Thus says the Lord GOD: This traditional prophetic formula shows that a new part of the prophecy is starting here (see Ezek 38.3).

Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel…?: This is a rhetorical question, expecting the answer “Yes,” so many translations turn it into a statement (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version). In this question God is saying that for a long time past, he knew that Gog would come and attack the Israelites, and the prophets had been saying this for years. No individual prophet is identified, but this question refers to the way many prophets warned the people that someone would come from the north to attack and punish them (for example, Jer 1.13-17). Are you he…? may be rendered as a statement by beginning with “You are the one…” (Good News Translation). In former days may be translated “long ago” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation) or “In the past” (New International Reader’s Version). My servants the prophets of Israel refers to people such as Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel himself. My servants may be rendered “people who did what I commanded them to do.”

Who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them: In those days refers to the time when the prophets were living, that is, the same time as in former days. For years shows that God continually and repeatedly gave his threatening message of punishing the Israelites. I would bring you against them specifies that Gog was the person whom God would send to punish them, but since Gog’s name was never mentioned before this prophecy, it is better (in English) to be less specific; for example, Good News Translation says “I would bring someone to attack Israel,” and Contemporary English Version has “I would send an enemy to attack them.” This phrase also shows that God was the one who prompted Gog to attack. Gog acted on God’s authority.

God’s message to Gog in this verse may be expressed as follows:

• You are the one I spoke about in the past. It was my servants the prophets of Israel who gave my message. They delivered my message for years that I would bring you to attack my people.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .