Ezekiel 39:17
in Ezekiel 39And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Speak unto the birds of every sort, 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ezekiel 39
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The purposes of the past dispensation shall be made clear to God’s people themselves and to the pagan. His judgments were the consequence of their sins; and these sins once abandoned, the favor of their God will return in yet more abundance. Eze 39:29 Compare Act 2:17. Peter distinctly appropriates these prophecies (marginal references) to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and the inauguration of the Church of Christ by that miraculous event. This was the beginning of the fulfillment. They shall find their consummation when time shall be no more.
This site's exposition
every kind of bird
on Ezekiel 39:17-20
God calls “every kind of bird” and “every beast of the field” to a sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel. Revelation 19:17-18 takes up the same summons to the birds. At God's table the “horses and riders” and the “mighty men and warriors of every kind” become the meal.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 17 and following) 'Therefore, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Speak to every winged creature, to all the birds, and to all the beasts of the field or the countryside: Come together and hasten, gather from all around to my sacrifice that I have offered to you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink blood.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The city - That is, the multitude: the city which is next to this common tomb of Gog. I do sacrifice - The punishment of these God calls a sacrifice, which he offers to his own justice. Upon the mountains - Where more thousands are offered at once, than ever were at any time offered; 'tis a sacrifice so great, that none ever was, or will be like it.
We find a great slaughter represented by this figure, Rev. xix. 17 , &c., which is borrowed from this. There is a general invitation given,
, Thou shalt fall, for I have spoken it. Note, Rather shall the most illustrious princes (Antiochus was called Epiphanes--the illustrious ) and the most numerous armies fall to the ground than any word of God; for he that has spoken will make it good.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord God,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
A declaration of God's gracious purposes concerning his people Israel, in this and his other providences concerning them, and a promise of further mercy that he had yet in store for them,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
(Re 19:17). sacrifice--Anciently worshippers feasted on the sacrifices. The birds and beasts of prey are invited to the sacrificial feast provided by God (compare Isa 18:6; Here this sacrifice holds only a subordinate place in the picture, and so is put last.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Gather yourselves - to my sacrifice - This is an allusion to a custom common in the east: when a sacrifice is made, the friends and neighbors of the party sacrificing are invited to come and feast on the sacrifice.
The words behind it
33 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּ֨ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֜ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר׀ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהֹוִ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| אֱמֹר֩ | ʾemor | say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְצִפּ֨וֹר | letzipor | to bird[s] of | H6833 → | 40 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| כָּנָ֜ף | kanaf | wing | H3671 → | 109 times |
| וּלְכֹ֣ל׀ | ulekhol | and to every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חַיַּ֣ת | chaiyat | <the> animal of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| הִקָּבְצ֤וּ | hikavetzu | assemble | H6908 → | 127 times |
| וָבֹ֙אוּ֙ | vavou | and come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הֵאָסְפ֣וּ | heasefu | gather yourselves | H622 → | 200 times |
| מִסָּבִ֔יב | misaviv | from round about | H5439 → | 336 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| זִבְחִ֗י | zivchi | sacrifice my | H2077 → | 162 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֲנִ֜י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| זֹבֵ֤חַ | zoveach | [am] sacrificing | H2076 → | 134 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | for you | ||
| זֶ֣בַח | zevach | a sacrifice | H2077 → | 162 times |
| גָּד֔וֹל | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָרֵ֣י | harei | [the] mountains of | H2022 → | 546 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם | vaakhaltem | and you will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| בָּשָׂ֖ר | basar | flesh | H1320 → | 270 times |
| וּשְׁתִ֥יתֶם | ushetitem | and you will drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| דָּֽם׃ | dam | blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
וְאַתָּ֨הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
בֶן־O son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֜םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣ר׀he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהֹוִ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
אֱמֹר֩say
ʾemorH559 →5305 times
לְצִפּ֨וֹרto bird[s] of
letziporH6833 →40 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
כָּנָ֜ףwing
kanafH3671 →109 times
וּלְכֹ֣ל׀and to every
ulekholH3605 →5413 times
חַיַּ֣ת<the> animal of
chaiyatH2416 →498 times
הַשָּׂדֶ֗הthe field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
הִקָּבְצ֤וּassemble
hikavetzuH6908 →127 times
וָבֹ֙אוּ֙and come
vavouH935 →2568 times
הֵאָסְפ֣וּgather yourselves
heasefuH622 →200 times
מִסָּבִ֔יבfrom round about
misavivH5439 →336 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
זִבְחִ֗יsacrifice my
zivchiH2077 →162 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֲנִ֜יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
זֹבֵ֤חַ[am] sacrificing
zoveachH2076 →134 times
לָכֶם֙for you
lakhem
זֶ֣בַחa sacrifice
zevachH2077 →162 times
גָּד֔וֹלgreat
gadolH1419 →526 times
עַ֖לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הָרֵ֣י[the] mountains of
hareiH2022 →546 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥םand you will eat
vaakhaltemH398 →810 times
בָּשָׂ֖רflesh
basarH1320 →270 times
וּשְׁתִ֥יתֶםand you will drink
ushetitemH8354 →217 times
דָּֽם׃blood
damH1818 →360 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Zephaniah 1:7Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:20
But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
- Zechariah 2:13
Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
- Zephaniah 1:14
The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.
- Jeremiah 46:10
For that day belongs to the Lord GOD of Hosts, a day of vengeance against His foes. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, until it is quenched with their blood. For the…
- Isaiah 34:6
The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in…
- Habakkuk 2:20
Through
Ezekiel 39:4On the mountains of Israel you will fall—you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to every kind of ravenous bird and wild beast.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 39:17–20
And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 39:17–20
Through
Jeremiah 12:9Is not My inheritance to Me like a speckled bird of prey with other birds of prey circling against her? Go, gather all the beasts of the field; bring them to devour her.
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:9
Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest.
- Isaiah 56:9
Through
Isaiah 34:6The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in…
it leads to
- Isaiah 63:1
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.”
- Isaiah 63:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.