Ezekiel 39 4

Ezekiel 39:4 kjv

Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.

Ezekiel 39:4 nkjv

You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.

Ezekiel 39:4 niv

On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals.

Ezekiel 39:4 esv

You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.

Ezekiel 39:4 nlt

You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals.

Ezekiel 39 verses

Ezekiel 39 4 Meaning

This verse describes God's action of causing the armies of Gog to fall upon the mountains of Israel, with God being the direct agent. It signifies a divine judgment and intervention that will occur during a future conflict involving Gog and his allies. The falling of these forces upon the mountains is a tangible sign of God's power and the comprehensive nature of their defeat.

Ezekiel 39 4 Context

Ezekiel chapter 39 concludes a prophecy that began in chapter 38 concerning Gog, the prince of Magog, and his massive invasion of Israel. In the preceding verses, God outlines His plan to turn Gog around, hook his jaws, and bring him and his vast army against Israel. This invasion is depicted as an unprovoked attack driven by greed and a desire to plunder. The current verse, Ezekiel 39:4, details the consequence of God's intervention in this battle – Gog's army will fall upon the mountains of Israel. This imagery serves as a dramatic representation of the completeness of their destruction and the territorial scope of God's judgment against them. Historically, the prophecies in Ezekiel were delivered to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, offering them hope and assurance of God's ultimate power and protection over His people, even in the face of powerful earthly enemies. The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is often understood to be a future eschatological event.

Ezekiel 39 4 Word Analysis

• וְנָתַ֫תִּי (və-nā-taṯ-ṯî): "And I will give" or "And I will cause." The conjugation is the first person singular imperfect of the verb נָתַן (naṯan), meaning "to give," "to put," or "to cause." The vav conjunction indicates continuity with the previous actions of God in verses 2 and 3, emphasizing that this is part of His planned intervention.

• אוֹתְךָ (ō-ṯə-ḵā): "you." This is the second person masculine singular pronominal suffix attached to a prepositional form (though not explicitly stated here, it implies "to you" or "concerning you" in the context of what will be given/caused). This refers back to Gog.

• וּפָנִ֫יתִי (ū-fā-nî-ṯî): "And I will turn." The vav connects this to the preceding "And I will cause." The verb פָּנָה (pā-nâ) means "to turn," "to face," or "to regard." Here, it signifies God's active manipulation of Gog and his forces, directing their path towards destruction. This is God actively turning them, not just passively allowing it.

• אוֹתְךָ (ō-ṯə-ḵā): "you." Again, the second person masculine singular pronominal suffix.

• וּדְרָק֫וֹתִי (ū-ḏə-rā-qō-ṯî): "And I will lead/draw." The vav conjoins this to the previous verb. This is the first person singular imperfect of the root דָּרַק (ḏā-raq), which implies to drag or pull with force, often using a hook. It conveys an involuntary, powerful dragging action.

• אוֹתְךָ (ō-ṯə-ḵā): "you." Referring to Gog.

• וְהַעֲלִ֫יתִי (wə-ha-'ǎ-lî-ṯî): "And I will bring/cause to come up." The vav joins the actions. The prefix hif'il indicates causative, meaning "to cause to ascend" or "to bring up." This, combined with the previous words, paints a vivid picture of God exerting control.

• אוֹתְךָ (ō-ṯə-ḵā): "you." Gog.

• מִקְצְוֵי־ (miq-ṣə-wê-): "from the remotest parts of," or "from the extremities of." This is a construct form of קָצֶ֑ה (qa-ṣeh), meaning "end" or "extremity." It emphasizes the vast geographical origin of the invading forces.

• צָפוֹן (tsā-p̄ô-n): "north." This specifies the direction from which Gog will come, a traditional direction of hostile invasions in ancient Near Eastern thought, often associated with barbarian hordes.

• וּבְכָל־ (ū-ḇə-ḵāl-): "And with all." A conjunction with a preposition.

• הֲמוֹנֶיךָ (hă-mō-nê-ḵā): "your hordes/multitudes." From the noun הֲמוֹן (hă-môn), meaning "a multitude," "a roar," or "a crowd," suggesting a massive, unorganized, and noisy assembly of soldiers. The suffix refers to Gog.

• סוּסִ֤ים (sû-sîm): "horses." The plural of סוּס (sûs).

• כֻּלָּם (kul-lām): "all of them." Referring to the horses and riders that follow.

• וְסוּמְכִ֖י (wə-sūm-ḵî): This word is debated. Some emendations suggest it might be related to chariots or perhaps rider-soldiers. Some translations have "horsemen" or "riders" (e.g., NASB has "riders," NKJV has "horsemen"). It may be a variant form or related to riding. The vav connects it to the preceding noun.

• כֻּלָּם (kul-lām): "all of them." Referring to the horsemen.

• וּקְהָל (ū-qə-hā-l): "And a great assembly" or "company." From the word קָהָל (qā-hā-l), signifying a large gathering, a multitude, or an assembly. The vav connects it.

• גָדוֹל (ga-ḏō-l): "great," "large," "numerous." Modifies קְהָל.

• כֹּל (kol): "all."

• אֹ֫תָם (ō-ṯām): "them." Pronoun referring to the people comprising the great assembly.

• Words Grouped: God's Active Role: The repeated use of first-person verbs (וְנָתַ֫תִּי, וּפָנִ֫יתִי, וּדְרָק֫וֹתִי, וְהַעֲלִ֫יתִי) emphasizes God's direct and controlling hand in bringing Gog and his armies to Israel. He is not a passive observer but an active orchestrator of their downfall.

• Words Grouped: Involuntary Mobilization: The verbs "turn," "draw/drag," and "bring up" convey a sense of coercion. Gog and his vast armies are not coming willingly by their own initiative, but are being impelled and manipulated by God. This highlights God's sovereign power over even His enemies.

• Words Grouped: Geographic Scope: "from the remotest parts of the north" and "all your hordes... horses and riders, all of them, a great company of all sorts of them" stress the immense scale of the invading force, emphasizing that God's judgment will encompass a vast enemy assembly coming from far away.

Ezekiel 39 4 Bonus Section

The imagery of God putting hooks in the jaws and drawing out an enemy army is powerful. It can be compared to imagery found in ancient Near Eastern vassal treaties, where a defeated king might be depicted as being drawn in chains or humbled. However, Ezekiel flips this, showing the supreme sovereign, Yahweh, drawing out the greatest earthly potentate, Gog. The "north" as the origin of the invaders is significant; for many ancient cultures in the region, "north" was associated with wild, untamed peoples and divine judgments descending from afar. The extensive vocabulary describing the multitude of warriors (hordes, multitudes, company, all of them) emphasizes that no size or alliance of human power can withstand God. This verse is part of a larger prophecy in Ezekiel 38-39 that serves a dual purpose: demonstrating God's power to His captive people, and revealing His glory to the surrounding nations through His judgment.

Ezekiel 39 4 Commentary

Ezekiel 39:4 vividly describes God's sovereign control over the nations, even those hostile to Him. The verse is crucial because it demonstrates that the planned invasion of Gog is not a random event or a triumph of human might. Instead, God initiates and directs the entire scenario. The terms "turn," "draw," and "bring up" reveal God's active involvement, like a fisherman with a hook and line controlling a powerful sea creature. This highlights divine orchestration leading to the destruction of an amassed, seemingly unstoppable enemy force. The sheer scale indicated by "from the remotest parts of the north" and the description of the massive army, comprising horses, riders, and great companies, underscore the magnitude of the coming judgment. This passage assures God's people that even the most formidable opposition will ultimately be subjected to His divine plan and power, leading to their complete overthrow on the land of Israel itself. It foreshadows the ultimate victory of God's purposes and the vindication of His people.