The vision of the EZEKIEL. two sticks united. A. M. 3417. have spoken it, and performed it, || make them one stick, and they shall A. M. 3417. saith the LORD. be one in my hand. B. C. 587. 15 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, n 16 Moreover, thou son of man, m take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thy hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, P Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and 18. x. 6. B. C. 587. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thy hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And "I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will Chap. xxxvi. 24. Isa. xi. 13; Jer. iii. 18; 1. 4; Hos. i. 11.- Chap. xxxiv. 23, 24; Johu x. 16.—y Chap. xxxvi. 25. Chap. xxxvi. 28, 29. companions of Ephraim, as the tribes of Benjamin and Levi were the companions of Judah. And join them into one stick-A rod was an emblem of power, (see Psa. cx. 2,) so joining these two rods, or sticks, together, denoted uniting the two kingdoms under one prince, or governor. m Num. xvii. 2.-n 2 Chron. xi. 12, 13, 16; xv. 9; xxx. 11, Verses 22, 24.- -P Chap. xii. 9; xxiv. 19.- - Zech. Verses 16, 17. Chap. xii. 3. places of confinement close as graves, yet will I open those graves. And cause you to come up out of your graves-I will bring you out of your state of captivity, in which you are little better than dead persons, having no power or privileges of your own, nor enjoying any thing which can properly be called life. The Jewish nation, in their state of dispersion and captivity, are called the dead Israelites, || by Baruch, chap. iii. 4: and their restoration is described as a resurrection by Isaiah, chap. xxvi. 19.|| In like manner St. Paul expresses their conversion, and the general restoration which shall accompany it, by life from the dead, Rom. xi. 15. And the foregoing similitude showed, in a strong and beauti-Joseph's name was written, and which represents ful manner, that God, who could even raise the dead, had power to convert and restore them. Verses 16, 17. Take thee one stick-That is, one rod. The expression seems to allude to Num. xvii. 2; where Moses was commanded to take twelve rods, one for each tribe, and to write the name of the tribe upon the rod; for Judah, and the children of Israel his companions-That is, the tribe of Benjamin, and a part of that of Levi, who adhered to the tribe of Judah. Then take another stick—A second, such as the first was; and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim-Upon Reuben's forfeiting his birthright, that privilege was conferred upon the sons of Joseph, of whom Ephraim had the precedence: see 1 Chron. v. 1; Gen. xlviii. 20; which made him to be reckoned the head of the ten tribes; Samaria, the seat of that kingdom, being likewise situate in the tribe of Ephraim. Upon these accounts the name of Ephraim, in the prophets, often signifies the whole kingdom of Israel, as distinct from that of Judah. All the rest of the tribes were the Verses 18-20. Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest-Ezekiel foretold many things by signs; and the Jews were very inquisitive into the meaning of them: but sometimes their curiosity proceeded rather from a secret contempt of the prophet and his predictions, than a real desire of information. Say, I will take the stick of Joseph-On which Joseph, that is, the kingdom of the ten tribes; which is in the hand of Ephraim-Of which Ephraim is the head. They shall be one in my hand-I wih make them one nation, and appoint one king to rule over them, namely, Christ the Messiah. And the sticks, &c., shall be before their eyes-Thou shalt place the sticks, or rods, thus joined together, before their eyes, as a visible token or pledge of the truth of what I enjoin thee to speak to them in the following words. Verses 21-25. Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen-See the margin. I will make them one nation-They shall not be divided any more into separate kingdoms; the consequence of which was, their setting up separate ways of worship, and espousing separate interests: compare Isa. xi. 13. This promise was in a great degree fulfilled in the restoration of the Jews to their own land from their captivity in Babylon; for then many of the house of Israel returned with the house of Judah, and were united in one body with them, and d с 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt, and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant|| David shall be their prince for ever. a Isa. xl. 11; Jer. xxiii. 5; xxx. 9; Chap. xxxiv. 23, 24; Hos. 11. 5; Luke i. 32. Verse 22; John x. 16. Chapter xxxvi. 27. d Chap. xxxvi. 28.- - Isa. lx. 21; Joel iii. 20;|| Amos ix. 15. Verse 24; John xii. 34. under the gospel dispensation. cove- A. M. 3417. B. C. 587. 26 Moreover I will make a nant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my i sanctuary in the midst of them for ever more. -The Jews, converted to Christ, shall inherit Canaan till Christ come to judgment at the end of the world. were under one and the same governor, Zerubbabel; who, though he did not (lest it should give umbrage to the Persian kings) assume the title of king, yet executed the authority, and was looked upon as a Verses 26-28. I will make a covenant of peace king by the Jewish people: but the expressions here with them-I will grant them the blessing of peace made use of seem to imply something further, and to and prosperity. Or rather, the words are to be unrefer, in their full sense, to the final restoration of derstood in a spiritual sense, that God will be reconthe Jews, after their conversion to Christianity, when ciled to them through Christ, and admit them into Christ, in a peculiar sense, shall be their king. The that covenant of peace of which Christ is the MediaMessiah is described as King of the Jews in most of tor, and therefore is called our peace, Eph. ii. 14; the prophecies in the Old Testament, beginning and then the following words, It shall be an everwith that of Gen. xlix. 10, concerning Shiloh. From lasting covenant with them, may fitly be explained David's time he is commonly spoken of as the per- of the gospel, being such a covenant as shall never son in whom the promises relating to the perpetuity be abolished, or give way to any new dispensation. of David's kingdom were to be accomplished. This It is certain that the expression, a covenant of peace, was a truth unanimously owned by the Jews: see could not at all agree with the ancient covenant, for John i. 49, to which our Saviour bore testimony be- when was there an age, half an age, twenty years fore Pontius Pilate, when the question being put to peace in Israel? The whole history of the Jewish him, Art thou a king? he made answer, Thou say- || nation is nothing more than a recital of wars and est [the truth] for I am a king: thus these words continual divisions. And if we understand it or should be translated, for St. Paul, alluding to them, peace between God and his people, where shall we calls them a good confession, 1 Tim. vi. 13. The find this people faithfully attached to the Lord during same truth Pontius Pilate himself asserted, in that one century only? We have only to open the books inscription which he providentially ordered to be of the prophets, and the other sacred records, to rewritten upon the cross; (see John xix. 19-22;) so that mark their infidelities and perpetual rebellions the chief priests impiously renounced their own against God. This expression, therefore, can only avowed principles, when they told Pilate that they respect the new covenant, whereof Jesus Christ, the had no king but Cesar, verse 15. Neither shall || Prince of peace, is the mediator, and who gives us they defile themselves any more with their idols- that true peace which surpasses all conceptions: see Or, abominations, as the word 'sp is elsewhere Calmet. And I will set my sanctuary in the midst translated, and generally signifies idols: see the mar- of them-I will set up a spiritual, glorious temple gin. But I will save them out of all their dwelling- and worship among them; for evermore-Never to places-I will bring them safe out of them; and will be altered or abolished on earth, but to be consumcleanse them-Both justify and sanctify them. And mated in heaven. My tabernacle also shall be with David my servant-That is, the son of David, who them-The tabernacle wherein I will show my prewas also David's Lord; shall be king over them— sence among them, and my protection over them. Shall reign over their hearts and lives; and they God's placing first his tabernacle, and then his temshall all have one shepherd-This king shall be their ple among the Jews, was a pledge and token both one chief shepherd; others that shall feed and rule of his presence and protection. And we may underthe flock shall be shepherds by commission from stand him as promising here new and more valuable him. And they shall dwell in the land that I have tokens of his presence among them, by the graces of given unto Jacob-A promise often repeated in this his Holy Spirit, and the efficacy of his word and orprophecy: see verses 12, 21, and the note on chap. dinances, if not also some extraordinary appearances xxviii. 25. Even they and their children for ever of the divine majesty. I will be their God, and they The prophecy contained in this and the following chapter, concerning Israel's victory over Gog and Magog, without question, relates to the latter ages of the world, when the whole house of Israel shall return into their own land, chap. xxxix. 25-29. And the expressions we meet with in this chapter, verses 8 and 16, that this should come to pass in the latter days, and after many days, are a proof that the event was to happen a great while after the several predictions of the prophets concerning it. So that this must be looked upon as one of those obscure prophecies of Scrip ture, the fulfilling whereof will best explain the meaning. In this chapter we have, (1,) The attempt of Gog and Magog on the land of Israel, 1-13. (2,) The terror occasioned thereby, 14-20. (3,) Their defeat by the immediate hand of God, 21-23. to come from the north quarters, and the north parts; but in St. John they come from the four quarters, or corners of the earth. Gog and Magog in Ezekiel bend their forces against the Jews resettled in their own land; but in St. John they march up against the saints and church of God in general. Gog and Magog in Ezekiel are, with very good rea authors of the second wo; and the second wo, Rev. xi. 14, is past before the third wo; and the third wo long precedes the time here treated of. It may therefore be concluded that Gog and Magog, as well as Sodom, and Egypt, and Babylon, are mystic names in the book of Revelation; and the last enemies of the Christian Church are so denominated, because Gog and Magog appear to be the last enemies of the Jewish nation. Who they shall be, we cannot pretend to say with the least degree of certainty." The chief prince of Meshech and Tubal―The king or head of all those northern nations which lie upon the Euxine sea: see note on chap. xxvii. 13. The LXX. take the word Rosh, here translated chief, for a proper name, and render the clause, The prince of Rosh, Meshech, &c. So taken it may signify those inhabitants of Scythia from whom the Russians derive their name and original. Verses 2, 3. Set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog-We find, Gen. x. 2, that the second son of Japhet was called Magog, but Ezekiel uses the word here as the name of the country of which Gog was prince: and Michaelis thinks that it denotes those vast regions to the north of India and China, which the Greeks called Scythia, and which we termson, supposed to be the Turks, but the Turks are the Tartary. Houbigant also thinks that the prophet here means the Scythians, who are the descendants of Magog, the son of Japhet, and whose neighbours were the people of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; that is, the Russians, Muscovites, and Tibareni, or Cappadocians; and thus Theodoret and Josephus understand it. The Turks are generally allowed to be of Scythian origin. Scythopolis and Hierapolis, which cities the Scythians took when they overcame Syria, were ever after by the Syrians called Magog: see Plin., l. v. c. 23. The Arabs call the Chinese wall Sud Yagog et Magog, that is, the mud wall, or rampart of Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog are mentioned in Rev.xx.8; and these, says Bishop Newton, "seem to have been formerly the general name of the northern nations of Europe and Asia, as the Scythians have been since, and the Tartars are at present. The prophecy in the Revelation alludes to this of Ezekiel ir many particulars; both the one and the other remain yet to be fulfilled, and therefore we cannot be absolutely certain that they may not both relate to the same event. But it seems more probable that they relate to different events: the one is expected to take effect before, but the other will not take effect till after the Millennium. Gog and Magog in Ezekiel are said expressly, verses 6, 15, and chap. xxxix. 2, Verses 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 chap. xxix. 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 Attempt of Gog and Magog B. C. 587. CHAPTER XXXVIII. m B. C. 587. on the land of Israel. A. M. 3417. all thine army, horses and horsemen, || in the latter years thou shalt come A. M. 3417. f all of them clothed with all sorts of into the land that is brought back armour, even a great company with bucklers from the sword, and is gathered out of many and shields, all of them handling swords: people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall ° dwell safely all of them. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and 2Libya with them; all of them with shields and helmet: 6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of h Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands and many people with thee. 7 i Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. 9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be a like a cloud to cover the land, thou and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also 8 ¶ After many days, 1 thou shalt be visited : come to pass, that at the same time shall things Chapter xxiii. 12.- Or, Phut, Chapter xxvii. 10; xxx. 5. Gen. x. 2. Chap. xxvii. 14.- Isa. viii. 9, 10; Jer. xlvi. 3, 4, 14; li. 12.- -k Gen. xlix. 1; Deut. iv. 30; Verse 16. 1 Isaiah xxix. 6.- m Verse 12; Chap. xxxiv. 13.- D Chap. xxxvi. 1, 4, 8.—o Jer. xxiii. 6; Chap. xxviii. 26; xxxiv. 25, 28; Verse 11. -P Isa. xxviii. 2.- - Jer. iv. 13; Verse 16. invade, spoil, and destroy other countries. Persia, ships they had suffered in their several dispersions. Ethiopia, and Libya with them-As their allies. And is gathered out of many people—Among whom Ethiopia and Libya are called Cush and Phut in they had been scattered: see note on chap. xxxiv. 13. the Hebrew, and are joined together as allies, chap. Against the mountains of Israel, which have been xxx. 5, where see the note. The Persians are in|| always waste-It is already two thousand five hunlike manner joined with Africans, chap. xxvii. 10. dred years since the ten tribes were carried away All of them with shield and helmet-So the Libyans, out of their own land by Shalmaneser. Certainly or people of Phut, are described, Jer. xlvi. 9, as the expression, always, or perpetually waste, dehandling the shield, that is, being remarkable for notes a much longer desolation of the country than their great and large shields, as Xenophon relates of that which it suffered during the Babylonish captivity. them, Cyropæd., lib. vi. Gomer and all his bands- It seems, all the various desolations of Judea are Gomer is joined with Magog, Gen. x. 2, and proba- here included, namely, those by the Assyrians, Bably here signifies Galatia, Phrygia, and Bithynia, bylonians, Antiochus Epiphanes, the Romans, and which, with Cappadocia, denoted by Togarmah,|| lastly, as at this time, by the Turks. But it-The comprehend all the northern parts of Asia Minor, || land of Canaan, that is, the people of it, is brought which border upon the Euxine sea. Concerning Togarmah, see note on chap. xxvii. 14. And many people with thee-Those of Cilicia, Pamphylia, and other nations inhabiting Asia Minor. Verse 7. Be thou prepared―The prophet, speaking ironically, encourages Gog and his allies to make all warlike preparations, and muster all their forces together, that God might gain the greater honour by their signal defeat: see verse 16. And be thou a guard unto them-Let them rely upon thy prowess and conduct as their leader. forth out of the nations-This is a repetition of what was said just before, namely, that Israel had been wonderfully preserved, and restored to their own land, through the particular providence of God; to which is added, And they shall dwell safely all of them-That is, the same divine power that has delivered and restored them will still continue to protect them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm-Thou shalt come suddenly, and with a mighty and destructive force. Thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land-Thy forces shall be so very numerous as to overspread the land like a dark cloud, which makes every thing look melancholy and dismal: see chap. xxx. 3. The sense of the passage is, that after the return of the Jews and Israelites into their own country, and their having lived there for some time in peace and safety, this enemy will think to take advantage of their security, and fall upon them unexpectedly. "It seems to me," says Bishop Newcome, "that the prophecy remains to be fulfilled after the future re-establishment of the converted Jews in their own land, when the Mahommedans and pagans will invade them. On this supposition, the subject matter of this and the following chapter is well connected with the promises of distant blessings made toward the close of chap. xxxvii." Verses 8, 9. After many days thou shalt be visited -In the latter days of the Messiah's kingdom among men, or after a succession of many generations, shall the judgment here mentioned be inflicted by God upon thee. In the latter years-Or days, as in the former clause, and verse 16; that is, toward the end of the world: compare Dan. viii. 26. Thou-Gog, with all thy numbers; shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword-The land of the Jews, a people recovered from the countries into which they had been dispersed by the sword of their enemies. The land, it must be observed, is here put for the people of the land, who are said to be brought back from the sword, in the same sense in which they are elsewhere styled a remnant; those being intended that should remain after the various judg- Verses 10-13. It shall come to pass at the same ments that had fallen upon the nation, and the hard-time-The time when my people are gathered to The terror occasioned EZEKIEL. by Gog and Magog. A. M. 3417. come into thy mind, and thou shalt || take away cattle and goods, to take A. M. 3417. 3 think an evil thought: B. C. 587. 6 13 Sheba, and y Dedan, and the merchants z 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 Or, conceive a mischievous purpose. Jeremiah xlix. 31. Verse 8.- - Or, confidently.- s Heb. to spoil the spoil, and the prey, Chapter xxix. 19. Chapter xxxvi. 34, 35. prey a Ver. 8.- -6 Heb. navel, Judg. ix. 37.- - Chap. xxvii. 22, 23. to B. C. 587. a great spoil? the young lions thereof―Their kings and princes, as the Targum understands it; or their chief merchants, who are described as so many princes, (Isa. xxiii. 8,) and are called lions because of the injustice and oppression they too commonly practised in their commerce. Verses 14-16. In that day, &c.-At that remarkable time, when I shall gather my people from their dispersions and bring them again to their own land, and they shall be established therein and dwell safely, without apprehension of danger from any enemy, and without any defence to prevent their being attacked; shalt thou not know it?-Will they not be pointed out to thee as a people thou mayest easily conquer, and with whose spoils thou mayest without difficulty enrich thyself? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts-See on verse 6; thou and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, &c.-The character here given of this people may properly be applied to the Turks or Tartars, the strength of whose armies consists principally in their cavalry. As a cloud to cover the land gether, settled in peace in their own land, and think themselves secure; shall things come into thy mind -Mischievous things; and thou shalt think an evil thought-Shalt entertain a malicious design for the destruction of my people. And thou shalt sayWilt resolve in thyself; I will go up-I will invade with all my forces; the land of unwalled villages— A people weak, and destitute of any considerable defences. To them that are at rest-Who would willingly be quiet, and suspect as little evil from others as they intend against others, and who trust in the protection of their God, who hath promised they shall dwell safely. Dwelling without walls, &c.-That is, having no sufficient fortifications to defend them against the force of an enemy. To take a spoil, &c.--With the thoughts of taking a large spoil without any difficulty. To turn thy hand upon the desolate places-To go against, or fall upon, a country which had lain a long time desolate, but which has been peopled again, and come into a flourishing condition. Judea is very plainly marked out by this land, which Gog is here represented as designing to attack, because it lay open to be invaded. See on verse 9. It shall be in the latter days—This That dwell in the midst of the land-Hebrew, in is repeated to prevent the application of the prothe navel of the land, that is, in Jerusalem, which phecy to any event that should take place before stood nearly in the middle of Judea, and was situate the days of the Messiah: see on verse 8. And I upon a rising ground, which the Hebrew metaphor-will bring thee against my land-I will permit thee ically expresses by the navel. Sheba and Dedan, to come; that the heathen may know me, when I and the merchants of Tarshish--These were people || shall be sanctified in thee—Shall be confessed to be that traded much, the two former dwelling in the a great God over all, a gracious and faithful God to east, and the merchants of Tarshish often sailing my people, and a dreadful enemy and avenger from the Spanish coasts into the eastern parts, as against the wicked. Before their eyes—In the sight having commerce with Tyre, which bordered upon of all the heathen that are with Gog, and much more Judea. "These merchants, as soon as they heard in the sight of God's own people. This signal vicof this intended invasion, came into Gog's camp as tory over Gog and his associates shall be a means to a market, to buy both persons and goods which of bringing infidels to give glory to God. should come into the conqueror's power." With all Verse 17. Art thou he?-This would be better |