Ezekiel 39:15 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 39:15 mean?

Ezekiel 39:15 describes an organized search for human remains after the defeat of Gog and his forces. People traveling through the land are to mark any bone they find, so that those responsible for burial can find it and take it to the designated valley.

The picture is of a careful search, even for remains that might easily be overlooked. Speaking through Ezekiel, God describes how the searchers and buriers have distinct tasks: one identifies the place, and the other carries out the burial.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 39:15

• “passengers” — עֹבְרִים (ʿoverim): The word means people passing through. In the KJV, “passengers” refers to travelers on foot or otherwise, not necessarily people riding in a vehicle.
• “sign” — צִיּוּן (tsiyyun): The word can mean a marker or a signpost. Here, the marker identifies a spot for the burial workers to find.
• “Hamongog” — הֲמוֹן גּוֹג (hamon gog): The name means “the multitude of Gog.” The valley’s name recalls the large force associated with Gog in the surrounding passage.

Why Ezekiel 39:15 matters

• The search is part of making the land clean after the battle. Verse 14 describes people assigned to pass through the land for that purpose, and verse 15 shows how they handle a find.
• The burial place is a particular location, not simply wherever remains are found. The verse directs the buriers to the valley of Hamongog, named earlier in verse 11.