The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 294

of Gog's destruction and of Israel's de- modem designation Lejun ( Legio), in all pro- livero.noe. Tho.t the whole delinee.tion is bo.bility contains e. reminiscence of the present symbolice.l o.ppeo.rs from the number of passage. It is, however, open to the obvious years the weapons are so.id to serve for objections that the place of Gog's burial was fuel, viz. seven, nnd from the character of not contiguous to the field of his overthrow, the weapons themselves, which, if not en- and tho.t the clause locating it "on the tirely wooden, were at least a.II combustible. east of the sea," by which on this hypothe- Of the "o.rmour" generally (pl1J, "some- sis muet be understood the Medite,ranean, thing joined," from e. root signifying "to is rather descriptive of the entire land than join") the pieces mentionecl-the shields of any pe.rticnle.r spot therein. Hence tho and the buoklers (see eh. :uxviii. 4), the view of Hi.vemick, Ewald, Keil, and Sm end, bows and arrows (see ver. 3), the he.nd- which finds the valley in the neighbour- staves, or, javelins (margin), perhaps, as hood of the Dead Sea, is to be preferrtd, Hitzig and Smend suggest, the el1df with though, even with agreement 118 to this, which e. horseman strikes his beast (see interpreters a.re not unanimous ns to the Numb. xxii. 27), e.nd the spears-we1·e spot intended. Ewald thinks of "the hor- mostly composed of timber. When all rible, unwholesome valley over a.go.inst the should hove been given to the flames, it sea., i.e. (comp. eh. xlvii. 8) the Dead Sea, that would then appear thnt on their lo.ta owners volley which covers the ancient overbearing the lez tali1mis he.d worked out ite literal ones (die Zen-eisenden), the Sodomites, who e.vengement, that they who had intended resemble these;" Keil, translating kidmath to despoil Israel were themselves spoiled ; as "in front oF," holds by "the ve.lley of and they who hoped to plunder Israel were tht> Jordan above the Dead See.;" Haver- themselves plundered (comp. lea. xvii. 14). nick and Smend e.dvoce.te " e. place outside the Holy Land," though the clo.use, "a Vere. 11-16 contain e. second proof of grave in Israel," seems a.go.inst this. Dr. the completeness of Gog's destruction, viz. Ourrey, in the 'Speaker's Commentary,' the length of time oooupied in burying hints, not without reason, ilie.t the valley w11e "ime.gino.ry." (2) As to its designa- the slain e.nd cleansing the land. tion. That in the word " po.eeengers " 1iee Ver. 11.-Gog, who should invnde Ismel e. paronomo.eie. is apparent; but whether in the hope of acquiring the entiro threefold or only twofold is uncertain. In mastery of her land, would obtain ot Jeho- the present verse c•-:i:;iil,;i may signify either ve.h'e hands only a ple.oe there of graves, (1) such tro.vellere o.e were wont to po.as i.e. either, as Hitzig, Ewald, Keil, and through the valley (Keil), which is the ob- Smend suggest, a place where e. grove vious o.nd nature.I interpretation; or (2) might be possible-a plaoe largo enough to the we.rriors of Gog (Ewe.Id, Hitzig), who receive his slaughtered carcases; or as intended to pass through the lo.nd, but whose Hii.verniok proposes, "au o.ltogether special invo.eion bad only proved o. poesing storm; grave ns no other in Israel ; " or 118 or (3) the oommieeioners who should be Scl1roder interprets, "a place where there is appointed to pe.ee through the land in search e. grave for him and nothing else." Oon- of bones (var. Hi). The notion of Ewald, who cerniug both the deeigno.tion and the site derives c•~)I from n:;,:;iv., and trimalo.tes of this divinely provid~d sepulohre contro- "haughty,'' "overbeo.ring," meaning the versy line a.risen. (1) .A, to ita Bite. The Gogit•:e, is countene.nced by no other ex- notion of Mioho.elis ond Eichhorn, the.t poeilor. If the first sense be taken, then the valley of the passengers on the ee.st of tho verse will read, "The volley of tho the see. wo.s in some wo.y related to the po.seers through, o.nd it (the volley, in con- mountains of Abarim mentioned in Numb. sequence of having become the grove of xxvii. 12 nnd Deut. xxxii. 49, o.nd the.t of Gog) etope(thewe.y of)the po.seers through;" Hitzig, tlio.t it signified " the valley of the i.e. it becomes thereafter impaseo.ble for opposite heights," e.e iu 1 Sam. xvii. 3, and travellers (Roeeumiilkr, Keil); or, it stops was to be sought for in the " very grl'O.t the noses, or breath, of such traveJlers by volley" of Zech. xiv. 4, mo.y at once be reason 'of its horrible stench (Ewald, dismissed-the former oe untenable, and Hi.vernick). If the second meo.niug be the latter o.e far-fetched. The suggestion selected, the valley must be understood to of Hengstenberg ru1d Kliefolh, tho.t by the have afterwards received its name from the burie.1-plo.oe of Gog wae meant the valley fe.ct tho.t Gog'e warriors lay entombed be- 'lf Mcgiddo, where Josiah fell in bottle neath its eoo., and "tho stopping of the against Phare.oh-Necho (2 Kings xxiii. 29), passengers " to signify that wheree.e Gog dcri ves support from theso considerations, purposed to overrun the land, his destruc- lhe.t tho very nAme of Megid<lo points to tive career we.s there ignominiously nrrestc,\ battles, tl,e.t in ite vicinity are found such (Schroder). If the third reudoring be pre- pneellll e.e o.re here deeoribed, and thn$ its ferred, then the valley will be held to havo 304 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [cH. XXXL't, 1-29,