King James Version

What Does Ezekiel 39:17 Mean?

Ezekiel 39:17 in the King James Version says “And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assembl... — study this verse from Ezekiel chapter 39 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

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

Ezekiel 39:17 · KJV


Context

15

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

16

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

17

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

18

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

19

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.


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves—This macabre invitation summons carrion birds and scavengers to God's eschatological banquet. The Hebrew qavu (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 wicked.

My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you uses zivchi (זִבְחִי), the term for covenant sacrifices. This inverts sacrificial imagery: rather than Israel offering sacrifices to God, God offers the slain armies as sacrifice to scavengers. The phrase a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel (zevach gadol al-harei Yisrael, זֶבַח גָּדוֹל עַל־הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) echoes Zephaniah 1:7-8 and Revelation 19:17-18, depicting judgment as sacrificial feast where God's enemies become the offering.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

This imagery inverts ancient Near Eastern victory celebrations where conquerors feasted after battle. Here, birds and beasts feast while Gog's armies become the meal. The motif appears in Jeremiah 7:33 and 34:20 as covenant curse for disobedience—bodies becoming food for birds signified utter defeat and divine rejection.

Ezekiel prophesied this during Babylonian exile when Israel seemed powerless. The vision of God preparing a sacrificial feast from their enemies' corpses reversed their humiliation. This eschatological imagery influenced Revelation 19:17-21, where an angel summons birds to "the supper of the great God" to consume the beast's armies. For Reformed theology, this prefigures final judgment where Christ defeats all opposition to His kingdom.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does the inversion of sacrificial imagery (enemies becoming the sacrifice) demonstrate the totality of God's judgment?
  2. What does this "anti-feast" reveal about the destiny of those who persistently oppose God's covenant purposes?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 33 words
וְאַתָּ֨ה1 of 33
H859

thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you

בֶן2 of 33

And thou son

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

אָדָ֜ם3 of 33

of man

H120

ruddy i.e., a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)

כֹּֽה4 of 33
H3541

properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now

אֱמֹר֩5 of 33

Speak

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אֲדֹנָ֣י6 of 33

the Lord

H136

the lord (used as a proper name of god only)

יְהוִֹ֗ה7 of 33

GOD

H3069

god

אֱמֹר֩8 of 33

Speak

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

לְצִפּ֨וֹר9 of 33

fowl

H6833

a little bird (as hopping)

כָּל10 of 33
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

כָּנָ֜ף11 of 33

unto every feathered

H3671

an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bedclothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinna

וּלְכֹ֣ל׀12 of 33
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

חַיַּ֣ת13 of 33

and to every beast

H2416

alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin

הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה14 of 33

of the field

H7704

a field (as flat)

הִקָּבְצ֤וּ15 of 33

Assemble

H6908

to grasp, i.e., collect

וָבֹ֙אוּ֙16 of 33

yourselves and come

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

הֵאָסְפ֣וּ17 of 33

gather

H622

to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e., remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)

מִסָּבִ֔יב18 of 33

yourselves on every side

H5439

(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around

עַל19 of 33
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

זֶ֣בַח20 of 33

sacrifice

H2077

properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)

אֲשֶׁ֨ר21 of 33
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

אֲנִ֜י22 of 33
H589

i

זֹבֵ֤חַ23 of 33

that I do sacrifice

H2076

to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)

לָכֶם֙24 of 33
H0
זֶ֣בַח25 of 33

sacrifice

H2077

properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)

גָּד֔וֹל26 of 33

for you even a great

H1419

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

עַ֖ל27 of 33
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

הָרֵ֣י28 of 33

upon the mountains

H2022

a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)

יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל29 of 33

of Israel

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם30 of 33

that ye may eat

H398

to eat (literally or figuratively)

בָּשָׂ֖ר31 of 33

flesh

H1320

flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man

וּשְׁתִ֥יתֶם32 of 33

and drink

H8354

to imbibe (literally or figuratively)

דָּֽם׃33 of 33

blood

H1818

blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshe


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Ezekiel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Ezekiel 39:17 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Ezekiel 39:17 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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