20 so that the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky, and the animals of the field, and all creeping things who creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the surface of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping animals that creep upon the earth, and all the men that [are] upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be overturned, and the (n) steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
(n) All means by which man would think to save himself will fail, the affliction in those days will be so great, and the enemies destruction will be so terrible.
So that the fishes of the sea shall shake at my presence,.... From whence it appears that this great shaking shall not be on account of the army of Gog, and the devastations that it shall make; but on account of the powerful presence of God, which will be manifest in the destruction of his army: and what is here said of the shaking of the fishes of the sea,
and the fowls of the heaven, and the beast of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the earth, must be understood figuratively and hyperbolically, as Kimchi observes, and in allusion to earthquakes, which both shake and terrify all kind of creatures; the blow given to Gog will be so terrible, that all nature will seem to be thrown into a convulsion and agitation by it; see Jeremiah 4:24,
and the mountains shall be thrown down; as they are sometimes by earthquakes; and as the mount of Olives will at this time cleave asunder; and perhaps other mountains will, as Kimchi observes, see Zac 14:2,
and the steep places shall fall; the Targum renders the word "towers"; and so the Syriac version, and Piscator: the word signifies stairs or steps (t), such as in a ladder; and is translated "stairs", Song 2:14 it seems to me to design such mounts as are raised by besiegers of a city, by means of which they may be able to scale the walls of it, which Jarchi suggests; though he says he had heard it said that these, are rocks bending over and hanging, and appear as if they were falling; which agrees with our version; and it may be observed, in some of those precipices, there are like stairs or steps to go up them:
and every wall shall fall to the ground: this shows that the words are not to be taken literally, but figuratively; only to express how sensibly the power of God should be felt and perceived by all creatures, and in all parts of the land; since now the Jews will dwell in a land of unwalled villages, and in cities without walls, bars, and gates; see Ezekiel 38:11.
(t) "gradus", Munster, Pagninus, Montanus.
fishes--disturbed by the fleets which I will bring.
fowls, &c.--frightened at the sight of so many men: an ideal picture.
mountains--that is, the fortresses on the mountains.
steep places--literally, "stairs" (Song 2:14); steep terraces for vines on the sides of hills, to prevent the earth being washed down by the rains.
every wall--of towns.
*More commentary available at chapter level.