“Be ready, and be prepared, you and all your contingents that are assembled around you, and be a guard for them.
Parallel translations
- WEB Be prepared, yes, prepare yourself, you, and all your companies who are assembled to you, and be a guard to them.
- KJV Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
- BSB Get ready; prepare yourself, you and all your company gathered around you; you will be their guard.
- NKJV “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.
- NLT “Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them.
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
Gog is sarcastically told to prepare himself and his assembled companies. The summons exposes the futility of mustering against God.
Overview
God ironically commands Gog to make ready and guard his great host, as if his preparations could avail. The tone unmasks the vanity of opposing the Almighty. However well an enemy arms himself, his readiness cannot overturn God's purpose to protect His people and glorify His name.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Chr 25:8But if you will go, take action, and be strong for the battle. God will overthrow you before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to overthrow.”
- Joel 3:9–12Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up.
- Zech 14:2–3For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
- Amos 4:12“Therefore thus will I do to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.
- Jer 51:12Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon! Make the watch strong! Set the watchmen, and prepare the ambushes; for Yahweh has both purposed and done that which he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
- Jer 46:14–16“Declare in Egypt, publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say, ‘Stand up, and prepare; for the sword has devoured around you.’
- Isa 37:22this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
- Ps 2:1–4Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
- Isa 8:9–10Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered!
- Jer 46:3–5“Prepare the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle!
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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 38:7 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.