I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains, says the Lord Yahweh: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
Parallel translations
- KJV And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
- BSB And I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares the Lord GOD, and every man’s sword will be against his brother.
- NKJV I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
- NASB And I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains,” declares the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
- NLT I will summon the sword against you on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord. Your men will turn their swords against each other.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God summons a sword against Gog, turning the invaders against one another. He needs no human army to win His battles.
Overview
The Lord declares that He will call for a sword against Gog throughout His mountains, so that the confederate forces fall into deadly confusion and slay each other. This motif of God-induced panic among enemies recalls Gideon's victory and Jehoshaphat's deliverance. It teaches that the Lord defends His people by His own initiative, foreshadowing the certain defeat of all who array themselves against Christ and His church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Hag 2:22I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots, and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother.
- Ezek 14:17“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal;’
- Judg 7:22They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
- 2 Chr 20:23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them: and when they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
- 1 Sam 14:20Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle; and behold, they were all striking each other with their swords in very great confusion.
- Ps 105:16He called for a famine on the land. He destroyed the food supplies.
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 38:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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