“Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, the chief: or, prince of the chief”
Gog. This name, which signifies hidden, or covered, is taken in this place either for the persecutors of the Church of God in general, or some arch persecutor in particular; such as Antichrist shall be in the latter days. See Apocalypse xx. 8. And what is said of the punishment of Gog, is verified by the unhappy end of persecutors. — Magog. Scythia or Tartary, whence the Turks and other enemies of the Church of Christ originally sprung. (Challoner) — These are supposed to be the princes of some northern and barbarous country, (Worthington) peopled by the son of Japhet. (St. Jerome) — St. Augustine (City of God xx. 11.) observes, that as the Church is spread everywhere, so also are persecutors. But Christ will overcome them all. (Worthington) — This prophecy is very difficult. It seems literally to refer to Cambyses, who invaded Judea about seventy years after the temple had been destroyed, and perished by the hand of God, at Ecbatana, upon Mount Carmel. It is very usual with the prophets to give fictitious names; as the king of Tyre is called a cherub, and Jerusalem Ooliba. Cambyses ruled over Scythia, in Iberia; styled Gogarene, by Strabo (xi.). (Calmet) — The proper Scythia withstood all the attempts of his successors, and defeated Darius. (Haydock)
“And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:”
Jaws. Thus Cambyses treated the son of Psammenites. God has the most absolute dominion over all monarchs, ver. 7.
“After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.”
Visited, or rather “shall visit” Judea. (Chaldean) (Grotius) — Cambyses invaded Egypt twelve years after the Jews had returned, and came upon them two years later, designing to plunder them, at the instigation of their malevolent neighbours. He had sustained great losses in Egypt, and was arrived at Carmel when news was brought that the false Smerdis had declared himself king. See Herodotus iii. 61.
“To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. To take: Heb. To spoil the spoil, and to prey the prey midst: Heb. navel”
Midst. Literally, “navel.” Hebrew, “Thabor,” intimating a mountain rising in a plain, Judges ix. 7. (Calmet) — Alluding to this intended blunder of the Jews lately returned, he speaks of Antichrist and of all heretics, who seek to pervert or suppress Catholics rescued from the power of the devil, by the sacraments of Christ. (Worthington)
“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?”
Tharsis. Septuagint, “Carthage, and all their villages.” The merchants or naval forces of Cambyses spurred him forward, (see Psalm lxxvii. 6.) as well as the Arabs, Cuthites, &c., 1 Esdras iv. 8. (Calmet)
“And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.”
Latter. Antichrist shall persecute the Church at the end of the world. (Worthington) — After Cambyses had punished Egypt, his turn came, and all his designs were baffled.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? by: Heb. by the hand of”
Prophets. See Isaias xiv., and xvi. 21., and xxvi. 1., and Jeremias xxx. 3., and 23., and Joel ii. 30., and iii. 1., &c.
“For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;”
Israel. The Jews shall be full of dismay, (ver. 20.) as the tyrant will vent some threats; (Calmet) or this commotion was in his own army. (Haydock)
“And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.”
Sword. The Jews were not in a condition to make resistance. (Calmet) — Cambyses had his brother Smerdis slain. But another was set on the throne; whereupon, mounting his horse in a fury, he wounded himself with his sword in the thigh, which mortifying, caused his death after twenty days. (Herodotus iii. 21., &c.) — The historian does not mention what became of his army; but it seems to have perished by discord, as was very common among such a collection of nations. See Judges vii. 22., and Judith xv. 1., and 1 Kings xiv. 20., and 4 Kings ii. 21. (Calmet) — They were now without a head. (Haydock) — In the whole universe, God will at last destroy Antichrist and all his adherents. (Worthington)
“And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones , fire, and brimstone.”
Pestilence. His wound might be thus described. — Blood. Thus was he punished for shedding that of innocent people. (Calmet)