Ezekiel 38:12 kjv
To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
Ezekiel 38:12 nkjv
to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.
Ezekiel 38:12 niv
I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land."
Ezekiel 38:12 esv
to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth.
Ezekiel 38:12 nlt
I will go to those formerly desolate cities that are now filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder, for the people are rich with livestock and other possessions now. They think the whole world revolves around them!'
Ezekiel 38 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 38:11 | "You will say, 'I will invade a land of unwalled villages. I will attack a peaceful people, who live securely, all of them without walls, and without bars and gates.'" | Ezekiel 38:11 (Parallel to 38:12 theme) |
| Deuteronomy 12:10 | "But when you cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he gives you rest from all the enemies around you so you will live in security," | Deuteronomy 12:10 (Concept of security after conquest) |
| Judges 18:27 | "Then Micah took the idol and the priest he had and went to Laish, to a people that was quiet and unsuspecting. He attacked them with the sword, killed them, and took over their city." | Judges 18:27 (Example of vulnerable people being attacked) |
| Proverbs 24:30 | "I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of one who has no sense." | Proverbs 24:30 (Metaphor for neglecting defense/preparedness) |
| Proverbs 6:10-11 | "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a thief, and scarcity like an armed man." | Proverbs 6:10-11 (Warning against complacency leading to ruin) |
| Zephaniah 1:12 | "At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will do nothing, good or bad.'" | Zephaniah 1:12 (Condemnation of complacency and false security) |
| Jeremiah 48:11 | "Moab has been at ease as a grape-vine that has not been turned from its wine; he has not been given to exile, nor drawn from his wine-skins." | Jeremiah 48:11 (Similar description of complacency and its consequence) |
| Hosea 4:6 | "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. 'Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you from being my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children." | Hosea 4:6 (Lack of spiritual preparedness and its results) |
| Amos 6:1 | "Woe to those who are complacent in Zion, and to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, these prominent men of the first of the nations, to whom the people of Israel will go!" | Amos 6:1 (Parallel condemnation of complacency in Israel) |
| Amos 9:13-15 | "‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when the reaper will overtake the plowman, and the treader of grapes will overtake the sower, when the mountains will drip with new wine and all the hills will flow with it. I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their crops. I will plant them in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,’ says the LORD your God." | Amos 9:13-15 (Promise of future restoration and security, contrasting with Ezekiel's scenario of its violation) |
| Jeremiah 23:17 | "They keep saying to those who deserve nothing, ‘The LORD says you will have peace.’ To all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’" | Jeremiah 23:17 (False prophets fostering complacency) |
| Isaiah 32:9-11 | "You complacent women, rise up! Listen, my ears! You carefree daughters, hear my words! Some time ago you carefree women, tremble; shudder in your complacency! Take off your robes and strip yourselves, and put on sackcloth at your waists." | Isaiah 32:9-11 (Call to action for the complacent) |
| Romans 13:11 | "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." | Romans 13:11 (New Testament parallel of spiritual vigilance) |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:3 | "While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." | 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (Direct New Testament echo of this specific scenario) |
| Luke 21:34-36 | "‘Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will fall on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.’ Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be found standing before the Son of Man." | Luke 21:34-36 (Jesus' warning about end-times alertness) |
| Acts 2:44-45 | "All the believers were one in spirit and in mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had." | Acts 2:44-45 (Early church community sharing, could be interpreted as communal strength, but also potentially outward vulnerability without fortified individual defenses) |
| Revelation 3:17 | "You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." | Revelation 3:17 (Description of spiritual complacency and self-deception) |
| Isaiah 28:1 | "Woe to that garland of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious but fading flower is on the heads of those who are overcome with wine!" | Isaiah 28:1 (Judgment on spiritual drunkenness and complacency in Samaria/Ephraim) |
| 2 Peter 3:3-4 | "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this "coming" he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything has continued as it was since the beginning of creation.'" | 2 Peter 3:3-4 (Describes those who ignore eschatological warnings, contributing to a mindset of normalcy and security) |
| Proverbs 17:1 | "Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of quarreling with no food." | Proverbs 17:1 (Highlights the value of peace, but Ezekiel 38:12 depicts a peace that is unaware of imminent threat) |
Ezekiel 38 verses
Ezekiel 38 12 Meaning
This verse describes a state of great security and complacency among the people of Israel, specifically in "the settlements that are scattered abroad." They feel unfortified and vulnerable, having been restored from destruction and living without walls, bars, or gates, yet no longer expecting invasion or danger from those surrounding nations. This profound peace makes them an easy target for the impending invasion.
Ezekiel 38 12 Context
Ezekiel chapter 38 sets the stage for a future eschatological conflict. God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel to foretell a massive invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations led by Gog, from the land of Magog. This invasion occurs during a period of post-exilic restoration for Israel, specifically after their return from Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its walls (though the verse implies a vulnerability related to dwelling in scattered settlements without absolute fortifications). Verse 12 shifts focus from the attacker (Gog) to the state of the intended victims (Israel). It details the perception of security that will lull the people into a false sense of peace, making them an unprepared target for Gog's massive army. This period is often interpreted as a time of great peace and prosperity for Israel preceding the final stages of history, where they might feel settled and protected by God, but critically, without robust physical defenses on a widespread scale in the outlying regions.
Ezekiel 38 12 Word Analysis
וְאָמַרְתָּ (və'āmarətā): "And you will say." This prophetic future tense indicates a pronouncement or a declared intention. It signifies the psychological state and justification of the attacker, Gog, and his allies, reflecting their assessment of Israel's condition.
אֶל־ (ʾel): "to." A preposition indicating direction or target.
הָאָרֶץ (hā'āreṣ): "the land." Refers to the land of Israel. The definite article "ha" emphasizes its specific, promised territory.
הַשְׁקֵטָה (hašqəṭāh): "the quiet." From the root meaning "to be quiet, still, safe." It describes a state of peace, tranquility, and absence of disturbance or conflict.
בּוֹאֵי (bō'ēy): "dwelling" or "those who dwell." A participle from the root "bō'ēy," meaning "to come in, to enter, to dwell." It refers to the inhabitants of the land.
אֲפֵלָה (ʾăfēlāh): "undefended" or "unfortified." Derived from the root "ʾāfēl," which means "darkness" or "obscurity," it carries the sense of being hidden, hidden from view or notice due to lack of defensive structures, hence vulnerable and exposed. Another interpretation relates it to being isolated or scattered, thus undefended.
אֵין־ (ʾên): "without" or "there is not." A negation indicating absence.
חוֹמָה (ḥōmāh): "walls." Plural "ḥomot." Refers to defensive fortifications surrounding cities or settlements.
לָהֶם (lāhem): "to them" or "for them." Pertaining to the people of Israel.
וְגַם־ (wəgam): "and also." A conjunction indicating addition or emphasis.
אֵין־ (ʾên): "without" or "there is not." Repetition emphasizing the lack of defense.
בְּרִיחַ (bərîaḥ): "bar" or "bolt." Refers to mechanisms used to secure gates.
וָשַׁעַר (wāša‘ar): "and gate." The connecting waw adds "and." Gates were critical entry points, and their absence of barring indicated extreme vulnerability.
לָהֶם (lāhem): "to them" or "for them." Again referring to the people of Israel.
Summary of key phrases: The core of the verse is "hašqəṭāh bō'ēy, ’ăfēlāh." This highlights a land of inhabitants living in a state of tranquil, quiet peace, and being undefended or exposed. The subsequent phrase "ʾên ḥōmāh lāhem" (without walls for them) and "wəgam ’ên bərîaḥ wāša‘ar lāhem" (and also without bar and gate for them) powerfully elaborates on this vulnerability. It describes a population that, by divine timing or through their own complacency, has relaxed all outward defensive measures, making them easy prey.
Ezekiel 38 12 Bonus Section
The "settlements that are scattered abroad" could imply not only the absence of urban walls but also the dispersal of the people, further increasing their individual vulnerability. This scattering can be understood both geographically and perhaps even demographically, making organized defense more challenging. This is a future-focused prophecy, describing conditions before Christ's final return, though similar themes of complacency preceding judgment resonate throughout scripture. The concept of dwelling "without walls" could also have a symbolic interpretation, suggesting a lack of spiritual fortifications or a perceived absence of divine protection leading to human-derived security which proves false. The prophecy underscores a critical divine enablement or positioning for this specific future invasion, where God allows Israel to be in such a state of perceived safety for His purposes to be executed.
Ezekiel 38 12 Commentary
Ezekiel 38:12 describes Israel as being in a state of supreme physical security, living in scattered, unwalled settlements without any means of fortification. This vulnerability is presented as an inviting condition for the enemy. It signifies a people at peace, likely enjoying prosperity and a respite from conflict, to the point where the thought of invasion seems improbable to them. This spiritual and physical complacency is what God highlights as a strategic vulnerability, ensuring that when Gog’s invasion comes, the inhabitants will be caught unaware. It's not just a lack of physical walls but also an internal state of mind that dismisses any external threat. This can be seen as a contrast to the constant state of vigilance called for in the New Testament regarding spiritual preparedness, lest "that day" catch believers unawares. The focus is on an unfortified populace making them susceptible to a surprise attack from powerful enemies.