Ezekiel 39:12 kjv
And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
Ezekiel 39:12 nkjv
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.
Ezekiel 39:12 niv
"?'For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.
Ezekiel 39:12 esv
For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.
Ezekiel 39:12 nlt
It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land.
Ezekiel 39 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 39:11 | and Gog shall be buried in the valley...where they shall bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it the valley of Hamon-gog. | Pertains to burial site |
| Isa 10:24 | Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "O my people who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, though he smite you with the rod and lift up his staff against you, as did Egypt." | God's protection for His people |
| Zech 2:5 | And I will be a wall of fire all around her, declares the LORD, and I will be glory in her midst." | God's protective presence |
| Rev 19:17 | Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, | Gathering of scavengers |
| Rev 19:18 | so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great." | Eating of the slain |
| Jer 16:4 | They shall die of deaths that bring no lamentation, and they shall not be buried, nor shall they be dug up; they shall be like dung on the face of the ground. | Death and lack of burial |
| Deut 21:23 | his corpse shall not remain on the tree all night, but you shall surely bury him on the same day, for he who is hanged is cursed by God. Do not defile your land, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance. | Importance of proper burial |
| Num 31:24 | and if anyone in the army or any one of the people who came to help goes into the fields, he shall wash his clothes and afterward he may come into the camp." | Cleansing after contact with death |
| Ps 103:12 | as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. | God's removal of sin |
| Mic 7:19 | He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. | Forgiveness and cleansing |
| Lev 15:31 | "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleannesses, lest they die in their uncleannesses if they defile my tabernacle that is in their midst." | Sanctity of God's presence |
| Isa 65:25 | The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the LORD. | Future peace and holiness |
| Zech 8:3 | Thus says the LORD: "I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain." | God's dwelling place |
| Ezek 48:35 | And the name of the city from that time on will be: The LORD Is There. (YHWH Shammah) | God's presence |
| Rev 21:3 | And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. | God dwelling with man |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. | Spiritual cleansing |
| Eph 5:26 | that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, | Christ's cleansing of the church |
| Heb 10:22 | let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. | Spiritual cleansing |
| 1 John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | Forgiveness and cleansing |
| Ps 51:7 | Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. | Psalmist's plea for cleansing |
| Ezek 43:20 | You shall sacrifice them on the altar and burn their blood on the altar; it shall be an atonement for sin. | Atonement through sacrifice |
Ezekiel 39 verses
Ezekiel 39 12 Meaning
Ezekiel 39:12 speaks of a prolonged and extensive burial process for the bodies of those defeated in the future conflict described in the chapter. The land will be dedicated for seven months to the task of cleansing. This signifies a significant undertaking to remove the defilement caused by the massive death and destruction. The immense scale of the burial indicates the completeness of the judgment and the eventual restoration and purification of the land.
Ezekiel 39 12 Context
Ezekiel chapter 39 describes a future, cataclysmic battle where a massive coalition of nations, led by Gog of the land of Magog, will attack Israel. God will intervene supernaturally to destroy Gog and his vast army. This verse follows the description of God's decisive victory, which results in a catastrophic defeat for Gog's forces. The immense number of slain enemies necessitates a significant period for their burial and the subsequent cleansing of the land. This purification is essential before the promised future restoration and dwelling of God in the midst of His people. The detailed instructions for burial and cleansing highlight the magnitude of the judgment and the ultimate holiness of God's land.
Ezekiel 39 12 Word Analysis
and I (וַאֲנִי, wa-ăni): "And I" - emphatic declaration, continuing God's speech.
will set (נָתַתִּי, natatti): "I will give," "I will appoint," "I will set apart." Implies dedicating and allotting.
apart (לְבַד, lĕḇaḏ): "alone," "separate." Indicates segregation for a specific purpose.
land (אֶרֶץ, erets): "earth," "land," "ground." Refers to the physical territory.
of Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisrā’ēl): "Israel," referring to the nation and its territory.
for (לְמַעַן, lĕma‘an): "for the sake of," "in order to." Denotes purpose.
sepulchre (קֶבֶר, qĕḇer): "grave," "tomb." Place of burial.
of nations (גּוֹיִם, goyim): "nations," "peoples," often referring to gentiles.
and (וְ, wĕ): Conjunction.
they (הֵמָּה, hēmmah): Pronoun, referring to the Israelites.
shall bury (יִקְבְּרוּ, yiqběrū): Future tense of "to bury."
the buried (מְקֻבָּרִים, mĕqubbārīm): Passive participle, "the buried ones."
upon (בְּ, bĕ): Preposition, "in," "on," "at."
land (אֶרֶץ, erets): As above.
of (לְ, lĕ): Preposition, indicating possession or destination.
Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisrā’ēl): As above.
for (לְשִׁבְעָה, lĕšiv‘āh): "for seven." Indicates duration.
months (חֳדָשִׁים, ḥŏḏāšīm): Plural of "month."
and (וְ, wĕ): Conjunction.
to cleanse (לְטַהֵר, lĕṭahĕr): Infinitive, "to purify," "to cleanse."
the (אֶת, ’et): Direct object marker.
land (אֶרֶץ, erets): As above.
and (וְ, wĕ): Conjunction.
their (אַדְמָתָם, ’aḏmāṯām): "their ground," "their land" (possession).
shall (יִטָּהֲרוּ, yiṭṭahărū): Future tense, "they shall be cleansed," "they shall purify themselves."
be cleansed (בִּצְעָתָם, bit‘āṯām): "their defilement," "their abominations." Refers to the uncleanness of the corpses.
Words Group - "set apart... for sepulchre of nations": This phrase emphasizes God's intentional designation of Israel's land for the purpose of burying the Gentile invaders, distinguishing it as a place of judgment's residue.
Words Group - "for seven months to cleanse the land": This signifies an extended, practical process of removing uncleanness from the land, highlighting the sheer magnitude of the fallen enemy.
Words Group - "they shall be cleansed in their defilement": This captures the idea of the land itself undergoing a cleansing process, as the very act of burying the defiled bodies within it necessitates purification.
Ezekiel 39 12 Bonus Section
The number "seven" frequently symbolizes completeness or perfection in biblical contexts. Here, seven months suggests a thorough and complete cleansing of the land, indicating that no trace of this invasion or its uncleanness will remain. This meticulous cleansing process echoes the requirements for ritual purity in the Old Testament, emphasizing the sanctity of the land in which God would later dwell. It prepares the stage for the full restoration and the realization of God's promises of a cleansed dwelling place among His people, as seen in visions of a restored Temple and a holy city. This event is a precursor to the ultimate redemption and purification brought by Christ, who cleanses believers from all unrighteousness.
Ezekiel 39 12 Commentary
This verse provides a critical detail about the aftermath of God's judgment upon Gog. The seven-month period for burial underscores the immense scale of the destruction, making it impossible for the inhabitants of the land to quickly dispose of the bodies. It's not merely about disposing of carcasses, but about the comprehensive purification of the land from the impurity brought by these enemies of God and His people. This task of cleansing, assigned to the people of Israel, represents a divinely ordained work that consecrates the land and its inhabitants, marking a new era of holiness and security after judgment. The duration itself points to a profound spiritual cleansing, not just a physical one.