11 And it hath come to pass, in that day, I give to Gog a place there—a grave in Israel, the valley of those passing by, east of the sea, and it is stopping those passing by, and they have buried there Gog, and all his multitude, and have cried, O valley of the multitude of Gog! 12 And the house of Israel have buried them—in order to cleanse the land—seven months. 13 Yea, all the people of the land have buried them, and it hath been to them for a name—the day of My being honoured—an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 14 And men for continual employment they separate, passing on through the land, burying with those passing by those who are left on the face of the earth, to cleanse it: at the end of seven months they search. 15 And those passing by have passed through the land, and seen a bone of man, and one hath constructed near it a sign till those burying have buried it in the valley of the multitude of Gog. 16 And also the name of the city 'is' The multitude; and they have cleansed the land. 17 And thou, son of man, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Say to the bird—every wing, and to every beast of the field: Be assembled and come in, Be gathered from round about, For My sacrifice that I am sacrificing for you, A great sacrifice on mountains of Israel, And ye have eaten flesh, and drunk blood. 18 Flesh of the mighty ye do eat, And blood of princes of the earth ye drink, Of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, Of calves, fatlings of Bashan—all of them. 19 And ye have eaten fat to satiety, And ye have drunk blood—to drunkenness, Of My sacrifice that I sacrificed for you. 20 And ye have been satisfied at My table with horse and rider, Mighty man, and every man of war, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 21 And I have given My honour among nations, And seen have all the nations My Judgment that I have done, And My hand that I have laid on them. 22 And known have the house of Israel that I 'am' Jehovah their God, From that day and henceforth.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 39:11-22
Commentary on Ezekiel 39:11-22
(Read Ezekiel 39:11-22)
How numerous the enemies which God destroyed for the defence of his people Israel! Times of great deliverances should be times of reformation. Every one should help the utmost he can, toward cleansing the land from reproach. Sin is an enemy every man should strive against. Those engaged in public work, especially of cleansing and reforming a land, ought to be men who will go through with what they undertake, who will be always employed. When good work is to be done, every one should further it. Having received special favours from God, let us cleanse ourselves from all evil. It is a work which will require persevering diligence, that search may be made into the secret recesses of sin. The judgments of the Lord, brought upon sin and sinners, are a sacrifice to the justice of God, and a feast to the faith and hope of God's people. See how evil pursues sinners, even after death. After all that ambitious and covetous men do and look for, "a place of graves" is all the Lord gives them on earth, while their guilty souls are doomed to misery in another world.