and evil designs matured, nothing is further from the mind of the enemies of God"s people than the unquestionable fact that the Lord of all is supreme. Some poor, faint human opposition may be anticipated; but it is not expected that a superior Power should intervene.

II IT IS HAUGHTILY SPURNED. Shall hooks be put into the jaws of the dragon? Shall the wild horse of the desert be bridled? Shall the lion of the jungle be tamed? The very thought is repudiated and resented. The mighty of the earth are not wont to brook restraint or interference. Those who plan the ruin of the cause of God, of the religion of Christ, of the Church on earth and all its agencies whether they so plan in the name of atheism and secularism, or in the name of worldly policy spurn and contemn the restraint of Heaven. They see no power which they need to fear, and in their view it is superstition to fear the unseen.

III IT IS VARIOUSLY EXERCISED. Sometimes God controls the foe by natural causes and instrumentalities. The destroying angel comes down upon the camp and smites the host; pestilence decimates the bands of the enemy; an earthquake opens the prison-doors; the storm scatters the invader"s fleet. Sometimes God controls the foe by human agency. One enemy of God makes war upon another, and cripples the forces which were on the point of being employed against the Lord"s people. Or a great deliverer is raised up, whose valor and heroism crush the enemy, and set the threatened free from fear and danger. In any case God is never at a loss for means by which he may bring his counsels to pass.

IV IT IS ALWAYS EFFECTUAL. The control of God may be defied by God"s enemies, and it may be ignored or distrusted by his friends. But it exists, and it is superior to all earthly powers and machinations. Revelation is full of instances of this control as manifested in the history of Israel and in the history of the infant Church of Christ. And the annals of Christianity, through long centuries, contain abundant confirmation of the great and blessed truth the Lord reigneth.

V IT SHALL BE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED. Here and now men may withhold the confession. But sooner or later it shall be publicly admitted that all powers are subject to the King of kings. T.

Sent back by God.

will turn thee back." "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death". (Pro_14:12) There are paths that attract us, that we enter upon with keen expectancy, that we pursue with pleasure, but that, in time, we find to be wrong; then is it best to turn back, and to "return on our way" at once.

I MISTAKEN PATHS. Such as those of:

1. Extravagance. A larger expenditure of our means than we can properly afford, pointing toward and leading to financial embarrassment and grave difficulty and distress.

2. Unregulated activity. Such mental or physical work as, either in measure or in method, draws too largely on our resources, and ends in nervous disorder or some serious illness.

3. Self-indulgence; either in unwholesome literature or in the grosser gratifications of the flesh.

4. A skeptical habit. The disposition, which in time becomes a habit, to regard everything with a cynical and distrustful eye, and would rather accept the uncharitable view than the generous one.

5. Worldliness. The way in which the multitudes are walking; the endeavor to find satisfaction and rest in the interests and engagements, in the treasures and the pleasures, of time and sense.

II A CONVICTION WHICH COMES FROM GOD. The conviction that the way that has been chosen is the wrong one. This assurance may come through one of many channels; it may be the utterance of one of many voices; it may be the solemn warning of some providential occurrence; or it may be the faithful rebuke of a true and fearless friend; or it may be a deep and bitter sense of insufficiency, of failure, of heart-ache, of perversion of power and misuse of opportunity, a sense of wrong and sin; or it may be the direct enlightenment and appeal of the Spirit of God. But the conviction is written on the tablet of the soul that the way is wrong; a voice is heard in the inner chambers of the spirit. "Turn back, return on thy way, pursue a different course, start in an opposite direction, seek another and a better goal.

III THE WISDOM OF RETURNING.

1. We can afford to return. It may cost us something; there may be some companions to forsake, but these are best at a distance; there may be some tender regrets, but these are temporary and will soon be left behind; there may be some humiliation to endure, but this is not of an unmanly kind, but, on the contrary, honorable and commendable; there may be some sacrifice of enjoyment or of treasure, but this can very well be borne with a moderate measure of fortitude, we shall very soon reconcile ourselves to that. But:

2. We cannot afford to go on. If we do, we must prepare for the very worst that we can suffer; the wrong road leads not only to embarrassment, but also to saddest loss, to bitter disappointment, to helplessness, to ruin, to death. Moreover, God has met us with a Divine encouragement. He has taught us that:

3. There is a way upward, which we can all take. One has come to us to say, "I am the Way," Intimate association, living union, with him is the way of wisdom, the way of righteousness, the way of life. C.

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

Handling swords - That is, very ready, expert and strong in using the sword.

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.

General Information:

These verses list the various nations who will join Gog's army.

set hooks in your jaw

Here "hooks in your jaw" represents God's control over Gog. People put hooks in the mouths of animals so that they could lead the animals wherever they wanted. (See: Metaphor)

in full armor ... holding swords ... with shields and helmets

These phrases describe an army that is ready for battle.

Gomer

a nation that lived north of the Black Sea

Beth Togarmah

See how you translated this in Ezekiel 27:14.

translationWords

send

horse

armor

sword

Persia

Cush

people group

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 I shall unbridle you [Heb. וְשּׁוֹבַבְתִּיךָ.] I shall make you שׁוֹבָב a unbridled, backsliding, envoyzer in Old French, to unbridle. Whoever follows the dictates of his heart is called שּׁוֹבַב, as (Isa. 57: 17): “for he went rebelliously (שּׁוֹבֵב) in the way of his heart.”

and I shall put hooks into your jaws It is customary to lead out a beast with the hooks in its jaws because it does not want to go [voluntarily]. I, too, will put thoughts into your heart and an urge that will draw you from your land to come upon Israel.

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.