named; especially out of the lesser Asia, as Parephi-
lie, Cilicia, and other places; and perhaps from Tar-
tary, and elsewhere,
Vet. 7. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself,
&c.] All warlike stores and provisions: this is iro-
nically said; and suggests that he would do so, and
yet all would be in vain, and to no purpose: thou and
all thy company, that are assembled unto thee; or all
thine armies, as the Targum, gathered out of his do-
minions, and made up of his auxiliaries and allies; let
them all be furnished with arms, and every thing
proper for the expedition designed: and be thou a
guard unto them; the general of them; let them ob-
serve and obey thy word of command; guide and
direct, guard and protect them in their march; and
take care of them when entered the land of Judea, that
they are not exposed to any unnecessary danger, or
cut off by any stratagem or ambuscade: this is also
sarcastically said;Signifying that let him use all the
care and caution that a wise and prudent general can
do, yet he and his army should perish.
Ver. 8. After many days thou shall be visited, &c.]
After the Ottoman empire has stood a long time, as
it has already; when the many days will be ended that
Israel should be without a king and a prince, &c, Hos.
iii. 4. then shall Cog or the Turk be visited of God,
not in a way of grace, but vengeance; he shall be
punished for .all his iniquities, and his punishment or
destruction will be brought about in the following
manner: in the latter years thou shall come into the
land that is br. ought back from the sword; that is, into
tile land of Judea, the right owners of which shall now
be returned unto it; who have been for many years
drove and kept out of it by the sword of their ene-
mies; see Jet. xxxi. c2. and these latter years are the
Same with the latter days, in which these people shall
seek the Lord and the Messiah, and fear him and his
goodness, and return to their own land, Hos. iii. 5,
and i. 11. when the Turks, enraged at it, will raise
a numerous army, and enter it, in order to repossess
it. The description of the Jews, who are most ma-
nifestly pointed at, is continued: and is gathered out
of many people against the mountains of Israel; or ra-
ther, to the mountains of Israel {o}; for it seems to design
the land of Judea, that is, the people of it; who shall
be gathered out of the several nations where they
are now dispersed, and brought into their own land;
described by the mountains of Israel, because a
mountainotis country, and a very fruitful one; see ch.
xxxiv. 13, 14. and not the army of Gog gathered out of
many nations, as betbre observed, to march against the
people of the Jews; though this seems to be the sense
.,f the Targutn, "in the end of years thou shalt come
"into the Land, against which are .turned those that
"slay with the sword, who are gathered out of many
"people against the mountains of the land of Israel :"
wohich have been always ,waste: of a longer time than
the seventy-years' captivity, even ever since the de-
structioa of it by the R, omans; and if the time of the
carrying. captire or' dye tea tribes by Salmanezer is
respected, it is longer still.: but it it brought forth out
of the nations, and they shall dwell .safely all of them;
that is, the people or' the Jews, the proprietors of the
land of Israel, shall' now be brought forth out of the
several nations where they are scattered, and shall in-
habit their own land, and dwell in the utmost security,
having nothing to fear from their most potent enemies.
even Gog himself; and though he shall come against
them in the foliowing manner.
Ver. 9. Thou shall ascend and come like a storm, &c.]
That comes suddenly, looks black and terrible, and
causes darkness and horror; makes a great noise, and
is very threatening of danger; signifying, that the
Turlks will come into the land of Jades suddenly to
surprise it, and with great wrath and fury, and threaten
them with utter destruction; so the king of the north
is said to come like a whirlwind, which many interpret
of the Turk also, Dan. xi. 40: thou shall be like a cloud
to cover the land; with darkness and distress; suggest-
ing the vast nnmber of his army, which should over-
spread the land of Jades, as it follows: thou and all
thy bands, and many people with thee; his own army
should be very numerous, and this increased by his
confederates, or such who will voluntarily join him in
this expedition.
Ver. 10. Thus saith the Lord, it shall also come to
pass, &c.] Who is the Lord God omniscient, and
knows the thoughts .of men's hearts afar off; which,
thongh they are contingent and voluntary, yet certain
to the foreknowledge of God; who knows them before
they are conceived, and can foretel what they will be,
and which come to pass accordingly: it is now above
two thousand years ago since this was said, and as yet
is not fulli!led, but certainly will be: that at the same
time shall things come into thy mind ; when the Jews
shall be in their own land, dwelling in great security;
and when Cog or the Turk shall make preparation to
disturb them, and shall enter into their land suddenly
and furiously; many thoughts shall come into his
mind, many schemes and devices, but not good ones:
and thou shall think an evil thought; to do mischief to
the Jews; to disturb their peace, to dispossess them
of their land, and plunder their substance.
Vet. 11. And thou shall say, &c.] What came into
his mind, and what he thought of; this he shall say to
his privy cotmsellors and ministers of state; or to the
generals and officers of his army; or to his confede-
rates and allies, and even to them all, to have their
opinion and approbation of it; and to encorage them
to join him, an{t go with him: I willgo up to the land
cf unwalled villages; a land which has nothing but
villages in it, and those no walls about them to protect
them: this he said bv way of contempt; and the Sep-
tuagint and Arabic versions render it the abject land;
and to observe how easily he could. conquer it, there
being nothing in his way to hinder him, or give him
trouble: I will go to them that are at rest, and dwell
safely: as the Jews will do in the latter day, when
they shall own and aeknowledge the Messiah, Jero
xxiii. 5, G. and dwell in their own land. where they
will be quiet and peaceable, and think anddo no harm
to any, nor mistrust their neighhours doing any harm
to them; but shall live in the utmost tranuillity and
secnrity; and which Cog or the Turks will take the

{o} \^larvy yrh le\^ ad montes lsrael, Pagninus, Cocceius, Starckius.