ÉzéchielChapitre 38

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The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

Say: This is what the Lord GOD says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with your whole army—horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly clothed, a vast company with shields large and small, every one of them wielding a sword.

Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all with shield and helmet;

Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—many peoples are with you.

Be ready; prepare yourself, you and all the hordes gathered around you, and take command of them.

After many days you will be summoned. In the latter years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, long left in ruins. They were brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.

You will advance, coming on like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land—you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.

This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day thoughts will arise in your heart, and you will devise an evil scheme.

You will say, "I will march against a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful people who live in safety—all of them living without walls, without bars or gates—

to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn my hand against the ruins now inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the earth."

Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, "Have you come to seize spoil? Have you gathered your horde to carry off plunder, to make off with silver and gold, to take livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?"

Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice?

You will come from your place in the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses, a great horde, a mighty army.

You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days it will happen: I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when through you, Gog, I show myself holy before their eyes.

This is what the Lord GOD says: Are you not the one I spoke of in days long past through my servants the prophets of Israel? For years they prophesied in those days that I would bring you against them.

On that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, my hot anger will flare up.

In my zeal and my burning fury I have spoken: Surely on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that crawls on the ground, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble before me. The mountains will be torn down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.

I will summon the sword against him on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD, and every man's sword will be against his brother.

I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many peoples with him.

So I will show my greatness and my holiness, and make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 38

Main Theme: The prophecy of Gog from Magog and God's sovereign judgment against the enemies who attack restored Israel in the last days.

Content: God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against Gog, the prince of Meshech and Tubal, declaring that He Himself will bring Gog and a great coalition of nations against Israel. The attack comes when Israel dwells securely in their rebuilt land. God will judge Gog with earthquakes, pestilence, bloodshed, torrential rain, hail, fire, and sulfur. Through this judgment, God will reveal His holiness and power so that all nations may know that He is the Lord.

Key Words/Images:

Gog from Magog: A future hostile ruler from the north who leads a coalition against Israel.
Hooks in his jaws (v.4): An image of God's sovereign control—He directs even the enemy toward judgment.
A cloud covering the land (vv.9, 16): Describes the overwhelming invading force.
Fire and sulfur (v.22): Instruments of God's judgment that recall Sodom, demonstrating His power over the forces of nature.
God's self-revelation (v.23): The primary purpose of these events—that the nations may know the Lord.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Ezekiel 38

People

Gog is a mysterious figure who cannot be securely identified with any known historical person. The name may derive from the Akkadian Gūgu, referring to Gyges of Lydia (ca. 680–644 B.C.), a powerful king known throughout the Middle East. Gyges sent ambassadors to the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal and was famous for his wealth. However, in Ezekiel’s prophecy, Gog functions more as an archetypal enemy from the north than as a specific historical figure—he represents the ultimate threat against God’s people in the end times.

The title "prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal" (נְשִׂיא רֹאשׁ מֶשֶׁךְ וְתֻבָל) has been the subject of much discussion. The word rosh (רֹאשׁ) can mean either "head/chief" or be a proper name. Meshech and Tubal were peoples in eastern Anatolia, known from Assyrian sources as Muški and Tabal.

Places

The chapter contains an extensive geographical list that paints a picture of a worldwide coalition. Magog (מָגוֹג) is mentioned in Genesis 10:2 as a son of Japheth and was associated in antiquity with peoples north of the Caucasus. The Jewish historian Josephus identified Magog with the Scythians.

Paras (פָּרַס) is Persia, Cush (כּוּשׁ) is Nubia/Ethiopia, and Put (פּוּט) is Libya—these represent lands to the south and east of Israel. Gomer (גֹּמֶר) was the Cimmerians, a people from the Black Sea region, while Beth-Togarmah (בֵּית תּוֹגַרְמָה) was located in eastern Anatolia, possibly in the Armenia region. The expression "the far north" (יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן) carried connotations of mystery and threat in Old Testament tradition.

Sheba and Dedan, along with the merchants of Tarshish (v. 13), represent trading nations—Sheba and Dedan in Arabia, and Tarshish likely in the western Mediterranean (possibly Spain).

Key Terms

The expressions "in the latter years" (בְּאַחֲרִית הַשָּׁנִים, v. 8) and "in the last days" (בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, v. 16) mark this as an eschatological prophecy. These are technical terms in prophetic literature for the decisive future when God will intervene definitively.

"The navel of the earth" (טַבּוּר הָאָרֶץ, v. 12) is a cosmological concept placing Jerusalem/Israel at the center of the world. This idea was widespread in the ancient world, where each people tended to view their own holy place as the midpoint of the earth.

The image of "hooks in your jaws" (חַחִים בִּלְחָיֶיךָ, v. 4) refers to the ancient practice of leading prisoners of war using hooks or rings through the lips or nose, known from Assyrian reliefs. Here it is used ironically to show that God controls even the most powerful enemy.

Events and Customs

The description of Gog’s army with horses, horsemen, shields, small shields, and swords (vv. 4–5) reflects typical military equipment of the 7th–6th centuries B.C. Cavalry forces from the north, especially the Scythians and Cimmerians, were feared throughout the Middle East for their rapid and brutal attacks.

God’s judgment through pestilence, blood, torrential rain, hail, fire, and sulfur (v. 22) draws imagery from earlier divine interventions in Israel’s history, particularly the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the plagues in Egypt. This pattern of cosmic warfare was also known from other Near Eastern texts where gods fought against forces of chaos.

Personnages9

Sheba1 Dedan1 Gomer (Japheth's son, ancestor in Genesis 10)1 Meshech2 Gog3 Jacob1 Tarshish1 Tubal (Son of Japheth)2 Rosh1

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Mots-clés9

Gog — A ruler or nation from the land of Magog, often identified as an enemy of God's people.
Magog — A region or people group, possibly associated with nations in northern regions.
Ezekiel — A prophet in ancient Israel who received visions and messages from God.
Prophecy — A prediction or revelation from God about future events.
The day of the Lord — A time of divine intervention, judgment, and salvation in history.
The mountains of Israel — A geographical reference to the land of Israel, especially the highlands and mountains.
Sheol — The Hebrew term for the realm of the dead, a place where the dead reside.
Sanctuary — A place of worship and prayer dedicated to God, often a temple.
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