God's judgment upon Gog, 1-7. Israel's victory, 8-10. Gog's burial in Hamon-gog, 11-16. The feast of the birds, 17-20. Israel having been plagued for their sins, 21-24, shall be gathered again with eternal favor, 25-29.
1 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2 And I will turn you back and leave but the sixth part of you, and will cause you to come from the north parts and bring you upon the mountains of Israel. 3 And I will strike your bow out of your left hand and cause your arrows to fall from your right hand. 4 You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel—you and all your bands, and the people who are with you. I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall fall upon the open field. For I have spoken it," says the Lord GOD. 6 "And I will send a fire on Magog and among those who dwell carelessly in the coastlands. And they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 "Thus I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let them profane my holy name anymore. And the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Behold, it comes, and it shall be done," says the Lord GOD. "This is the day of which I have spoken.
9 "And those who dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth and set on fire and burn the weapons: the shields, the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, the hand-staffs, and the spears. And they shall burn them with fire seven years, 10 So that they 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 lay waste those who wasted them and rob those who robbed them," says the Lord GOD.
11 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give to Gog a place of graves there in Israel: the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea. And it shall stop the noses of the passengers. And there they shall bury Gog and all his multitude. And they shall call it The Valley of Hamon-gog. 12 And seven months the house of Israel shall be burying them, so that they may cleanse the land. 13 Even all the people of the land shall bury them. And it shall be to them a renown in the day that I have been glorified," says the Lord GOD. 14 "And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those who remain upon the face of the earth to cleanse it. After the end of seven months they shall search. 15 And as passengers pass through the land, when any sees a man's bone, then he shall set up a sign by it until the buriers have buried it in The Valley of Hamon-gog. 16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land."'
17 "And, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: 'Say to every feathered bird and to every beast of the field, "Assemble yourselves, and come. Gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, of goats, and of bulls, all of them fattened beasts of Bashan. 19 And you shall eat fat until you are full and drink blood until you are drunken at my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. 20 Thus you shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war," says the Lord GOD.
21 "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. 22 Thus the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward. 23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity. Because they trespassed against me, therefore I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them and hid my face from them."'"
25 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: "Now I will bring back the captivity of Jacob and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. 26 And they shall bear their shame and all their trespasses by which they have trespassed against me, when they dwell safely in their land and no one makes them afraid, 27 When I have brought them back from the people and gathered them out of the lands of their enemies, and am sanctified through them in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God who caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen. But I have gathered them to their own land and have left none of them there anymore. 29 I will not hide my face anymore from them, for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel," says the Lord GOD.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Ezekiel, Chapter 39[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
This chapter is a continuation of the prophecy of the destruction of Gog, which is both repeated and more largely described (Ezekiel 39:1-8); then follows an account of the burning of his weapons of war, which will last seven years in burning, during which time there will be no need of the use of wood (Ezekiel 39:9-10); and of the burial of him and many of his army; the place where and the time that will be taken up in doing this, even seven months, are observed (Ezekiel 39:11-16); and every feathered fowl and beast of the field are called upon to feed on the flesh of those who are left unburied (Ezekiel 39:17-20); and by all this the glory of the Lord will be seen, known, and acknowledged, both by the Heathens and by the house of Israel (Ezekiel 39:21-22); and the former will also be informed that the present captivity of the Jews has been for their sins and transgressions (Ezekiel 39:23-24); and the chapter is concluded with a promise of their return from captivity, when they shall know the Lord, and their interest in him; who will after this no more hide his face from them, but pour out his Spirit upon them, under whose influence they shall ever continue (Ezekiel 39:25-29).