Ezekiel 38:5

Eze 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

Ver. 5. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya.] A numerous army from all parts. The Church is against all the world, and all the world against the Church. Hic vir totius orbis impetum sustinuit, saith one once concerning Athanasius. A silly poor maid, in the midst of many fierce and savage creatures assaulting her every moment, is a true picture of the Church, saith Luther.

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.

The Persians, Ethiopians and men of Africa.

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

Persia . . . Libya--expressly specified by APPIAN as supplying the ranks of Antiochus' army.

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 5. Persia] That a part of this country was tributary to Antiochus, see 1Macc 3:31.

Ethiopia, and Libya] That these were auxiliaries of Antiochus is evident from Da 11:43: "The Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps."

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

(5) Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya.—Having summoned the nations from the extreme north, the prophet now turns first to the east, and then to the south and west. No neighbouring nations are mentioned at all, but only those living on the confines of the known world are summoned to this symbolic contest. The supposition of a literal alliance of nations so situated is out of the question.

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

5. Cf. on Eze_27:10, Eze_30:5.

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.

Gomer, and all his bands,.... Or all his army, as the Targum. Gomer was the eldest son of Japheth, Gen 10:2, from whom descended the people called by the Greeks Galatians, or Galio-Grecians, as Josephus (i) says, who before were from him called Gomarians: others think that Phrygia, and the inhabitants of it, are meant; but, whether one or the other, they were both people of the lesser Asia, which is now in the hands of the Turks:

the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands; Togarmah was one of the sons of Gomer, Gen 10:3 whose posterity, according to the Greeks, as Josephus (k) says, were the Phrygians; but others rather think the Cappadocians descended from him; and that Togarmah designs their country, which also is a part of the Turkish dominions; See Gill on Eze 27:14. Several moderns, as Calmet (l) observes, believe that the children of Togarmah peopled Turcomania in Tartary, and Scythia, and which he approves of; and the Turks are mentioned by Ben Gorion (m) as one of the ten families of Togarmah. The Targum renders it here the province of Germany; as it is also interpreted in the Talmud (n), but wrongly:

and many people with thee; from other places and nations, besides those named; especially out of the lesser Asia, as Pamphylia, Cilicia, and other places; and perhaps from Tartary, and elsewhere,

(i) Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 1. (k) lbid. (l) Dictionary in the word "Togarmah". (m) Heb. Hist. l. 1. c. 1. p. 3. (n) T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 10. 1.

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

Libya and Ethiopia, mixed with the northern invaders, are tribes from the extreme south, to show that this is a general combination of the foes of God’s people.

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

Persia; the land for the people who a Mahometans, and enemies to the name of Christ.

Ethiopia; not the African, which is Abyssinia, or Nubia, or both the old Macrobii, but the Asiatic or Arabian Ethiopia, posterity of Cush, Mahometans too. Libya; a people of Africa, either now subjects of, or confederates with, the Turks, and who are near enough to join, when the effect shall demonstrate this Gog who he is.

With shield and helmet; prepared to save themselves what they can, though they slay their enemies. Now some of all these were in the armies of Antiochus against the Jews, and many more will serve in the last army of Gog.

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

5. See notes Eze_27:10; Eze_30:5. Toy thinks, perhaps, Paras should not be translated Persia; but refers to the insignificant province of Parsua mentioned in the inscriptions.

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

Vers. 5-7. These allied nations are depicted as coming from the four quarters of the globe. Persia, (see Eze_27:10) from the east; Ethiopia, (see Eze_30:5) or Gush, (Gen_10:6) from the south; Libya, or Phut, (see Eze_27:10 Eze_30:5) from the west; and Gomer. (see Gen_10:2, Gen_10:3; 1Ch_1:5) the Cimmerians of Homer ("Odyss.," 11:13-19), whose abodes were the shores of the Euxine and Caspian Seas, and the Gimirrai of the Assyrian Inscriptions (see Schrader, "Die Keilinschriften," etc., p. 80); with the house of Togarmah, from the north, or the extreme regions of the north, as in Isa_14:13. (Eze_27:14) The first three are portrayed as armed with shield and helmet, or more accurately as being all of them shield and helmet, which might signify that they should serve as a shield and helmet to Cog, who in truth should be unto them and their confederates a guard; i.e. , according to Keil and Schroder, one who keeps watch over them; according to Miehaelis and Havernick, one who gives them law; according to Hengstenberg, one who is their authority; according to Ewald and Smend, one who serves to them as an ensign, t. acts to them as a leader or commander. The LXX translation, with which Hitzig agrees, "And thou shalt be to me for a guard," is manifestly wrong.

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