Ezekiel 39:17
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Original Language Analysis
בֶן
And thou son
H1121
בֶן
And thou son
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
2 of 33
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
אָדָ֜ם
of man
H120
אָדָ֜ם
of man
Strong's:
H120
Word #:
3 of 33
ruddy i.e., a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
כֹּֽה
H3541
כֹּֽה
Strong's:
H3541
Word #:
4 of 33
properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
10 of 33
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
כָּנָ֜ף
unto every feathered
H3671
כָּנָ֜ף
unto every feathered
Strong's:
H3671
Word #:
11 of 33
an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bedclothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinna
וּלְכֹ֣ל׀
H3605
וּלְכֹ֣ל׀
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
12 of 33
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
חַיַּ֣ת
and to every beast
H2416
חַיַּ֣ת
and to every beast
Strong's:
H2416
Word #:
13 of 33
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin
וָבֹ֙אוּ֙
yourselves and come
H935
וָבֹ֙אוּ֙
yourselves and come
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
16 of 33
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
הֵאָסְפ֣וּ
gather
H622
הֵאָסְפ֣וּ
gather
Strong's:
H622
Word #:
17 of 33
to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e., remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
מִסָּבִ֔יב
yourselves on every side
H5439
מִסָּבִ֔יב
yourselves on every side
Strong's:
H5439
Word #:
18 of 33
(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
19 of 33
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
זֶ֣בַח
sacrifice
H2077
זֶ֣בַח
sacrifice
Strong's:
H2077
Word #:
20 of 33
properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)
אֲשֶׁ֨ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֨ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
21 of 33
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
זֹבֵ֤חַ
that I do sacrifice
H2076
זֹבֵ֤חַ
that I do sacrifice
Strong's:
H2076
Word #:
23 of 33
to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)
זֶ֣בַח
sacrifice
H2077
זֶ֣בַח
sacrifice
Strong's:
H2077
Word #:
25 of 33
properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)
גָּד֔וֹל
for you even a great
H1419
גָּד֔וֹל
for you even a great
Strong's:
H1419
Word #:
26 of 33
great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
עַ֖ל
H5921
עַ֖ל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
27 of 33
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
הָרֵ֣י
upon the mountains
H2022
הָרֵ֣י
upon the mountains
Strong's:
H2022
Word #:
28 of 33
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
29 of 33
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בָּשָׂ֖ר
flesh
H1320
בָּשָׂ֖ר
flesh
Strong's:
H1320
Word #:
31 of 33
flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man
Cross References
Zephaniah 1:7Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.Isaiah 34:6The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.Jeremiah 12:9Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.Ezekiel 39:4Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.Isaiah 56:9All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.Isaiah 18:6They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.Jeremiah 46:10For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Historical Context
This imagery inverts ancient Near Eastern victory celebrations where conquerors feasted after battle. Here, birds and beasts feast while Gog's armies become the meal. The motif appears in Jeremiah 7:33 and 34:20 as covenant curse for disobedience—bodies becoming food for birds signified utter defeat and divine rejection.
Ezekiel prophesied this during Babylonian exile when Israel seemed powerless. The vision of God preparing a sacrificial feast from their enemies' corpses reversed their humiliation. This eschatological imagery influenced Revelation 19:17-21, where an angel summons birds to "the supper of the great God" to consume the beast's armies. For Reformed theology, this prefigures final judgment where Christ defeats all opposition to His kingdom.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the inversion of sacrificial imagery (enemies becoming the sacrifice) demonstrate the totality of God's judgment?
- What does this "anti-feast" reveal about the destiny of those who persistently oppose God's covenant purposes?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves—This macabre invitation summons carrion birds and scavengers to God's eschatological banquet. The Hebrew qavu (קָבְצוּ, "assemble") is typically used for gathering God's people for worship or judgment (Isaiah 43:9, Joel 3:11), ironically applied here to vultures and beasts consuming the wicked.
My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you uses zivchi (זִבְחִי), the term for covenant sacrifices. This inverts sacrificial imagery: rather than Israel offering sacrifices to God, God offers the slain armies as sacrifice to scavengers. The phrase a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel (zevach gadol al-harei Yisrael, זֶבַח גָּדוֹל עַל־הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) echoes Zephaniah 1:7-8 and Revelation 19:17-18, depicting judgment as sacrificial feast where God's enemies become the offering.