Who are the "many peoples" mentioned in Ezekiel 38:9? Text “You will advance, coming like a storm; you will be covered like a cloud, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.” (Ezekiel 38:9) Immediate Literary Setting Ezekiel 38–39 forms a single oracle predicting a colossal, divinely-orchestrated invasion of Israel in “latter years” (38:8). Named nations are listed in 38:5–6. After those names the prophet twice adds the catch-all phrase “and many peoples with you” (38:6, 38:9). The repetition bookends the list and signals that the coalition extends beyond the six specifically mentioned peoples. Named Core of the Coalition (Ezek 38:5–6) • Persia — the Achaemenid heartland east of Mesopotamia. • Cush — Upper Nile Nubia/Ethiopia; Egyptian stelae of Taharqa (c. 680 BC) match biblical geography. • Put — Libya; Herodotus (IV.191) identifies “Put” with Libyans west of Egypt. • Gomer — Cimmerians north of the Black Sea; Assyrian annals of Esarhaddon (RINAP 4 pp. 135–138) mention Gimirrai. • Beth-Togarmah — Anatolian peoples of Til-Garmu (modern Gürün, Turkey), known from Neo-Assyrian letters. • “From the remotest parts of the north” (38:6) stresses geographical extremity. These six furnish only the nucleus; Ezekiel stresses multiples beyond them. Who Are the “Many Peoples”? 1. Unlisted Peripheral Allies of the Same Regions Every named nation was itself a federation. Persia incorporated Elamites, Medes, Hyrcanians; Cush ruled over Nubian tribal confederacies; Togarmah encompassed Phrygians, Cappadocians. Thus, “many peoples” naturally includes their subject or neighboring tribes. 2. Distant Gentile Nations Drawn by Profit and Plunder Verse 12 highlights economic motive—silver, gold, livestock, goods. Phoenician merchant records from Byblos (5th century BC) show multi-ethnic mercenary armies seeking spoil. Ezekiel’s phrase captures such opportunists. 3. Pan-National Symbol for the World’s Rebellion Prophetic literature often compresses humanity’s opposition to God into one phrase (Isaiah 17:12–13; Zechariah 14:2). Ezekiel uses “many peoples” as a literary synecdoche for “the nations” in concerted hostility against God’s covenant people. Revelation 20:8–9 mirrors this, speaking of “nations…Gog and Magog…to gather them for battle.” 4. Eschatological Multitude Beyond Historical Limits Because the oracle climaxes in divine intervention so overwhelming that the dead are buried for seven months (39:12), the scope transcends any single ancient campaign. The “many peoples” therefore foreshadow the eschatological coalition at the end of the age, inclusive of every unbelieving nation (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 19:19). Cross-References Confirming Multitude Identity • Ezekiel 38:22; 39:4, 17 still speak of “many peoples” even after the battle, implying survivors worldwide witness God’s glory. • Psalm 2:1 “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?”—same plural idea. • Joel 3:2 “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.” Archaeological and Historical Corroboration Tablets from Babylon (BM 71537) record multi-ethnic contingents hired by Persian generals, paralleling Ezekiel’s multi-national description. Herodotus (VII.9) lists 46 ethnic units in Xerxes’ army—an ancient precedent for “many peoples” under one command. Canonical Cohesion The phrase harmonizes with Genesis 10’s Table of Nations: humanity divides into extended “peoples,” yet God’s plan (cf. Genesis 12:3) is to bless all nations through Israel’s Messiah. Ezekiel shows the climax of that conflict and blessing dynamic. Theological Significance 1. Universal Scope of Human Rebellion—no ethnic group is spiritually neutral (Romans 3:19). 2. Universal Display of Divine Glory—God’s sanctification “in the sight of many nations” (Ezekiel 38:23) fulfills His covenant promise (Exodus 9:16). 3. Certainty of Israel’s Future Security—God pledges to defeat the world’s hostility once for all (Ezekiel 39:27–29). Eschatological Placement A straightforward chronological reading (consistent with a young-earth but future-oriented timeline) positions the invasion shortly before the millennial reign of Christ, parallel to Revelation 19–20. The repeated reference to vast “peoples” dovetails with Revelation’s “nations at the four corners of the earth” (20:8). Practical Application for the Modern Reader Believers see global opposition to God yet rest in His sovereign guarantee. Unbelievers are urged to heed the prophetic warning: any alignment against God culminates in defeat, but salvation is offered now through the risen Christ (Acts 17:30–31). Answer in Brief The “many peoples” of Ezekiel 38:9 encompass all additional ethnic groups—subject allies, opportunistic mercenaries, and ultimately the worldwide confederation of unbelieving nations—who join Gog’s named coalition against Israel in the latter days. |
    |