Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 38:23
Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.
23. Thus will Jehovah magnify himself manifest his greatness and power; and sanctify himself shew himself to be “holy,” i.e. one who is God, Eze 36:23. Then shall he be known as that which he is by all the nations of the earth.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thus, in this most dreadful manner, will I magnify myself; undeniably prove that I am the mighty, just, faithful, wise, holy, and merciful God toward my people, and that I am the great, just, and terrible One against mine and my churchs enemies.
Sanctify myself; declare I am holy and true to my word.
Many nations; many heathen nations shall see this in the execution of my judgments, and own it to my praise, that I am, and none else is, the Lord.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Thus will l magnify myself, and sanctify myself,…. Show the greatness of his power, and the strictness of his justice and holiness, and glorify these, and all other of his perfections, in the destruction of the enemies of his people:
and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord; Heathen nations shall now come to the knowledge of the true God, and his Son Jesus Christ, and of the Christian religion, and shall embrace and profess it; [See comments on Eze 38:16], the kingdoms of the world will now become the Lord’s, Re 11:15.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“And I will magnify myself and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am Yahweh.”
God will ‘magnify Himself, sanctify Himself and make Himself known’, not by some great bombastic, pretentious show, but by His actions in bringing about His final purposes. The last judgment will be God’s final vindication. There He will stand alone, supreme, revealed in all His awful holiness, made known to all who have rejected Him. There, too late, all will know that He is Yahweh, the One Who is, the great I am, the One Who causes to be whatever He desires.
‘I will — sanctify myself.’ We constantly pray ‘hallowed (sanctified) be your name’. This means that He be ‘set apart’ before men as different, as unique, because of His supreme greatness and righteousness revealed in what He does and brings about (Eze 28:22; Eze 36:23), and especially in the redemption and making righteous of His people (compare Eze 20:41; Eze 28:25; Eze 39:27).
Chapter 39 The Fate of Gog.
In this chapter a summary is given of Gog’s invasion followed by a more detailed description of his fate, along with those who fought for him. All his might will be burned up (Eze 38:9) and he and his followers will be shamed (compare Jer 25:33), by being left exposed and eaten by the vultures (Eze 38:12; Eze 38:18) before their final disposal. There is a surely a deliberate contrast here between the fate of Israel’s enemies and the restoration of Israel as depicted in Eze 37:1-14. The bones of both were scattered. The former will be buried in the land for ever, while the latter will live again as the dry bones lived. It is a similar contrast to that in Dan 12:2-3, but Daniel, with his remarkable visions, had a greater understanding of the future.
The emphasis in the chapter, however, is on the fate of Gog and of the enemies of God’s people. Their ignominious end is hugely stressed. They will be no more, buried for ever with no hope of life.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
REFLECTIONS
READER! instead of being wise above what is written, and spending our time in fruitless and unbecoming researches concerning the person of Gog, and the kingdom of Magog: let us accept what probably God the Holy Ghost meant to teach the Church by this scripture; that the eye of the Lord is upon his people to defend them from all their enemies; and that at a time when the waters of the sanctuary run low, and the foe seems to threaten with an high hand; that then the Lord is more particularly coming forth for their defense; for Jehovah hath declared himself to be against all Israel’s enemies for his own sake. You and I cannot stand in the day of exercise in our own strength, or attempt anything in our own power: but hear what the Lord saith; I will put hooks in thy jaws, O Gog, and turn thee back, and all thine army with thee. Precious Lord Jesus! be thou to all thy people the sure hiding place from every storm, and the covert from every tempest; that when the enemy cometh in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord may lift up a standard against him. Then shall thy people dwell in safety in the land of unwalled villages; because the Lord himself will be a wall of fire round about, in a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for upon all the glory shall be a defense. Amen.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.
Ver. 23. Thus will I magnify myself. ] This end God proposeth to himself in all his works; and well he may, since he hath none higher than himself to whom to have respect. And let all this that hath been said comfort us against the rage and good success, if any such yet be, of the antichristian rout, since these are but – as he said once of decaying Carthage – the last sprunts and bites of dying wild beasts.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they shall know, &c. See note on Eze 6:10.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
magnify: Eze 36:23
and I: Eze 38:16, Eze 37:28, Eze 39:7, Eze 39:13, Eze 39:27, Psa 9:16, Rev 15:3, Rev 15:4, Rev 19:1-6
Reciprocal: Exo 7:17 – thou shalt Psa 46:10 – I will be Psa 59:13 – and let Psa 83:18 – That men Isa 5:16 – the Lord Isa 25:3 – General Isa 45:6 – General Isa 64:2 – to make Eze 6:7 – and ye Eze 20:41 – and I will Eze 20:42 – ye shall Eze 25:5 – and ye Eze 28:22 – shall be Eze 28:25 – be sanctified Eze 30:25 – they shall know Eze 37:6 – ye shall Eze 39:21 – I will set Dan 11:45 – he shall come Hos 2:20 – and Hos 9:7 – Israel Mic 7:16 – nations Mal 1:5 – The Lord Mal 2:4 – ye Mat 6:9 – Hallowed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 38:23. The most important point to be made in these divine demonstrations will be to make all men know the Lord and to distinguish Him from all false gods.