Zakharia 12:4

12:4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness. I will pay close attention to the house of Judah, but will strike all the horses ¹  of the nations ²  with blindness.

Zakharia 12:6

12:6 On that day ³  I will make the leaders of Judah like an igniter ⁴  among sticks and a burning torch among sheaves, and they will burn up all the surrounding nations right and left. Then the people of Jerusalem will settle once more in their place, the city of Jerusalem.

Zakharia 12:8-9

12:8 On that day the Lord himself will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like mighty David, and the dynasty of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. ⁵  12:9 So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations ⁶  that come against Jerusalem.”

Zakharia 12:11

12:11 On that day the lamentation in Jerusalem will be as great as the lamentation at Hadad-Rimmon ⁷  in the plain of Megiddo. ⁸ 

Zakharia 2:8-9

2:8 For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory ⁹  he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil ¹⁰  of his ¹¹  eye. 2:9 “I am about to punish them ¹²  in such a way,” he says, “that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me.

Zakharia 10:3-5

10:3 I am enraged at the shepherds and will punish the lead-goats.

For the Lord who rules over all has brought blessing to his flock, the house of Judah, and will transform them into his majestic warhorse. 10:4 From him will come the cornerstone, ¹³  the wall peg, ¹⁴  the battle bow, and every ruler. ¹⁵  10:5 And they will be like warriors trampling the mud of the streets in battle. They will fight, for the Lord will be with them, and will defeat the enemy cavalry. ¹⁶ 

Zakharia 13:1

The Refinement of Judah

13:1 “In that day there will be a fountain opened up for the dynasty ¹⁷  of David and the people of Jerusalem ¹⁸  to cleanse them from sin and impurity. ¹⁹ 

Zakharia 14:2-4

14:2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem ²⁰  to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered, and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be taken away. ²¹ 

14:3 Then the Lord will go to battle ²²  and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days. ²³  14:4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, leaving a great valley. Half the mountain will move northward and the other half southward. ²⁴ 

Zakharia 14:6

14:6 On that day there will be no light – the sources of light in the heavens will congeal. ²⁵ 

Zakharia 14:8-9

14:8 Moreover, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, ²⁶  half of them to the eastern sea ²⁷  and half of them to the western sea; ²⁸  it will happen both in summer and in winter.

14:9 The Lord will then be king over all the earth. In that day the Lord will be seen as one with a single name. ²⁹ 

Zakharia 14:13

14:13 On that day there will be great confusion from the Lord among them; they will seize each other and attack one another violently.

Yesaya 60:12

60:12 Indeed, ³⁰  nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish;

such nations will be totally destroyed. ³¹ 

Yesaya 66:14-16

66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, ³² 

and you will be revived. ³³ 

The Lord will reveal his power to his servants

and his anger to his enemies. ³⁴ 

66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,

his chariots come like a windstorm, ³⁵ 

to reveal his raging anger,

his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. ³⁶ 

66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity ³⁷ 

with fire and his sword;

the Lord will kill many. ³⁸ 

Yehezkiel 38:1--39:29

A Prophecy Against Gog

38:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 38:2 “Son of man, turn toward ³⁹  Gog, ⁴⁰  of the land of Magog, ⁴¹  the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. ⁴²  Prophesy against him 38:3 and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, ⁴³  I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 38:4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them fully armed, a great company with shields of different types, ⁴⁴  all of them armed with swords. 38:5 Persia, ⁴⁵  Ethiopia, and Put ⁴⁶  are with them, all of them with shields and helmets. 38:6 They are joined by ⁴⁷  Gomer with all its troops, and by Beth Togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops – many peoples are with you. ⁴⁸ 

38:7 “‘Be ready and stay ready, you and all your companies assembled around you, and be a guard for them. ⁴⁹  38:8 After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come to a land restored from the ravages of war, ⁵⁰  with many peoples gathered on the mountains of Israel that had long been in ruins. Its people ⁵¹  were brought out from the peoples, and all of them will be living securely. 38:9 You will advance; ⁵²  you will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the earth, you, all your troops, and the many other peoples with you.

38:10 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind, ⁵³  and you will devise an evil plan. 38:11 You will say, “I will invade ⁵⁴  a land of unwalled towns; I will advance against ⁵⁵  those living quietly in security – all of them living without walls and barred gates – 38:12 to loot and plunder, to attack ⁵⁶  the inhabited ruins and the people gathered from the nations, who are acquiring cattle and goods, who live at the center ⁵⁷  of the earth.” 38:13 Sheba and Dedan and the traders of Tarshish with all its young warriors ⁵⁸  will say to you, “Have you come to loot? Have you assembled your armies to plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to haul away a great amount of spoils?”’

38:14 “Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, you will take notice ⁵⁹  38:15 and come from your place, from the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a vast army. 38:16 You will advance ⁶⁰  against my people Israel like a cloud covering the earth. In the latter days I will bring you against my land so that the nations may acknowledge me, when before their eyes I magnify myself ⁶¹  through you, O Gog.

38:17 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days by my servants ⁶²  the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days ⁶³  that I would bring you against them? 38:18 On that day, when Gog invades ⁶⁴  the land of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, my rage will mount up in my anger. 38:19 In my zeal, in the fire of my fury, ⁶⁵  I declare that on that day there will be a great earthquake ⁶⁶  in the land of Israel. 38:20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the wild beasts, all the things that creep on the ground, and all people who live on the face of the earth will shake ⁶⁷  at my presence. The mountains will topple, the cliffs ⁶⁸  will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. 38:21 I will call for a sword to attack ⁶⁹  Gog ⁷⁰  on all my mountains, declares the sovereign Lord; every man’s sword will be against his brother. 38:22 I will judge him with plague and bloodshed. I will rain down on him, his troops and the many peoples who are with him a torrential downpour, hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 38:23 I will exalt and magnify myself; I will reveal myself before many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

39:1 “As for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal! 39:2 I will turn you around and drag you along; ⁷¹  I will lead you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 39:3 I will knock your bow out of your left hand and make your arrows fall from your right hand. 39:4 You will fall dead on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the people who are with you. I give you as food to every kind of bird and every wild beast. 39:5 You will fall dead in the open field; for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord. 39:6 I will send fire on Magog and those who live securely in the coastlands; then they will know that I am the Lord.

39:7 “‘I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. ⁷²  39:8 Realize that it is coming and it will be done, declares the sovereign Lord. It is the day I have spoken about.

39:9 “‘Then those who live in the cities of Israel will go out and use the weapons for kindling ⁷³  – the shields, ⁷⁴  bows and arrows, war clubs and spears – they will burn them for seven years. 39:10 They will not need to take ⁷⁵  wood from the field or cut down trees from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons. They will take the loot from those who looted them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them, ⁷⁶  declares the sovereign Lord.

39:11 “‘On that day I will assign Gog a grave in Israel. It will be the valley of those who travel east of the sea; it will block the way of the travelers. There they will bury Gog and all his horde; they will call it the valley of Hamon-Gog. ⁷⁷  39:12 For seven months Israel ⁷⁸  will bury them, in order to cleanse the land. 39:13 All the people of the land will bury them, and it will be a memorial ⁷⁹  for them on the day I magnify myself, declares the sovereign Lord. 39:14 They will designate men to scout continually ⁸⁰  through the land, burying those who remain on the surface of the ground, ⁸¹  in order to cleanse it. They will search for seven full months. 39:15 When the scouts survey ⁸²  the land and see a human bone, they will place a sign by it, until those assigned to burial duty have buried it ⁸³  in the valley of Hamon-Gog. 39:16 (A city by the name of Hamonah ⁸⁴  will also be there.) They will cleanse the land.’

39:17 “As for you, son of man, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Tell every kind of bird and every wild beast: ‘Assemble and come! Gather from all around to my slaughter ⁸⁵  which I am going to make for you, a great slaughter on the mountains of Israel! You will eat flesh and drink blood. 39:18 You will eat the flesh of warriors ⁸⁶  and drink the blood of the princes of the earth – the rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fattened animals of Bashan. 39:19 You will eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, ⁸⁷  at my slaughter ⁸⁸  which I have made for you. 39:20 You will fill up at my table with horses and charioteers, ⁸⁹  with warriors and all the soldiers,’ declares the sovereign Lord.

39:21 “I will display my majesty ⁹⁰  among the nations. All the nations will witness the judgment I have executed, and the power I have exhibited ⁹¹  among them. 39:22 Then the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 39:23 The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile due to their iniquity, ⁹²  for they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies; all of them died by the sword. 39:24 According to their uncleanness and rebellion I have dealt with them, and I hid my face from them.

39:25 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Now I will restore ⁹³  the fortunes of Jacob, and I will have mercy on the entire house of Israel. I will be zealous for my holy name. 39:26 They will bear their shame for all their unfaithful acts against me, when they live securely on their land with no one to make them afraid. 39:27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will magnify myself among them in the sight of many nations. 39:28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will not leave any of them in exile ⁹⁴  any longer. 39:29 I will no longer hide my face from them, when I pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, ⁹⁵  declares the sovereign Lord.”

Yoel 3:8-16

3:8 I will sell your sons and daughters to ⁹⁶  the people of Judah. ⁹⁷ 

They will sell them to the Sabeans, ⁹⁸  a nation far away.

Indeed, the Lord has spoken!

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

3:9 Proclaim this among the nations:

“Prepare for a holy war!

Call out the warriors!

Let all these fighting men approach and attack! ⁹⁹ 

3:10 Beat your plowshares ¹⁰⁰  into swords,

and your pruning hooks ¹⁰¹  into spears! ¹⁰² 

Let the weak say, ‘I too am a warrior!’ ¹⁰³ 

3:11 Lend your aid ¹⁰⁴  and come,

all you surrounding nations,

and gather yourselves ¹⁰⁵  to that place.”

Bring down, O Lord, your warriors! ¹⁰⁶ 

3:12 Let the nations be roused and let them go up

to the valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.

3:13 Rush forth with ¹⁰⁷  the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!

Come, stomp the grapes, ¹⁰⁸  for the winepress is full!

The vats overflow.

Indeed, their evil is great! ¹⁰⁹ 

3:14 Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision,

for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision! ¹¹⁰ 

3:15 The sun and moon are darkened;

the stars withhold ¹¹¹  their brightness.

3:16 The Lord roars from Zion;

from Jerusalem ¹¹²  his voice bellows out. ¹¹³ 

The heavens ¹¹⁴  and the earth shake.

But the Lord is a refuge for his people;

he is a stronghold for the citizens ¹¹⁵  of Israel.

Obaja 1:18

1:18 The descendants of Jacob will be a fire,

and the descendants of Joseph a flame.

The descendants of Esau will be like stubble.

They will burn them up and devour them.

There will not be a single survivor ¹¹⁶  of the descendants of Esau!”

Indeed, the Lord has spoken it.

Mikha 5:8

5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which attacks when it passes through;

it rips its prey ¹¹⁷  and there is no one to stop it. ¹¹⁸ 

Mikha 5:15

5:15 I will angrily seek vengeance

on the nations that do not obey me.” ¹¹⁹ 

Mikha 7:15-17

7:15 “As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt,

I will show you ¹²⁰  miraculous deeds.” ¹²¹ 

7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by ¹²²  all their strength,

they will put their hands over their mouths,

and act as if they were deaf. ¹²³ 

7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake,

like serpents crawling on the ground. ¹²⁴ 

They will come trembling from their strongholds

to the Lord our God; ¹²⁵ 

they will be terrified ¹²⁶  of you. ¹²⁷ 

Habakuk 2:17

2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; ¹²⁸ 

terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. ¹²⁹ 

You have shed human blood

and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.

Zefanya 3:19

3:19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.

I will rescue the lame sheep ¹³⁰ 

and gather together the scattered sheep.

I will take away their humiliation

and make the whole earth admire and respect them. ¹³¹ 

Hagai 2:22

2:22 I will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms. ¹³²  I will overthrow chariots and those who ride them, and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another. ¹³³ 

[12:4]  ¹ tn Heb “every horse.”

[12:4]  ² tn Or “peoples” (so NAB, NRSV).

[12:6]  ³ sn On that day (referring to the day of the Lord) the Davidic monarchy will be restored and the Lord’s people will recognize once more the legitimacy and divine sanction of David’s dynasty. But there will also be a democratizing that will not give Jerusalem and its rulers undue priority over the people of the countryside (v. 7).

[12:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “a firepot” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “a blazing pot”; NLT “a brazier.”

[12:8]  ⁵ sn The statement the dynasty of David will be like God is hyperbole to show the remarkable enhancements that will accompany the inauguration of the millennial age.

[12:9]  ⁶ tn Or “peoples.”

[12:11]  ⁷ tn “Hadad-Rimmon” is a compound of the names of two Canaanite deities, the gods of storm and thunder respectively. The grammar (a subjective genitive) allows, and the problem of comparing Israel’s grief at God’s “wounding” with pagan mourning seems to demand, that this be viewed as a place name, perhaps where Judah lamented the death of good king Josiah (cf. 2 Chr 35:25). However, some translations render this as “for” (NRSV, NCV, TEV, CEV), suggesting a person, while others translate as “of” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT) which is ambiguous.

[12:11]  ⁸ map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.

[2:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “After glory has he sent me” (similar KJV, NASB). What is clearly in view is the role of Zechariah who, by faithful proclamation of the message, will glorify the Lord.

[2:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “gate” (בָּבָה, bavah) of the eye, that is, pupil. The rendering of this term by KJV as “apple” has created a well-known idiom in the English language, “the apple of his eye” (so ASV, NIV). The pupil is one of the most vulnerable and valuable parts of the body, so for Judah to be considered the “pupil” of the Lord’s eye is to raise her value to an incalculable price (cf. NLT “my most precious possession”).

[2:8]  ¹¹ tc A scribal emendation (tiqqun sopherim) has apparently altered an original “my eye” to “his eye” in order to allow the prophet to be the speaker throughout vv. 8-9. This alleviates the problem of the Lord saying, in effect, that he has sent himself on the mission to the nations.

[2:9]  ¹² tn Heb “I will wave my hand over them” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “raise my hand against them.”

[10:4]  ¹³ sn On the NT use of the image of the cornerstone, see Luke 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6.

[10:4]  ¹⁴ sn The metaphor of the wall peg (Heb. יָתֵד, yated), together with the others in this list, describes the remarkable change that will take place at the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom. Israel, formerly sheep-like, will be turned into a mighty warhorse. The peg refers to a wall hook (although frequently translated “tent peg,” but cf. ASV “nail”; TWOT 1:419) from which tools and weapons were suspended, but figuratively also to the promise of God upon which all of Israel’s hopes were hung (cf. Isa 22:15-25; Ezra 9:8).

[10:4]  ¹⁵ tn This is not the usual word to describe a king of Israel or Judah (such as מֶלֶךְ, melekh, or נָשִׂיא, nasi’), but נוֹגֵשׂ, noges, “dictator” (cf. KJV “oppressor”). The author is asserting by this choice of wording that in the messianic age God’s rule will be by force.

[10:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and the riders on horses will be put to shame,” figurative for the defeat of mounted troops. The word “enemy” in the translation is supplied from context.

[13:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “house” (so NIV, NRSV), referring to dynastic descendants.

[13:1]  ¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[13:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for sin and for impurity.” The purpose implied here has been stated explicitly in the translation for clarity.

[13:1]  sn This reference to the fountain opened up…to cleanse them from sin and impurity is anticipatory of the cleansing from sin that lies at the heart of the NT gospel message (Rom 10:9-10; Titus 3:5). “In that day” throughout the passage (vv. 1, 2, 4) locates this cleansing in the eschatological (church) age (John 19:37).

[14:2]  ²⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[14:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “not be cut off from the city” (so NRSV); NAB “not be removed.”

[14:3]  ²² sn The statement the Lord will go to battle introduces the conflict known elsewhere as the “battle of Armageddon,” a battle in which the Lord delivers his people and establishes his millennial reign (cf. Joel 3:12, 15-16; Ezek 38–39; Rev 16:12-21; 19:19-21).

[14:3]  ²³ tn Heb “as he fights on a day of battle” (similar NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[14:4]  ²⁴ sn This seismic activity provides a means of escape from Jerusalem so that the Messiah (the Lord), whose feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, may destroy the wicked nations in the Kidron Valley (the v. of Jehoshaphat, or of “judgment of the Lord”) without harming the inhabitants of the city.

[14:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the splendid will congeal.” This difficult phrase (MT יְקָרוֹת יְקִפָּאוֹן, yÿqarot yÿqippa’on) is not clarified by the LXX which presupposes וְקָרוּת וְקִפָּאוֹן (vÿqarut vÿqippa’on, “and cold and ice,” a reading followed by NAB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV). Besides the fact that cold and ice do not necessarily follow the absence of light, the idea here is that day will be night and night day. The heavenly sources of light “freeze up” as it were, and refuse to shine.

[14:8]  ²⁶ sn Living waters will flow out from Jerusalem. Ezekiel sees this same phenomenon in conjunction with the inauguration of the messianic age (Ezek 47; cf. Rev 22:1-5; also John 7:38).

[14:8]  ²⁷ sn The eastern sea is a reference to the Dead Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[14:8]  ²⁸ sn The western sea is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[14:9]  ²⁹ sn The expression the Lord will be seen as one with a single name is an unmistakable reference to the so-called Shema, the crystallized statement of faith in the Lord as the covenant God of Israel (cf. Deut 6:4-5). Zechariah, however, universalizes the extent of the Lord’s dominion – he will be “king over all the earth.”

[60:12]  ³⁰ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); TEV “But.”

[60:12]  ³¹ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

[66:14]  ³² tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”

[66:14]  ³³ tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”

[66:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”

[66:15]  ³⁵ sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.

[66:15]  ³⁶ tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”

[66:16]  ³⁷ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”

[66:16]  ³⁸ tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”

[38:2]  ³⁹ tn Heb “set your face against.”

[38:2]  ⁴⁰ sn This may refer to a Lydian king in western Asia Minor in the seventh century b.c. Apart from Ezek 38-39, the only other biblical reference to this king/nation is in Rev 20:8. For a study of the names appearing in this verse, see E. Yamauchi, Foes From the Northern Frontier, 19-27.

[38:2]  ⁴¹ sn One of the sons of Japheth according to Gen 10:2; 1 Chr 1:5.

[38:2]  ⁴² tn Heb “the prince, the chief of Meshech and Tubal.” Some translate “the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal,” but it is more likely that the Hebrew noun in question is a common noun in apposition to “prince,” rather than a proper name. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:434-35. As Block demonstrates, attempts by some popular writers to identify these proper names with later geographical sites in Russia are anachronistic. See as well E. Yamauchi, Foes From the Northern Frontier, 19-27.

[38:2]  sn Meshech and Tubal were two nations in Cappadocia of Asia Minor. They were also sons of Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1 Chr 1:5).

[38:3]  ⁴³ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[38:4]  ⁴⁴ sn The Hebrew text mentions two different types of shields here.

[38:5]  ⁴⁵ tn D. I. Block prefers to see the Hebrew word as referring here to a western ally of Egypt or as an alternative spelling for Pathros, that is, Upper Egypt. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:439-40.

[38:5]  ⁴⁶ sn That is, Lydia.

[38:6]  ⁴⁷ tn The words “they are joined by” are added in the translation for purposes of English style.

[38:6]  ⁴⁸ sn The seven-nation coalition represents the north (Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth-Togarmah), the south/west (Ethiopia, Put) and the east (Persia). The use of the sevenfold list suggests completeness. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:441.

[38:7]  ⁴⁹ tn The second person singular verbal and pronominal forms in the Hebrew text indicate that Gog is addressed here.

[38:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “from the sword.”

[38:8]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “it.”

[38:9]  ⁵² tn Heb “go up.”

[38:10]  ⁵³ tn Heb “words will go up upon your heart.”

[38:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “go up against.”

[38:11]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “come (to).”

[38:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “to turn your hand against.”

[38:12]  ⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew term occurs elsewhere only in Judg 9:37. Perhaps it means “high point, top.”

[38:13]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “young lions.”

[38:14]  ⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew text is framed as a rhetorical question: “will you not take notice?”

[38:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “come up.”

[38:16]  ⁶¹ tn Or “reveal my holiness.”

[38:17]  ⁶² tn Heb “by the hand of my servants.”

[38:17]  ⁶³ tn The Hebrew text adds “years” here, but this is probably a scribal gloss on the preceding phrase. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:201.

[38:18]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “goes up against.”

[38:19]  ⁶⁵ sn The phrase “in the fire of my fury” occurs in Ezek 21:31; 22:21, 31.

[38:19]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “shaking.”

[38:20]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “tremble.”

[38:20]  ⁶⁸ tn The term occurs only here and in Song of Songs 2:14.

[38:21]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “against.”

[38:21]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Gog, cf. v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:2]  ⁷¹ tn The Hebrew root occurs only here in the OT. An apparent cognate in the Ethiopic language means “walk along.” For a discussion of the research on this verb, see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:460.

[39:7]  ⁷² sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah.

[39:9]  ⁷³ tn Heb “burn and kindle the weapons.”

[39:9]  ⁷⁴ tn Two different types of shields are specified in the Hebrew text.

[39:10]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “they will not carry.”

[39:10]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “loot their looters and plunder their plunderers.”

[39:11]  ⁷⁷ tn The name means “horde of Gog.”

[39:12]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the house of Israel.”

[39:13]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “name.”

[39:14]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “men of perpetuity.”

[39:14]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and bury the travelers and those who remain on the surface of the ground.” The reference to “travelers” seems odd and is omitted in the LXX. It is probably an accidental duplication (see v. 11).

[39:15]  ⁸² tn Heb “as the scouts scout.”

[39:15]  ⁸³ tn That is, the aforementioned bone.

[39:16]  ⁸⁴ tn This name appears to be a feminine form of the word “horde,” used in the name Hamon-Gog.

[39:17]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “sacrifice” (so also in the rest of this verse).

[39:18]  ⁸⁶ sn See Rev 19:17-18.

[39:19]  ⁸⁷ sn Eating the fat and drinking blood were God’s exclusive rights in Israelite sacrifices (Lev 3:17).

[39:19]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “sacrifice” (so also in the rest of this verse).

[39:20]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “chariots.”

[39:21]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “my glory.”

[39:21]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “my hand which I have placed.”

[39:23]  ⁹² tn Or “in their punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18: 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.

[39:25]  ⁹³ tn Heb “cause to return.”

[39:28]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “there,” referring to the foreign nations to which they were exiled. The translation makes the referent clear.

[39:29]  ⁹⁵ sn See Ezek 11:19; 37:14.

[3:8]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “into the hand of.”

[3:8]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “the sons of Judah.”

[3:8]  ⁹⁸ sn The Sabeans were Arabian merchants who were influential along the ancient caravan routes that traveled through Arabia. See also Job 1:15; Isa 43:3; 45:14; Ps 72:10.

[3:9]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “draw near and go up.”

[3:10]  ¹⁰⁰ sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.

[3:10]  ¹⁰¹ sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.

[3:10]  ¹⁰² sn This conversion of farming instruments to instruments of war is the reverse of Isa 2:4 (cf. Mic 4:3), where military weapons are transformed into tools for farming. Isaiah describes a time of kingdom blessing and prosperity, whereas Joel describes a time of eschatological conflict and judgment.

[3:10]  ¹⁰³ sn The “weak” individual mentioned here is apparently the farmer who has little or no military prowess or prior fighting experience. Under ordinary circumstances such a person would be ill-prepared for assuming the role of a soldier. However, in the scene that Joel is describing here even the most unlikely candidate will become a participant to be reckoned with in this final conflict.

[3:11]  ¹⁰⁴ tn This Hebrew verb is found only here in the OT; its meaning is uncertain. Some scholars prefer to read here עוּרוּ (’uru, “arouse”) or חוּשׁוּ (khushu, “hasten”).

[3:11]  ¹⁰⁵ tc The present translation follows the reading of the imperative הִקָּבְצוּ (hiqqavÿtsu) rather than the perfect with vav (ו) consecutive וְנִקְבָּצוּ (vÿniqbbatsu) of the MT.

[3:11]  ¹⁰⁶ tc Some commentators prefer to delete the line “Bring down, O Lord, your warriors,” understanding it to be a later addition. But this is unnecessary. Contrary to what some have suggested, a prayer for the Lord’s intervention is not out of place here.

[3:13]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “send.”

[3:13]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “go down” or “tread.” The Hebrew term רְדוּ (rÿdu) may be from יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”) or from רָדָה (radah, “have dominion,” here in the sense of “to tread”). If it means “go down,” the reference would be to entering the vat to squash the grapes. If it means “tread,” the verb would refer specifically to the action of those who walk over the grapes to press out their juice. The phrase “the grapes” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:13]  ¹⁰⁹ sn The immediacy of judgment upon wickedness is likened to the urgency required for a harvest that has reached its pinnacle of development. When the harvest is completely ripe, there can be no delay by the reapers in gathering the harvest. In a similar way, Joel envisions a time when human wickedness will reach such a heightened degree that there can be no further stay of divine judgment (cf. the “fullness of time” language in Gal 4:4).

[3:14]  ¹¹⁰ sn The decision referred to here is not a response on the part of the crowd, but the verdict handed out by the divine judge.

[3:15]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “gather in.”

[3:16]  ¹¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:16]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”

[3:16]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.

[3:16]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “sons.”

[1:18]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “will be no survivor”; NAB “none shall survive.”

[5:8]  ¹¹⁷ tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:8]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”

[5:15]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “I will accomplish in anger and in rage, vengeance on the nations who do not listen.”

[7:15]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “him.” This probably refers to Israel in a collective sense. Because the switch from direct address to the third person is awkward, some prefer to emend the suffix to a second person form. In any case, it is necessary to employ a second person pronoun in the translation to maintain the connection for the English reader.

[7:15]  ¹²¹ sn I will show you miraculous deeds. In this verse the Lord responds to the petition of v. 14 with a brief promise of deliverance.

[7:16]  ¹²² tn Or “be ashamed of.”

[7:16]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the Lord’s power. Their inability to respond will make them appear to be deaf mutes.

[7:17]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “like crawling things on the ground.” The parallelism suggests snakes are in view.

[7:17]  ¹²⁵ tn Thetranslationassumesthatthe phrase אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (’el-yÿhvah ’elohenu, “to the Lord our God”) goes with what precedes. Another option is to take the phrase with the following verb, in which case one could translate, “to the Lord our God they will turn in dread.”

[7:17]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “they will be in dread and afraid.”

[7:17]  ¹²⁷ tn The Lord is addressed directly using the second person.

[2:17]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “for the violence against Lebanon will cover you.”

[2:17]  ¹²⁹ tc The Hebrew appears to read literally, “and the violence against the animals [which] he terrified.” The verb form יְחִיתַן (yÿkhitan) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with third feminine plural suffix (the antecedent being the animals) from חָתַת (khatat, “be terrified”). The translation above follows the LXX and assumes a reading יְחִתֶּךָ (yÿkhittekha, “[the violence against the animals] will terrify you”; cf. NRSV “the destruction of the animals will terrify you”; NIV “and your destruction of animals will terrify you”). In this case the verb is a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with second masculine singular suffix (the antecedent being Babylon). This provides better symmetry with the preceding line, where Babylon’s violence is the subject of the verb “cover.”

[2:17]  sn The language may anticipate Nebuchadnezzar’s utilization of trees from the Lebanon forest in building projects. Lebanon and its animals probably represent the western Palestinian states conquered by the Babylonians.

[3:19]  ¹³⁰ tn The word “sheep” is supplied for clarification. As in Mic 4:6-7, the exiles are here pictured as injured and scattered sheep whom the divine shepherd rescues from danger.

[3:19]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “I will make them into praise and a name, in all the earth, their shame.” The present translation assumes that “their shame” specifies “them” and that “name” stands here for a good reputation.

[2:22]  ¹³² tn Heb “the kingdoms of the nations.” Cf. KJV “the kingdoms of the heathen”; NIV, NLT “foreign kingdoms.”

[2:22]  ¹³³ tn Heb “and horses and their riders will go down, a man with a sword his brother”; KJV “every one by the sword of his brother.”