Ezekiel 38:7

Get ready; prepare yourself, you and all your company gathered around you; you will be their guard.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The prophet Ezekiel relays a divine command to the commander of a multinational coalition assembled for war. The utterance occurs immediately before the prophesied march toward a restored, secure Israel.

The words — The Hebrew imperative הִכֹּן (hi.kon) and its parallel וְ/הָכֵן (ve./ha.khen) both mean "be prepared" or "prepare." The command targets the leader and his assembled host (קְהָלֶךָ הַנִקְהָלִים עָלֶיךָ).

The thread — The mobilization order parallels Joel 3:9 and Isaiah 37:22, where hostile forces are summoned to battle. It stands in contrast to 2 Chronicles 25:8, which notes that human preparation is futile without divine backing.

Why it lands — The text requires the invading army to finalize its military readiness. It establishes a historical sequence where human coordination precedes a divinely controlled confrontation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הִכֹּן֙hi.Konbe prepared וְהָכֵ֣ןve./ha.Khenand/ prepareלְךָ֔le./Khafor <the>/ yourselfאַתָּ֕ה'a.TahO you וְכָל־ve./kholand/ all קְהָלֶ֖ךָke.ha.Le./chacompany/ your הַנִּקְהָלִ֣יםha./nik.ha.Limthat/ have assembled עָלֶ֑יךָ'a.Lei./khawith/ you וְהָיִ֥יתָve./ha.Yi.taand/ you will becomeלָהֶ֖םla./Hemfor/ themלְמִשְׁמָֽר׃le./mish.Mar<into>/ a guard

King James Version

Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 25:8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and power to overthrow.”
Joel 3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
Isaiah 37:22 this is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: ‘The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you; the Daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head behind you.
Jeremiah 46:14 “Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol; proclaim it in Memphis and Tahpanhes: ‘Take your positions and prepare yourself, for the sword devours those around you.’
Jeremiah 51:12 Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon; post the guard; station the watchmen; prepare the ambush. For the LORD has both devised and accomplished what He spoke against the people of Babylon.
Amos 4:12 “Therefore, that is what I will do to you, O Israel, and since I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!
Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
Isaiah 8:9 Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
Jeremiah 46:3 “Deploy your shields, small and large; advance for battle!