Ezekiel 38:11

Translations

Modern

You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will come against a quiet people who dwell securely, all of them living without walls or bars or gates—

Traditional

And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

Literal

And you will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages, I will go in to those living quietly, dwelling in security—all of them dwelling with no walls, and bars and gates not unto them—

Latin

…et dices: Ascendam ad terram absque muro: veniam ad quiescentes habitantesque secure: hi omnes habitant sine muro; vectes et portæ non sunt eis:

Original

Hebrew

English

You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will come against a quiet people who dwell securely, all of them living without walls or bars or gates—

Notes

Ezekiel 38:1–39:29

In Ezekiel 37, the nation is reunited and lives in peace in its own land. In Ezekiel 38–39, this peaceful picture changes. A new danger appears. These chapters describe the attack, defeat, and removal of the final enemy, called Gog.
Many readers have tried to identify Gog. Some have connected him with Gyges, king of Lydia, who ruled about 680 to 644 BC. However, the Gog described in the Bible goes beyond any one historical ruler. The text focuses less on who Gog is and more on the worldwide threat from the nations.
Even this powerful enemy would not truly threaten God’s restored people. God was now living among them. Because of his presence, they were secure.
These chapters use strong symbols. They are similar to psalms that speak about Zion’s safety (see, for example, Psalms 2, 46). The message is clear. If even a terrible enemy like Gog cannot defeat God’s people, then nothing in all creation can separate them from God’s protection.
Ezekiel’s description of Gog also includes features of apocalyptic literature (a style of writing that uses symbols and dramatic images to describe God’s final victory over evil; see “Apocalyptic Literature” Theme Note).

Theme notes and profiles

Apocalyptic Literature

Events

Prophecies of Ezekielc. 593 BC

Related verses

Zechariah 2:4–5
…and said to him, “Run and tell that young man: ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock within it.
Isaiah 37:24–25
Through your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, to the remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the finest of its cypresses. I have reached its farthest heights, the densest of its forests.
Exodus 15:9
The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’
Proverbs 3:29–30
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he trustfully dwells beside you.
Judges 18:7
So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
Judges 18:27
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
Psalm 10:9
He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.
Romans 3:15
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Ezekiel 38:8
After a long time you will be summoned. In the latter years you will enter a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and all now dwell securely.
Proverbs 1:11–16
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
Jeremiah 49:31–32
Rise up, advance against a nation at ease, one that dwells securely,” declares the LORD. “They have no gates or bars; they live alone.

Glossary

Book of Revelation Ezekiel (Person) Ezekiel, Book of Gog Magog Perizzite

Topics

Armies: Compared to Clouds

Ezekiel 38:11

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