Ezekiel 38:18

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 38:18 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils.
Ezekiel 38:18 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 38

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
18And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And it shall come to pass at the same time, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, &c.] As before prophesied of and described: that my fury shall come up in my face; as a man’s blood rises up in his face, and his colour appears, when he is wroth and angry: or, “in my nose”f662; as men when they are angry puff and blow, expand their nose, breathe through it; but against whom is all this wrath and fury? Starckius, a modern interpreter, thinks it is against the land of Israel, against the church; but it rather seems to be against Gog himself; the Lord being provoked at his attempt against the land of Israel, and the wicked designs he had to spoil and plunder it.”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“fury shall come up in my face--literally, "nose"; in Hebrew, the idiomatic expression for anger, as men in anger breathe strongly through the nostrils. Anthropopathy: God stooping to human modes of thought (Psa 18:8).”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“38:18-20 Instead of being the agent of divine wrath, Gog would be subject to it. The Lord would vent on Gog the jealousy and blazing anger he had earlier visited on Israel. The scene would be so frightening that even innocent bystanders would quake in terror. The earth would also tremble, destroying mountains, cliffs, and walls.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“that: Eze 36:5, Eze 36:6; Deu 32:22; Psa 18:7, Psa 18:8, Psa 89:46; Nah 1:2; Heb 12:29 Ezekiel 38:19”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification