Ezekiel 39:12
New International Version
“’For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

New Living Translation
It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land.

English Standard Version
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.

Berean Standard Bible
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

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

New King James Version
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.

New American Standard Bible
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

NASB 1995
“For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

NASB 1977
“For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

Legacy Standard Bible
And for seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

Amplified Bible
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

Christian Standard Bible
The house of Israel will spend seven months burying them in order to cleanse the land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The house of Israel will spend seven months burying them in order to cleanse the land.

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

Contemporary English Version
The Israelites will spend seven months burying dead bodies and cleaning up their land.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people of Israel will be burying them there for seven months to make the land clean.

Good News Translation
It will take the Israelites seven months to bury all the corpses and make the land clean again.

International Standard Version
The house of Israel will be burying them for seven months in order to purify the land.

Majority Standard Bible
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

NET Bible
For seven months Israel will bury them, in order to cleanse the land.

New Heart English Bible
Seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, that they may cleanse the land.

Webster's Bible Translation
And seven months shall the house of Israel be in burying them, that they may cleanse the land.

World English Bible
“‘“The house of Israel will be burying them for seven months, that they may cleanse the land.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the house of Israel has buried them—in order to cleanse the land—seven months.

Young's Literal Translation
And the house of Israel have buried them -- in order to cleanse the land -- seven months.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the house of Israel buried them to cleanse the land seven months.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the house of Israel shall bury them for seven months to cleanse the land.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the house of Israel will bury them, so that they may cleanse the land, for seven months

New American Bible
For seven months the house of Israel shall bury them in order to cleanse the land.

New Revised Standard Version
Seven months the house of Israel shall spend burying them, in order to cleanse the land.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And for seven months the house of Israel shall be busy burying them; and then the land shall be cleansed.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And for seven months, they of the house of Israel shall bury them, and the land shall be cleansed
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, that they may cleanse the land.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the house of Israel shall bury them, that the land may be cleansed in the space of seven months.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Slaughter of Gog's Armies
11And on that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Sea. It will block those who travel through, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. 12For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day I display My glory, declares the Lord GOD.…

Cross References
Revelation 19:17-18
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, / so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

Jeremiah 25:33
Those slain by the LORD on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung lying on the ground.

Isaiah 66:24
“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

Revelation 20:8-9
and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore. / And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

Isaiah 34:2-3
The LORD is angry with all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will devote them to destruction; He will give them over to slaughter. / Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood.

Revelation 19:21
And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Jeremiah 7:33
The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.

Isaiah 14:19-20
But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot. / You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned.

Revelation 14:20
And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Isaiah 13:12
I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.

Jeremiah 16:4
“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”

Revelation 11:18
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great—and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Isaiah 66:16
For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:2
They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.

Revelation 6:15-17
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. / And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. / For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”


Treasury of Scripture

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

cleanse

Ezekiel 39:14,16
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…

Numbers 19:16
And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

Deuteronomy 21:23
His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

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Buried Burying Children Clean Cleanse Earth House Israel Months Order Putting Seven
Ezekiel 39
1. God's judgment upon Gog
8. Israel's victory
11. Gog's burial in Hamon-gog
17. The feast of the fowls
21. Israel having been plagued for their sins
25. shall be gathered again with eternal favor














For seven months
The phrase "for seven months" indicates a significant period of time dedicated to a specific task. In the Hebrew context, the number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection, as seen throughout the Bible. This suggests that the task of burying is thorough and divinely ordained, ensuring that the land is fully cleansed. The duration underscores the magnitude of the event and the commitment of the Israelites to follow God's commands meticulously.

the house of Israel
This phrase refers to the collective people of Israel, God's chosen nation. Historically, the house of Israel is often seen as a representation of God's covenant people, tasked with upholding His laws and demonstrating His glory to the nations. In this context, their role in burying the dead signifies their obedience and dedication to God's instructions, as well as their responsibility to maintain the sanctity of the land.

will be burying them
The act of burying is significant in Jewish tradition, symbolizing respect for the dead and adherence to God's laws regarding cleanliness and purity. In the historical context of Ezekiel, this act is not just a physical task but a spiritual duty, reflecting the Israelites' commitment to restoring holiness to the land. The burial process is a communal effort, emphasizing unity and collective responsibility among the people of Israel.

in order to cleanse the land
Cleansing the land is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, often associated with removing impurity and restoring holiness. The Hebrew concept of cleansing goes beyond physical cleanliness; it involves a spiritual purification that aligns with God's holiness. This phrase highlights the importance of the land in God's covenant with Israel, as the land itself is seen as a sacred space that must be kept pure for God's presence to dwell among His people. The act of cleansing is both a physical and spiritual renewal, preparing the land for God's continued blessings and presence.

Verses 12, 13. - The time that should be occupied in Gog's funeral should be seven months - so great should be the number of the dead - the sacred number seven recalling the seven years consumed in the burning of the weapons (ver. 9), and reminding one of the "seven times heated" furnace into which the Hebrew children were cast, and of the "seven times" of Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation (Daniel 3:19; Daniel 4:23). The parties who should conduct his obsequies should be the house of Israel, even all the people of the land, indicating the common joy occasioned by the barbaric chieftain's overthrow. The motive which should impel them in their work would be a desire to cleanse the land from the defilement it had contracted from the corpses of the slain (comp. Numbers 19:11, 22; Numbers 31:19; Numbers 35:33); and the end should be that the work should be to them, not for "a remembrance" (Ewald), but a renown, not because they should have helped to bury Gog (Hengstenberg), or through burying Gog should have proved themselves his conquerors (Smend), and in virtue of Jehovah's protection the possessors of his grave (Hitzig), but because in the day when Jehovah glorified himself through Gog's destruction, he (Jehovah) should also be glorified by their (Israel's) zeal "to show themselves a holy people by sweeping all uncleanness away" (Keil).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For seven
שִׁבְעָ֖ה (šiḇ·‘āh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

months
חֳדָשִֽׁים׃ (ḥo·ḏā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

the house
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

will be burying them
וּקְבָרוּם֙ (ū·qə·ḇā·rūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6912: To inter

in order
לְמַ֖עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

to cleanse
טַהֵ֣ר (ṭa·hêr)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2891: To be clean or pure

the land.
הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 39:12 Seven months shall the house of Israel (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 39:11
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