About Ezekiel

Ezekiel proclaimed God's judgment from Babylon, using dramatic visions and symbolic acts, while promising future restoration.

Author: EzekielWritten: c. 593-571 BCReading time: ~4 minVerses: 29
Glory of GodJudgmentRestorationNew HeartSovereigntyTemple

King James Version

Ezekiel 39

29 verses with commentary

The Destruction of Gog

Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

This prophetic word demonstrates God's sovereign control over history and nations. Even pagan empires and hostile coalitions serve God's purposes while remaining morally accountable for their actions. This Reformed understanding of providence affirms that nothing occurs outside God's decree, yet human agents bear full responsibility for their choices. The prophecy serves pastoral purposes: assurin...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**7. door of the court--**that is, of the inner court (Eze 8:3); the court of the priests and Levites, into which now others were admitted in violation of the law [Grotius]. **hole in ... wall--**that is, an aperture or window in the wall of the priests' chambers, through which he could see into the various apartments, wherein was the idolatrous shrine.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: leave: or, strike thee with six plagues: or, draw thee back with an hook of six teeth the north: Heb. the sides of the north

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

This prophetic word demonstrates God's sovereign control over history and nations. Even pagan empires and hostile coalitions serve God's purposes while remaining morally accountable for their actions. This Reformed understanding of providence affirms that nothing occurs outside God's decree, yet human agents bear full responsibility for their choices. The prophecy serves pastoral purposes: assurin...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(2) **Leave but the sixth part of thee**.—This word occurs only here, and the translation is based on the supposition that it is derived from the word meaning *six;* but even on this supposition the renderings in the margin are as likely to be right as that of the text. This derivation, however, is probably wrong; all the ancient versions give a sense corresponding to Ezekiel 38:4; Ezekiel 38:16, ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. dig--**for it had been blocked up during Josiah's reformation. Or rather, the vision is not of an actual scene, but an ideal pictorial representation of the Egyptian idolatries into which the covenant-people had relapsed, practising them in secret places where they shrank from the light of day [Fairbairn], (Joh 3:20). But compare, as to the literal introduction of idolatries into the temple, ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

This prophetic word demonstrates God's sovereign control over history and nations. Even pagan empires and hostile coalitions serve God's purposes while remaining morally accountable for their actions. This Reformed understanding of providence affirms that nothing occurs outside God's decree, yet human agents bear full responsibility for their choices. The prophecy serves pastoral purposes: assurin...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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. sort: Heb. wing to be: Heb. to devour

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

This prophetic word demonstrates God's sovereign control over history and nations. Even pagan empires and hostile coalitions serve God's purposes while remaining morally accountable for their actions. This Reformed understanding of providence affirms that nothing occurs outside God's decree, yet human agents bear full responsibility for their choices. The prophecy serves pastoral purposes: assurin...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) **Unto the ravenous birds.—**Compare the account of the destruction of Pharaoh in Ezekiel 29:4-5.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. creeping things ... beasts--**worshipped in Egypt; still found portrayed on their chamber walls; so among the Troglodytæ. **round about--**On every side they surrounded themselves with incentives to superstition.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. the open: Heb. the face of the field

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thou shalt fall upon the open field</strong> (עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה תִּפּוֹל, <em>al-penei hasadeh tippol</em>)—Gog's armies, introduced in chapter 38, meet catastrophic defeat in Israel's open country, unburied and exposed. The phrase <strong>for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD</strong> (כִּי אֲנִי דִבַּרְתִּי, <em>ki ani dibarti</em>) carries covenant oath force—divine decree, irrevo...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11. seventy men--**the seventy members composing the Sanhedrim, or great council of the nation, the origination of which we find in the seventy elders, representatives of the congregation, who went up with Moses to the mount to behold the glory of Jehovah, and to witness the secret transactions relating to the establishment of the covenant; also, in the seventy elders appointed to share the burd...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. carelessly: or, confidently

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>I will send a fire on Magog</strong>—judgment falls not only on Gog's army (verse 5) but his homeland. <em>Esh</em> (אֵשׁ, fire) represents divine wrath, the same fire that consumed Sodom (Genesis 19:24). Those <strong>that dwell carelessly in the isles</strong> (יֹשְׁבֵי הָאִיִּים לָבֶטַח, <em>yoshevei ha'iyim lavetach</em>)—'securely' or 'complacently' in distant coastlands—discover no d...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6) **A fire on Magog.—**Magog is the country of Gog (Ezekiel 38:1), and the Divine judgment is to fall therefore not only upon the army in the land of Israel, but also upon the far-distant country of Gog. In Revelation 20:9 this fire is represented as coming “down from God out of heaven.” **In the isles.**—This common Scriptural expression for the remoter parts of the earth is added here to show ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**12. every man in ... chambers of ... imagery--**The elders ("ancients") are here the representatives of the people, rather than to be regarded literally. Mostly, the leaders of heathen superstitions laughed at them secretly, while publicly professing them in order to keep the people in subjection. Here what is meant is that the people generally addicted themselves to secret idolatry, led on by t...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

"So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel." God promises to protect His name's honor, preventing future pollution through idolatry. Israel's unfaithfulness had profaned God's name among nations; restoration will vindicate it. The dual audience—Isra...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Behold, it is come, and it is done</strong> (הִנֵּה בָאָה וְנִהְיָתָה, <em>hineh va'ah venihyetah</em>)—prophetic perfect tense, viewing future as accomplished fact. God speaks Gog's defeat as already executed, demonstrating divine sovereignty over time. The dual verbs emphasize certainty: 'it is come' (approaching reality) and 'it is done' (completed action).<br><br><strong>This is the da...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. From the secret abominations of the chambers of imagery, the prophet's eye is turned to the outer court at the north door; within the outer court women were not admitted, but only to the door. **sat--**the attitude of mourners (Job 2:13; Is 3:26). **Tammuz--**from a Hebrew root, "to melt down." Instead of weeping for the national sins, they wept for the idol. Tammuz (the Syrian for Adonis)...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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 arrows, and the handstaves , and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: handstaves: or, javelins burn them: or, make a fire of them

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>They that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth</strong>—survivors emerge from defensive positions to burn enemy weaponry. The comprehensive list—<strong>shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, handstaves and spears</strong>—represents complete military arsenal. Israel <strong>shall burn them with fire seven years</strong> (שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, <em>sheva shanim</em>), the number of comple...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(9) **Shall burn them with fire seven years.—**The representation of this and the following verse, that the weapons of the army of Gog shall furnish the whole nation of Israel with fuel for seven years, cannot, of course, be understood literally, and seems to have been inserted by the prophet to show that we are to look for the meaning of his prophecy beyond any literal event of earthly warfare. E...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-16. The next are "greater abominations," not in respect to the idolatry, but in respect to the place and persons committing it. In "the inner court," immediately before the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, where the priests advanced only on extraordinary occasions (Joe 2:17), twenty-five men (the leaders of the twenty-four courses or orders of the priests, 1Ch 24:...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>They shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests</strong>—total energy independence through captured weapons. The contrast is stark: Israel's labor shifts from gathering firewood to burning enemy armaments. This fulfills prophetic reversal: <strong>they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them</strong> (וְשָׁלְלוּ אֶת־שֹׁלְלֵיהֶם ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-16. The next are "greater abominations," not in respect to the idolatry, but in respect to the place and persons committing it. In "the inner court," immediately before the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, where the priests advanced only on extraordinary occasions (Joe 2:17), twenty-five men (the leaders of the twenty-four courses or orders of the priests, 1Ch 24:...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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 there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. noses: or, mouths Hamongog: that is, The multitude of Gog

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea</strong>—The Hebrew <em>maqom sham qever</em> (מָקוֹם־שָׁם קֶבֶר) literally means "a place there, a grave," emphasizing the ironic destiny of Gog. Instead of conquering Israel, Gog receives only burial ground. <strong>The valley of the passengers</strong> (<em>gey ha-overim</em>, גֵּ...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **The valley** **of** **the passengers.—**The name cannot be derived from the Scythians, as if they were spoken of “as a cloud passing over and gone,” because the same word is used again in this verse, and also in Ezekiel 39:14-15, evidently in a different sense. It simply denotes some (probably imaginary) thoroughfare, which is to be blocked up by the buried bodies of the slain. No definite ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**17. put ... branch to ... nose--**proverbial, for "they turn up the nose in scorn," expressing their insolent security [Septuagint]. Not content with outraging "with their violence" the second table of the law, namely, that of duty towards one's neighbor, "they have returned" (that is, they turn back afresh) to provoke Me by violations of the first table [Calvin]. Rather, they held up a branch o...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 11-14** The servants of God alone are prepared for all events; and they are delivered and comforted, while the wicked suffer. They often meet with more kindness from the profane, than from hypocritical professors of godliness. The Lord will raise them up friends, do them good, and perform all his promises.

And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.</strong> The Hebrew <em>shivah chadashim</em> (שִׁבְעָה חֳדָשִׁים, "seven months") signifies completeness—seven being the biblical number of divine perfection. This extended burial period indicates the staggering scale of Gog's slaughtered multitude, requiring sustained national effort to restore cov...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**18. though they cry ... yet will I not hear--**(Pr 1:28; Is 1:15).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 11-14** The servants of God alone are prepared for all events; and they are delivered and comforted, while the wicked suffer. They often meet with more kindness from the profane, than from hypocritical professors of godliness. The Lord will raise them up friends, do them good, and perform all his promises.

Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>All the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown</strong>—The phrase <em>kol-am ha-aretz</em> (כָּל־עַם הָאָרֶץ) emphasizes corporate national participation. This is not delegated to priests or warriors alone; the entire covenant community engages in cleansing, demonstrating that God's victory benefits all Israel collectively.<br><br>The word <strong>renown</str...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **All the people of the land.**—“It would be but a very moderate allowance, on the literal supposition, to say that a million of men would be thus engaged, and that on an average each would consign to the tomb two corpses in one day; which, for the 180 working days of the seven months, would make an aggregate of 360,000,000 of corpses !” (Fairbairn.)

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 11-14** The servants of God alone are prepared for all events; and they are delivered and comforted, while the wicked suffer. They often meet with more kindness from the profane, than from hypocritical professors of godliness. The Lord will raise them up friends, do them good, and perform all his promises.

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, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. men: Heb. men of continuance

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>They shall sever out men of continual employment</strong>—The Hebrew <em>anshei tamid</em> (אַנְשֵׁי תָמִיד) literally means "men of continuity" or "permanent duty," indicating professional burial crews appointed for sustained work. The verb <em>havdilu</em> (הִבְדִּילוּ, "sever out") means to separate or set apart, the same term used for Levitical consecration, suggesting this cleansing w...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(14) **Men of continual employment.**—The word for “continual” is the same as that translated *always* in Ezekiel 38:8, where see Note. It implies that this occupation is to be one of long continuance, and the fact that they are to search the land through for the remains shows that the army of Gog is not conceived of as perishing when collected in one place, but when distributed all over the land....
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 9 Eze 9:1-11. Continuation of the Preceding Vision: The Sealing of the Faithful. **1. cried--**contrasted with their "cry" for mercy (Eze 8:18) is the "cry" here for vengeance, showing how vain was the former. **them that have charge--**literally, officers; so "officers" (Is 60:17), having the city in charge, not to guard, but to punish it. The angels who as "watchers" fulfil God's judg...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 11-14** The servants of God alone are prepared for all events; and they are delivered and comforted, while the wicked suffer. They often meet with more kindness from the profane, than from hypocritical professors of godliness. The Lord will raise them up friends, do them good, and perform all his promises.

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 of Hamongog. set up: Heb. build

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>When any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it</strong>—The Hebrew <em>tsiyun</em> (צִיּוּן, "sign" or "marker") refers to a monument or waymark, ensuring discovered remains are not left to cause further defilement. This protocol prevents contamination of searchers while ensuring professional burial crews can locate and properly inter the remains.<br><br>The attention to <s...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**2. clothed with linen--**(Da 10:5; 12:6, 7). His clothing marked his office as distinct from that of the six officers of vengeance; "linen" characterized the high priest (Le 16:4); emblematic of purity. The same garment is assigned to the angel of the Lord (for whom Michael is but another name) by the contemporary prophet Daniel (Da 10:5; 12:6, 7). Therefore the intercessory High Priest in heave...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 15-18** Here is a message to assure Ebed-melech of a recompence for his great kindness to Jeremiah. Because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. God recompenses men's services according to their principles. Those who trust God in the way of duty, as this good man did, will find that their hope shall not fail in times of the greatest danger.

And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land. Hamonah: that is, The multitude

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The name of the city shall be Hamonah</strong>—The Hebrew <em>Hamonah</em> (הֲמוֹנָה) derives from <em>hamon</em> (multitude, horde), forming a feminine noun meaning "the multitude" or "horde-ville." This city name permanently memorializes Gog's defeat, functioning as perpetual testimony to God's judgment against those who assault His covenant people.<br><br><strong>Thus shall they cleanse...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(16) **Shall be Hamonah.—**As a further monument of this great overthrow some city (not more definitely described, but probably yet to be built) shall be called “Multitude.” **Thus shall they cleanse the land.—**The extremest defilement, according to the Mosaic law, was caused by a dead body or by human bones. From this the land could only be purified by the burial of the last vestige of the host ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3. glory of ... God--**which had heretofore, as a bright cloud, rested on the mercy seat between the cherubim in the holy of holies (2Sa 6:2; Psa 80:1); its departure was the presage of the temple being given up to ruin; its going from the inner sanctuary to the threshold without, towards the officers standing at the altar outside, was in order to give them the commission of vengeance.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 15-18** Here is a message to assure Ebed-melech of a recompence for his great kindness to Jeremiah. Because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. God recompenses men's services according to their principles. Those who trust God in the way of duty, as this good man did, will find that their hope shall not fail in times of the greatest danger.

And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. unto: Heb. to the fowl of every wing my sacrifice: or, my slaughter

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves</strong>—This macabre invitation summons carrion birds and scavengers to God's eschatological banquet. The Hebrew <em>qavu</em> (קָבְצוּ, "assemble") is typically used for gathering God's people for worship or judgment (Isaiah 43:9, Joel 3:11), ironically applied here to vultures and beasts consuming the ...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(17) **Every feathered fowl.—**Compare Ezekiel 39:4, also Ezekiel 17:23; Ezekiel 29:5. The birds and beasts of all kinds represent all nations. **A great sacrifice.—**The representation of a destructive judgment upon the Lord’s enemies as a sacrifice is found also in Isaiah 34:6; Jeremiah 46:10. The figure is not to be pushed beyond the single point for which it is used—“to fill out and heighten t...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**4. midst of ... city ... midst of Jerusalem--**This twofold designation marks more emphatically the scene of the divine judgments. **a mark--**literally, the Hebrew letter Tau, the last in the alphabet, used as a mark ("my sign," Job 31:35, Margin); literally, Tau; originally written in the form of a cross, which Tertullian explains as referring to the badge and only means of salvation, the cr...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 15-18** Here is a message to assure Ebed-melech of a recompence for his great kindness to Jeremiah. Because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. God recompenses men's services according to their principles. Those who trust God in the way of duty, as this good man did, will find that their hope shall not fail in times of the greatest danger.

Ye shall eat 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 Bashan. goats: Heb. great goats

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth</strong>—The Hebrew <em>gibborim</em> (גִּבֹּרִים, "mighty men") typically designates elite warriors, while <em>nesiey ha-aretz</em> (נְשִׂיאֵי הָאָרֶץ, "princes of the earth") indicates rulers and nobility. This comprehensive list—from military elite to political leadership—shows no human power escapes d...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(18) **Drink the blood of the princes.—**In these verses there is a curious mingling of the figurative and the literal; thus the “princes” are immediately explained by the mention of the various sacrificial animals; and in Ezekiel 39:20 these are again interpreted of “horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war.” And when the figure is so far explained it only leads to a literal ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**5. the others--**the six officers of judgment (Eze 9:2).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 15-18** Here is a message to assure Ebed-melech of a recompence for his great kindness to Jeremiah. Because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. God recompenses men's services according to their principles. Those who trust God in the way of duty, as this good man did, will find that their hope shall not fail in times of the greatest danger.

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.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken</strong>—This graphic imagery intensifies the sacrificial feast metaphor. The Hebrew <em>achlu chelev lasova</em> (אֲכַלְתֶּם חֵלֶב לָשֹׂבַע, "eat fat to satiation") and <em>shethitem dam lashikaron</em> (שְׁתִיתֶם דָּם לְשִׁכָּרוֹן, "drink blood to drunkenness") uses covenantal prohibition (Leviticus 3:17, 7:23-27 forbid...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**6. come not near any ... upon whom ... mark--**(Re 9:4). It may be objected that Daniel, Jeremiah, and others were carried away, whereas many of the vilest were left in the land. But God does not promise believers exemption from all suffering, but only from what will prove really and lastingly hurtful to them. His sparing the ungodly turns to their destruction and leaves them without excuse [Cal...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots</strong>—The phrase <em>shulchani</em> (שֻׁלְחָנִי, "my table") indicates God hosts this gruesome banquet, inverting normal hospitality where honored guests feast at a king's table (2 Samuel 9:7,11; 1 Kings 2:7). Here, scavengers are "honored guests" consuming God's enemies.<br><br>The inclusion of <strong>horses and chariots</st...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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.

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed</strong>—God's ultimate purpose in the defeat of Gog is theophanic display. The Hebrew <em>kavod</em> (כָּבוֹד, "glory") refers to the visible manifestation of God's presence and power. <strong>My hand that I have laid upon them</strong> uses <em>yad</em> (יָד, "hand") as a metonym for...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(21) **My glory among the heathen.**—In this and the following verse the ultimate effect of the Divine judgments in the world is spoken of, and then, in Ezekiel 39:23-24, this is applied to the present captivity of Israel. But the effect is too far-reaching to be limited to the latter, and the kingdom of God was never so established among the restored exiles, either by external triumphs over their...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. I was left--**literally, "there was left I." So universal seemed the slaughter that Ezekiel thought himself the only one left [Calvin]. He was the only one left of the priests "in the sanctuary." **fell upon my face--**to intercede for his countrymen (so Nu 16:22). **all the residue--**a plea drawn from God's covenant promise to save the elect remnant.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward</strong>—the Hebrew verb <em>yada'</em> (יָדַע, "know") signifies experiential, covenantal knowledge, not mere intellectual acknowledgment. This is the same "knowing" used of marriage intimacy (Genesis 4:1), indicating restored relationship, not just information.<br><br>The phrase <strong>"from that da...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(22) **The house of Israel shall know.—**The knowledge here spoken of is evidently practical, and is expressly declared to remain for ever. It can only be considered as realised, and that still but in germ, in the Christian Church.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9. exceeding--**literally, "very, very"; doubled. **perverseness--**"apostasy" [Grotius]; or, "wresting aside of justice." **Lord ... forsaken ... earth ... seeth not--**The order is reversed from Eze 8:12. There they speak of His neglect of His people in their misery; here they go farther and deny His providence (Psa 10:11), so that they may sin fearlessly. God, in answer to Ezekiel's quest...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity</strong>—God clarifies the theological meaning of exile for both Israel and surrounding nations. The Hebrew <em>avon</em> (עָוֹן, "iniquity") denotes guilt-producing sin requiring atonement, not mere mistakes or weakness.<br><br><strong>Because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(23) **For their iniquity.—**In the times foretold God’s dealings shall no longer be misunderstood, nor the sufferings of Israel considered as the result of His want of power to protect them. All the world shall so far understand His righteousness, that they shall see the reasonableness and necessity of His punishing even His chosen people for their sins, and purifying them that they may become Hi...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. mine eye--**to show them their mistake in saying, "The Lord seeth not." **recompense their way upon their head--**(Pr 1:31). Retribution in kind.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them</strong>—God's judgment is precisely calibrated to sin's nature and severity. The Hebrew <em>tum'ah</em> (טֻמְאָה, "uncleanness") refers to ceremonial and moral defilement, especially through idolatry. <em>Pesha</em> (פֶּשַׁע, "transgressions") indicates willful rebellion, not inadvertent error.<br><...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11. I have done as thou hast commanded--**The characteristic of Messiah (Joh 17:4). So the angels (Psa 103:21); and the apostles report their fulfilment of their orders (Mr 6:30).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; 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;

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob</strong>—the Hebrew idiom <em>shuv et-shevut</em> (שׁוּב אֶת־שְׁבוּת, "bring again the captivity") means "restore the fortunes" or "reverse the exile." The use of "Jacob" alongside "house of Israel" emphasizes continuity with patriarchal promises—this is the same covenant community chosen in Abraham, Isaac, an...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(25) **Now will I bring** again the captivity.—It was needed for the exiles in their distress that the prophet at the close of this far-reaching prophecy should bring out the first step in the long course of events leading to its fulfilment, because that step was one of especial interest and comfort to them; but even this promise is mingled with predictions which still look on to the then distant ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me</strong>—the Hebrew <em>nasa</em> (נָשָׂא, "borne") means to carry or bear the weight of something. Israel's bearing of shame refers to exile's humiliation and suffering, which served as both punishment and purification. The repetition <strong>"trespasses whereby they have trespassed"</...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 10 Eze 10:1-22. Vision of Coals of Fire Scattered over the City: Repetition of the Vision of the Cherubim. 1. The throne of Jehovah appearing in the midst of the judgments implies that whatever intermediate agencies be employed, He controls them, and that the whole flows as a necessary consequence from His essential holiness (Eze 1:22, 26). **cherubim--**in Eze 1:5, called "living cr...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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;

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands</strong>—the double verb construction <em>shuv</em> (שׁוּב, "brought again") and <em>qavats</em> (קָבַץ, "gathered") emphasizes comprehensive restoration. God will actively retrieve His scattered people from worldwide dispersion, not merely permit return. This gathering reverses the scattering thr...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**2. he--**Jehovah; He who sat on the "throne." **the man--**the Messenger of mercy becoming the Messenger of judgment (see on Eze 9:2). Human agents of destruction shall fulfil the will of "the Man," who is Lord of men. **wheels--**Hebrew, galgal, implying quick revolution; so the impetuous onset of the foe (compare Eze 23:24; 26:10); whereas "ophan," in Eze 1:15, 16 implies mere revolution. ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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. which: Heb. by my causing of them, etc

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God</strong>—this repeated formula (verses 22, 28) frames the section, emphasizing restoration's primary purpose: experiential knowledge of Yahweh's covenant faithfulness. The causal particle <strong>"which caused them to be led into captivity"</strong> acknowledges God's sovereign role in judgment—exile wasn't Babylonian initiative but divine ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3. right ... of ... house--**The scene of the locality whence judgment emanates is the temple, to mark God's vindication of His holiness injured there. The cherubim here are not those in the holy of holies, for the latter had not "wheels." They stood on "the right of the house," that is, the south, for the Chaldean power, guided by them, had already advanced from the north (the direction of Baby...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

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.

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

God's promise after Gog's defeat: '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.' The phrase 'hide my face' (astir panai, אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי) describes divine withdrawal and judgment (compare Deuteronomy 31:17-18, Isaiah 54:8). God promises to never again withdraw His presence—a permanent covenant commitment. The basis: ...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(29) **I have poured out.—**Comp. Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17. See *Excursus* G at the end of this book. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. The court outside was full of the Lord's brightness, while it was only the cloud that filled the house inside, the scene of idolatries, and therefore of God's displeasure. God's throne was on the threshold. The temple, once filled with brightness, is now darkened with cloud.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 39 The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) **Verses 1-10** Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who ha...
Read full commentary →

Test Your Knowledge

Continue Your Study