Ezekiel 38:16

Ezekiel 38:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
• New International Version (NIV)You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”

Context of Ezekiel 38:16

14“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On that day when My people Israel live securely, will you not become aware of it [and become active]? 15You will come from your place in the remote parts of the north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding horses, a great horde, and a mighty army; and you will go up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. In the last days it will come about that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you before their eyes, O Gog.” 17‘Thus says the Lord God, “Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you (Gog) against them? 18It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My wrath will rise and show on My face.

Ezekiel 38:16 word by word

וְעָלִ֙יתָ֙ עַל־עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כֶּֽעָנָ֖ן לְכַסּ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ בְּאַחֲרִ֨ית הַיָּמִ֜ים תִּֽהְיֶ֗ה וַהֲבִאוֹתִ֙יךָ֙ עַל־אַרְצִ֔י לְמַעַן֩ דַּ֨עַת הַגּוֹיִ֜ם אֹתִ֗י בְּהִקָּדְשִׁ֥י בְךָ֛ לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם גּֽוֹג׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thou shalt come upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• against my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• as a cloudעָנָן‛ânân · cloudH6051
• to coverכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• it shall be in the latterאַחֲרִית'achărîyth · endH319
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• and I will bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• that the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• may knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• me, when I shall be sanctifiedקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: holinessH6942
• in thee, O Gogגּוֹגgôg · GogH1463
• before their eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869

Cross-references for Ezekiel 38:16

• Ezekiel 38:9You will go up [against them], you will come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.”
• Ezekiel 38:8After many days you will be summoned [for service]; in the latter years you shall come into the land that is restored from [the ravages of] the sword, where people have been gathered out of many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual wasteland; but its people were brought out of the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.
• Deuteronomy 31:29For I know that after my death you will behave corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will come upon you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.”
• Isaiah 2:2Now it will come to pass that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains, And will be exalted above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
• Daniel 2:28but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days (end of days). This was your dream and the vision [that appeared] in your mind while on your bed.
• Daniel 10:14Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is in regard to the days yet to come.”
• Hosea 3:5Afterward the sons of Israel will return [in deep repentance] and seek the Lord their God and [seek from the line of] David their king [the King of kings—the Messiah]; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness and blessing in the last days.
• Micah 4:1But it shall come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the Lord Shall be established as the highest and chief of the mountains; It shall be above the hills, And peoples shall flow [like a river] to it.
• 1 Timothy 4:1But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons,
• 2 Timothy 3:1But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear].
• Ezekiel 38:23Thus I shall magnify Myself and demonstrate My greatness and sanctify Myself, and I will be recognized and will make Myself known in the sight of many nations; they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.” ’
• Ezekiel 36:23I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.
• Ezekiel 39:21“And I will bring [and manifest] My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment and justice [in the punishment] which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them.
• Exodus 14:4I will harden (make stubborn, defiant) Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will be glorified and honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
• 1 Samuel 17:45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.
• 2 Kings 19:19Now, O Lord our God, please, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know [without any doubt] that You alone, O Lord, are God.”

Commentaries on Ezekiel 38:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16When I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog - By the defeat of his troops under Lysias, his general. 1 Maccabees 3:32, 33, etc., and 6:6.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16I shall be sanctified in thee - I shall be shown to be holy and just in avenging Myself of Mine enemy.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-23Verses 14-23 The enemy should make a formidable descent upon the land of Israel. When Israel dwell safely under the Divine protection, shalt not thou be made to know it by finding that endeavours to destroy them are made in vain? Promises of security are treasured up in the word of God, against the troubles and dangers the church may be brought into in the latter days. In the destruction of sinners, God makes it appear that he is a great and holy God. We…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16Israel would be prosperous, living in peace and enjoying the benefits of trusting in the Lord. However, such trust does not remove the chance of facing threats (compare John 16:33). The situation might have seemed unfavorable for Israel, but Gog did not consider the Lord's power. The Lord would use Gog and his allies to show his holiness to all nations.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me--So in Ex 9:16, God tells Pharaoh, "For this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee My power; and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth."Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Latter Days
• Ezekiel, Book of
• Gog
• Eschatology of the Old Testament
• Ezekiel
• Joel (2)
• Sanctification
• Magog

Commentaries on Ezekiel 38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings