Geneva Study Bible And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, Son of man, set thy face against {a} Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
(a) Who were a people that came from Magog the son of Japheth, Ge 10:2. Magog also here signifies a certain country so that by these two countries which had the government of Greece and Italy he means the principal enemies of the Church, Re 20:8. And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thy army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them {b} handling swords:
(b) He shows that the enemy would bend themselves against the Church but it would be to their own destruction. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: {c} Persia, Cush, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
(c) The Persians, Ethiopians and men of Africa. Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. {d} Gomer, and all his troops; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his troops: and many people with thee.
(d) Gomer was Japheth's son, and Togarmah the son of Gomer, and are thought to be they that inhabited Asia Minor. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. Be thou prepared, and {e} prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled to thee, and be thou a guard to them.
(e) Signifying that all the people of the world would assemble themselves against the Church and Christ their head. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many 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. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many 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.
Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an {f} evil thought:
(f) That is, to molest and destroy the Church. And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; {g} I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
(g) Meaning Israel, which had now been destroyed and was not yet built again: declaring by this the simplicity of the godly, who seek not so much to fortify themselves by outward force, as to depend on the providence and goodness of God. To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants 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 take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all its young lions, shall say to thee, {h} Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
(h) One enemy will envy another because everyone will think to have the spoil of the Church. Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel {i} dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
(i) Will you not spy your opportunity to come against my Church when they suspect nothing? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. And thou shalt come against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the {k} latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the nations may know me, when I {l} shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
(k) Meaning in the last age, and from the coming of Christ to the end of the world. (l) Signifying that God will be sanctified by maintaining his church, and destroying his enemies, as in Eze 36:23,37:28. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken of old {m} by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
(m) By this he declares that no affliction can come to the Church of which they have not been advertised before to teach them to endure all things with more patience when they know that God has so ordained. And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping animals that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be overturned, and the {n} steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
(n) All means by which man would think to save himself will fail, the affliction in those days will be so great, and the enemies destruction will be so terrible. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will call for a sword against him {o} throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
(o) Against the people of God and Magog. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD. The Geneva Bible Translation Notes [1599] Bible Hub |