The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 278

late, that Gog, who i1;1~nd~ to visit Israel, 16; and comp. Jer. iv.13). Ta.ken together, should himself be v1&1ted, ID the sense of the images eugge.st that Gog'e inrnsion being punished. In support of the former should burst forth suddenly, rage violenLly, rendering appeal is ta.ken to Neh. vii. l ; spread quickly, alarm greRtly, but cease xii. 44; and Jer. xv. 3; but the verb ip_~ finally. Storms roar and crash, alarm and when used in this sense is commonly followed destroy, but do not continue. Clouds diffuse by~~ with the accusative of that or those gloom and fear, but ultimately disperse, with reference to which or whom the Ver. 10. - Thou she.It think an evil appointment is made or commission issued, thought; " conceive e. misc hicvous purpose " and in addition no such commission with (margin); or, devise an evil detiice (Revised reference to these other nations we.a ever Version). The ultime.te responsibility for given by God to Gog. In vindication of Gog'e expedition should rest on Gog him- the second meaning of the words, Isa. xxiv. self, who should be impelled thereto by hie 22 and xxix. 6 are ordinarily quoted; while own lust of conquest. Ezekiel here recog- in answer to the objection that it is too soon nizes what the Bible is full of, the duality to talk of punishment for an offence not yet of existence, e.ccording to which man is both committed, it is customary to reply that, as a free a.gent, acting out hie own thoughts Jehovah's stirring up of Gog was the first nm\ plane, e.nd an unconscious inettument step towards his ultimate overthrow, that in the hands of God ce.rryiug out his counsels stirring up might fairly be described as at and designs. least the beginning of his judicial visit.ation- Vers. 11, 12 give voice to the things that lfe.vernick's translation, " For a long time should come into Gog's mind nod incite thou wilt be missed," i.e. considered as e. him to hie enterprise against Israel. Tho people the.t has utterly vanished," is forced; spectacle of Israel dwelling safely, i.e. Smend's is better, "After many de.ye thou securely and confidently, in a land Of nu- shalt be mustered," or numbered. In any walled villages-literally, a land of open case Gog's first movement should take place places, as opposed to fortified ci ties-i.e. of in the latter years; literally, attheendofthe towns without we.Ila, e.nd having neither years-a. frequent prophetic phrase (see Gen. bars nor gates (oomp. Zeob. ii. 4, 5; Dent. xlix. 1 ; Numb. xxiv. 14; Isa. ii. 2; Dan. iii. 5 ; l Sam. vi. 18), because of being no x. 14; Micah iv. 1), here denoting the Mes- more apprehensive of invasion, should excite sianic era, and should e.ssume the form of within hie bosom the thought that Israel an invasion of the land of Israel, which is would foll e.n easy prey to hie assault; and next described by e. threefold che.re.cteri- this thought age.in should kindle in his ze.tion. (1) A;i a land brought be.ck from bosom the lust of conquest which should the &word, not in the sense of its people fine.Uy impel him to the sinful project having been made to desist from war, deecri bed, viz. to take a spoil and to ta/re a through being henceforth peacefully inclined prey; literally, to spoil tlUJ spoil ( comp. eh. (comp. IEa. ii. 4; Micah ii. 8), or of their xxix. 19; Isa. x. 6) and to prey the prey having ceased to expect war, because of (lea. xu:iii. 23). In execution of thid he living ever after securely (ver. 11), but in woulcl fall upon the once desolate but then that of having been recovered from its devas- inhabited places, upon the once scattered tations (cb. vL 3-5); (2) e.s e. land whose but then collected population, upon the pre- inhabitants had been gathered out of many viously poor but then wealthy inhabitants, nation.&-B. phrase, which while starting from who should then have gotten cattle and and iucluding the return from Babylon, goods (cattle e.nd chattel beet renders the manifestly looked beyond that eveut to the Hebrew paronomasia, mikneh v•kinyan), as ,vider dispersion of Israel that should pre- the pe.trie.rche of their nation had once <lone cede the final ingathering ; and (3) as e. land (Gen. xxxiv. 23; xxxvi. 6), and who should whose mountailla had been always waste; then be dwelling in the midst of the le.nd; literally, for a waste conUnually. If such literally, in the height, or, riai,el (LXX., was their condition prior to the return from Vulgate), of the earth (comp. Judg_ ix. 37), caplivity, it iB undeniable that such hoe the Hebrews generally regarding Palestine practically been their condition ever since, as the Greeks did Delphi, both e.s the mi<ldle and such it is likely to continue to be, until ( eh. v 5) 11.nd perhaps therefore, if not as the final inge.thering of the dispersed of the highest (Gesenius), at least as the fairest Israel. and most fe1iile portion of the ee.rth. Ver. 9.-Like e. 1torm, e.nd like a cloud. Ver. 13.-Sheba, and Dedan, and the Gog'e invasion, hie "ascension," or'' going merohanta of Tarllhiah were the great up" (oompare the Greek term i,.,,&.fJrur,s for e. trading communities of tho South, East, mili te.ry expedition), should be like a storm and West respectively (see on oh. xxvii. 15, (u its suddenness and violence, a1 in Prov. 20, 22, 25). The young lion■ thereof-i.e. or 1. 27, and like e. cloud in its threatening 'fnrshish, not of the other oommnnities aspect a.nd overshadowing nearness (see vcr. (Kcil)-were probablyintende<l to represent, OH. xxxvm. 1-23.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 287