The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 279

not the" o.utborities" of Te.rsbisb, as Hitzig The former opinion, though countenanced suggests, but its smo.ller tro.desmen who by Ewald, Kuenen, and Smend, is less pro- were equally rapa.cioas with its lo.rger bable than the latter, which expositors both merchants. All a.re depicted as following e.nclent and modem fe.vour. Schroder con- in the we.ke of Gog, like vultures in the siders the hypothesis that earlier prophets rear of o.n e.rmy, e.nd e.s inquiring whether had spoken of Gog by name a.a excludecl Gog he.cl co1ne simply for the purpose of by the interrogatory form of the sentence, destruction or in the hope of trading with since, he.d Gog been thus explicitly pointed the booty he should capture. In this case out, there would, he thinks, have been no they intimate their wish to be pe.rta.kers of need to e.sk, "Art thou-,he?" But it is the spoil. This(Plumptre), rather than the doubtful if the interrogatory form of the thirst for booty whioh characterized them words had any other intention than to le»d (Keil), their question to Gog aiguified: emphasis to the assertion the.t Gog was he Schroder's idea., that they purposed ironically to whom the earlier prophets be.d uncon- to ridicule the smallness of the spoil which sciously referred. As to which earli~r would reward so gige.ntio an expedition, has prophets he alluded opinions vary. Ewald as little to recommend it a.a Kliefoth'e cites Isa.. x. 6 ; xvi i. 4; Smend e.dding Micah euggestion, the.t they designed to intimate v. 11; Zeph. iii. 8; Keil, Isa.. xxv. ii, 10; their sympathy with Gog's invasion of Jer. xx.x. 23; 25; Joel iv. 2, 11, etc.; Heng- Is:re.e!. stenberg, Deut. xxxii.; Iao.. xxiv.-xxvii.; xx.xiv.; ancl Fuirbe.im,Numb. xxiv. 17-24; Vere. 14-----23.-----The prophet is next Isa. xiv. 28-32; xviii.; Joel iii.; D~n. ii. directed to e.ssure Gog of four things, (I) H, 45; though Schroder is probably correct the.t in the latt.er days he should come up in holding that all should be included against Israel as predicted (vers. 14-----16): which represent the hostility of the heo.then (2) the.t he should not do so without Divine world e.e culminating in the latter days in a gre.nd concentrated attack upon Israel. obeerve.tion, permission, e.nd direction (vers. Smend sees in the unusue.1 phenomenon 16, )7); (3) the.t nevertheless Jehovah'e tlll\t Ezekiel reflects upon earlier prophecies indignation should fie.me forth a.go.inst him o.n indice.tion of the deolining ep.rit of (ver. 18); and (4) that Jehovah would prophetism; it should, however, ro.thcr be magnify himself in hie destruction. regarded o.e o. sigu of superior spiritunl insight on the po.rt of Ezekiel, who could Ver. 14.-----Sho.lt thou not know it? viz. discern the.t from the first the prophets that Israel is dwelling so.fely o.nd uneuspeot- he.d been gnidold in their utterances by Ono ingly? Aseuredly: because the be.rbo.rian who we.a intimately o.cquainled with the ohiefte.in will ,then be on the we.toh, ne it whole world-programme, o.ud knew the end were, to spy out Israel's defenceless condition, from the beginning, so thnt however dark e.nd to fix upon the most opportune moment o.nd enigmatioe.1 their predictions might ho for e.n e.sal\ult. The LXX. ree.d, "Sha.It thou when tnken eepo.ro.tely, when viewed in not arise?" Ou1< ... i-y•p0-1,crp; e.nd following connection they were recognized o.s forming it, both Hitzig e.nd Ewl\ld, without other parts of o. ho.rmonious whole. justilloe.tion, ohe.nge Jl;J!;I into ij11;1~ "Wilt Vers. 18-----20.-----Vere. 180.nd 1911.ro not,o.s thou bestir thyself?" Hitzig, Kliefoth, o.ncl others explain, on the Ver. 15.-----All of them riding upon horaes ground of the perfect," I he.ve spoken" (ver. (see on ver. 4; e.nd comp. oh. xxiii. 6: xxvi. 19), which, however, is mthor e. prophcticu.l 7; Jar. vi. 23; e.nd Amoe ii. 15). The present-o. free recapitulo.tion of the C'l\rlier Soy lhinns nre said to he.ve been able to ee.t, pr~diotions, but e. direct announcement drink, e.nd sleep in the so.ddle (Schroder). through Ezekiel thll.t when Gog should Ver. 16.-----I will be sanctified in thee, O nrrive upon the scene Jehovah should t,ike Gog. Jehovah mee.nt the.t in tnking tlto field a.go.inst him, so that he should vengee.noe upon Gog for e.ael\iling Israel, have to fight a.go.inst Jehovah re.ther than be would be seen to be e. holy e.nd e. right- o.gainet L.ro.el. The exprellliion, my fury eous God. shall oome up in my fo.oe; or, my wrath Ver. 17.-Art thou he of whom I have aacends in my no,~, has pare.llels in eh. xxi v. spoken in old time 1 As no existing pro- 8; Ps. xviii. 9; and Dent. xxxii. 22, l\nd phecy, prior to Ezekiel'e time, mentions describes the vehement breathing (inhnle.- Gog by no.me, it must be concluderl either tion and exhalation) of an angry ml\n (1) tho.t Ezekiel refers to prophecios known through hie nose. The tire of Jehovl\h's in his day, though no longer extant; or (2) wrath (comp. oh. xxi. 36; xxxvi. 5) should tho.t his words simply mean that earlier me.ke itself known in that day by a great prophets had predicted euoh an invasion of shaking in the land of Israel, which oan Isre.el in the last times as that which be ho.rdly, 9.8 Kliefoth surmises, refer to the 11.nnounces under the le11.dership or Gog. finnl juclgment, or, 11.s Keil thinks, to the 288 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [aR. xxxvm. 1-23,