The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 277

o.long with Mesech o.nd Tube.I, is mentioned ' Herodotus,' vol. iii. p. 34, note 6). All of e. third nation, Tira8, which Von Ho.mmer them olothed with all sorts of armour, better, hus nttempted to connect with Rosh; while ilothed with perfectum, i.e. splendidly attired, Schroclersees in Rosh (o.llied to '1'088, "horse") all of tl~m. .A characteristic of the Assyrian o.n indico.tion tho.t the people were equestrian army (comp. eh. xxiii. 12; Nah. ii. S). The in their ho.bits, like the Bcythio.ns. The arms of the warlike host-a great company, other peoples, Meshech and Tube.I, were BB in eh. xvii. 17 ( comp. Rev. xx. 8, " the undoubtedly the Mo,ohio.ns o.nd Tiba.renes, numbor of whom is BB the sand of the sea") who, according to Herodotus (iii. 94; vii. -are described as consisting of bucklers, or 78), dwelt south of the Black Sea. shields large enough to cover the whole of Ver. S.-1 o.m against thee, 0 Gog. Just the soldier, and not so suitable for cavalry because Gog wns against Israel, Jehovah as for infantry (comp. eh. xxiii. 24); shields, was against Gog. Gog's invasion of Isro.el's i.e. bucklers of smal !er size than the pre- land would be a declo.ration of war against ceding,such BB Assyrian w11,rriors were accus- Israel's God, so tho.t the conlliot would tomed to carry (Sayce, 'Assyria, its Princes, rather be between Jehovo.h o.nd Gog than Priests, and Peoplo,' p. 126); and swords, between Isro.el and Gog. Hence throughout or weapons for laying waste. The Assyrian this prophecy Jehovah is represented as soldiery employed "the short dagger, or the principal actor on the side of Israel, dirk, and the sword, which was of two kinds. who seek$,her defence not in walls and bul- The ordinury kind was long and straight, warks or ,in earthly o.lliances and military the lees usual kind being curved, like a combinations, ns in the days of the monarchy scimitar" (' Assyria, its Princes,' etc.). In before the exile, but in the presence of connection with the allied nations in ver. Jehovah in her midst. 5, only the small "shield" and "helmet" Ver. 4.-1 will turn thee back. ']'1;1??'1!1 are mentioned. (pilel of :rnd, and signifying "to cause to Vere. 5-7.-These o.llied nations a.re de- return") ho.s by Hitzig, Havemick, Ewald, picted as coming from the four quarters of and Keil, been interpreted in the sense the globe. Persia (see rh. :xxvii. 10), from of "enticing," " misleading," decoying to the east; Ethiopia (see oh. xxx. 5), or a dangerous enterprise, as in Isa. xl vii. 10; Cush (Gen. x. 6), from the south; Libya, but the ordinary meaning seems sufficient, or Phut (see oh. xxvii. 10; u::x. 5), from that Jehovah would turn him bnck from the west; nnd Gomer (see Gen. x. 2, S ; his own self-devised CBJ'eer, or tum him 1 Chron. i. 5), tho Cimmerians of Homer about like a. wild beost, putting hooks into (' Odyss.,' xi. 13-19), whose abodes were the his jaws (comp. oh. nix. 4; 2 Kings xix. shores of the Euxine and Caspian Beas, and 28 ; Isa.. x.xxvii. 29), o.ud so compelling him the Gimirrai of the Assyrian Inscriptions to follow the lead of a power superior to (see Schro.der, 'Die Keilinsohriften,' eto., himself, It is as evident that o. turning p. 80); with the house of Togarmah, from the bo.ck from the Holy Land oa.nnot be intended, north, or the extreme regions of the north, o.s it is tho.t a turning back to the Holy as in Isa.. xiv. 13 (see eh. xxvii. H). The Land is unsuito.ble, unless, with Hengstenberg first three are portrayed as armed with nnd Ewnld, one regnrtls Gog as the Che.1- shield Bnd helmet, or more aoouro.tely as dco.ns, or, with Hitzig, o.nd Schroder, as the being all of, them shield and helmet, whioh Scythio.ns, though thestl latter never were might signify that they should serve ns a in Pa.lostine, ho.ving left it unvisited in their shield and holmet to Gog, who in turn co.mpo.ign iu B.O. 626, and ho.d not ea yet should bo unto them and their confedero.tos formed the design of invntling Israel. a guard; i.e., o.ooording to Keil e.nd Bchrotler, Smend is not wide of the mark in suggest- one who keeps ,vatcil over them; nccording ing thut the thought expressetl in the verb to Mioh11elis und Hiivernick, one who gives is simply that of the superior might of them 111,w; according to Hengstenberg, one Jehovah. I will bring thee forth. That who is their authority ; according to Ewe.lei the power whioh stirs up Gog is here repre- o.nd Bmend, one who serves to them BB an sented as tho.t of Jehovah, while in Rev. ensign, i.e. nets to them as a leo.der or xx. 8 it is affirmed to Le thut of Sato.n, need commander. The LXX. translation, with occasion no more difficulty tho.n the similar which Hitzig agrees," And thou shnlt Lo 1tatements, in 1 Sum. xxiv. 1, about God to me for n guard," is mo.nifestly wrong. 11Dd in 1 Chron. xxi. 1 about Sato.n, stirring Ver. 8.-After many days thou ■halt be up Davi,! to number Israel. The enume- visited, The prinoipal controversy ro.ised ration of horses and horsemen in Gog's army by these words is as to whether they siguify, points to the Soythio.ns, who, according to o.s Hitzig, Fo.irbo.im, and Kliefoth suppuso, Herodotus (iv. 46, 186), were mo8tly cques- that after many days Gog should be t:lU• trio.n tribes, although the Soythio.n remains trusted with the command of the aforemen- discovered at Kerloh do not give an eumple tioned nations, or, e.e Ewald, Hengstenberg, Qf 11 Bo1t~i"n horse-aro!ier (see nawlinso~•s lteil, Bcliroder, Plqmptre, o.nd Curre7 tfana• 286 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [oH. xxxvm. 1-28.