Ezekiel 38:17

Ezekiel 38:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord God: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?
• New Living Translation (NLT)“This is what the Sovereign Lord asks: Are you the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced through Israel’s prophets that in the future I would bring you against my people?

Context of Ezekiel 38:17

15You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16You 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. “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. 19In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

Ezekiel 38:17 word by word

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הַֽאַתָּה־ה֨וּא אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֜רְתִּי בְּיָמִ֣ים קַדְמוֹנִ֗ים בְּיַד֙ עֲבָדַי֙ נְבִיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַֽנִּבְּאִ֛ים בַּיָּמִ֥ים הָהֵ֖ם שָׁנִ֑ים לְהָבִ֥יא אֹתְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
• thou he of whom I have spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• in oldקַדְמֹנִיqadmônîy qadmônîy · eastern: olderH6931
• timeיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• byיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• my servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• which prophesiedנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• that I would bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935

Cross-references for Ezekiel 38:17

• Ezekiel 38:10“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme.
• Psalms 110:5The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
• Isaiah 27:1In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword— his fierce, great and powerful sword— Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
• Isaiah 34:1Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!
• Isaiah 63:1Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.”
• Isaiah 66:15See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
• Daniel 11:40“At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.
• Joel 3:9Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
• Zechariah 12:2“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.
• Zechariah 14:1A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 38:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time - This prophecy concerning Antiochus and the Jews was delivered about four hundred years before the events took place. - Martin. Calmet maintains that Cambyses is spoken of, and refers to ancient prophecies, especially Isaiah 14, Isaiah 15:1-9, Isaiah 16:1-14, Isaiah 20:1-6, 21.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Gog - is not mentioned by name in any existing prophecy before Ezekiel‘s time. The reference here shows (1) that the conflict with Gog does not represent a particular event, but one of which the prophets in general had to speak; (2) that in the interpretation of Old Testament prophecy we are to look beyond special fulfillments. Events in the world‘s history come within a prophet‘s ken as parts of the divine administration whereby evil struggles against…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. 17Gog was not the foretold “army … from the land of the north” mentioned in Jeremiah 4–6. Those prophecies had already been fulfilled. They referred to the destruction that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon brought against Judah.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. thou he of whom I have spoken in old time--Gog, &c. are here identified with the enemies spoken of in other prophecies (Nu 24:17-24; Is 27:1; compare Is 26:20, 21; Jr 30:23, 24; Joe 3:1; Mi 5:5, 6; Is 14:12-14; 59:19). God is represented as addressing Gog at the time of his assault; therefore, the "old time" is the time long prior, when Ezekiel uttered these prophecies; so, he also, as well as Daniel (Da 11:1-45) and Zechariah (Zec 14:1-21) are…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Ezekiel, Book of
• Gog
• Ezekiel

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