Ezekiel 38:13 Meaning: Why Do the Merchants Ask About Plunder?
Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all its young lions, will ask you, ‘Have you come to take the plunder? Have you assembled your company to take the prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”’
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take the spoil? hast thou assembled thy company to take the prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take great spoil?
Sheba, and Dedan, and merchants of Tarshish, And all its young lions say to thee: To take a spoil art thou come in? To take a prey assembled thine assembly? To bear away silver and gold? To take away cattle and substance? To take a great spoil?
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to seize a spoil? hast thou gathered thine assemblage to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take cattle and goods, to seize a great spoil?
Meaning in one sentence
Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish question Gog's invasion not out of concern but greed. Their mercenary attitude reveals how the world responds to God's judgment.
Context
Ezekiel 38 is a prophecy about a future invasion of Israel led by a figure called Gog. In the verses just before this one, Gog plans an attack on a people who have been restored to their land and are living securely. But when Gog sets out, the merchant nations take notice. Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, wealthy trading powers, along with their leaders, speak up. Their question sounds like a business inquiry: have you come for the plunder, the silver and gold and livestock? They are not taking sides for or against Israel. They want to know if there is profit to be made. Their interest is not justice or loyalty; it is the spoils of war.
Key Words
The word plunder appears four times in this verse, or words like prey, spoil, loot. The repetition drives home what Gog is after and what the merchants care about most. The Hebrew verb behind it (bazaz) means to seize goods by force, and it is the same word Gog himself used in verse 12 to describe his own plan. The merchants echo his greed back to him. Then there is the phrase young lions. Some translations render it as villages or princes, but the lion imagery from other Ezekiel passages (Ezekiel 19:3) pictures leaders who learn to tear prey. These are not bystanders hoping for peace. They are fierce, predatory traders ready to feast on the spoils. When you see the word plunder repeated and the lions stirred, you realise how easily the world can turn a coming judgment into a shopping list.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read the merchants’ question in different ways. Some, like the Geneva Bible notes, see them congratulating Gog on his campaign. Others, including Adam Clarke and Matthew Henry, interpret their words as a greedy desire to bargain for a share of the loot. The Cambridge Bible suggests they are roused by hope of gain, not envy. John Gill says they could be speaking either out of pretended compassion or, more likely, from a wish to join in for profit. While the precise tone, congratulation or bargaining, is debated, the consistent point is that these nations are driven by worldly gain. Israel and Gog are both secondary to their pursuit of silver and gold.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that the merchants are rebuking Gog for his aggression. Their question sounds like a challenge: Have you come to take plunder? But the context and their reputation as traders point the other way. In fact, the merchants are not condemning war; they are inquiring about the loot. Their words reveal eagerness, not opposition. They want a piece of the action. The question is less a critique and more a business inquiry.
Living This Out
This verse asks what you look for when you hear of conflict or upheaval. Are you scanning the news for how it might affect your savings, your safety, or your convenience? Or do you stop to ask what God is doing? The merchants saw Gog’s invasion and thought about silver and gold. It is a quiet temptation to reduce every event to what we can gain or lose. This week, when you hear of trouble near or far, pause before you calculate the cost. Ask instead: where is God in this? And what does He want from me?
Main takeaway: The merchants’ greedy question exposes a familiar habit: valuing profit over God’s purposes, even when judgment is at hand.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
In this story, some people saw a war coming and only thought about getting money and things. They did not think about God or the people who would get hurt. Ask God to help you care about others more than about stuff.
For ages 9, 12
When Gog planned to attack Israel, some traders called Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish asked him what plunder he was going to take. They were not worried about the people, they wanted to profit from the war. This shows how greed can make us ignore what matters. When you see something bad happening, do you only think about yourself? Ask God to give you a heart that cares about others and looks for what He is doing.
Questions People Ask
Who are Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish in Ezekiel 38:13?
Sheba and Dedan were ancient kingdoms in Arabia, known for trade in spices and goods (Ezekiel 27:20-22). Tarshish was likely a distant trading center, possibly Tartessus in Spain. These nations represent wealthy merchant powers. In this verse, they are not allies of Gog or Israel, they are opportunists interested in the spoils of war.
What does the question in Ezekiel 38:13 reveal about Gog's motives?
Gog's planned invasion is driven by a desire for plunder, silver, gold, livestock, and goods (verse 12). The merchants' question mirrors Gog's own intentions. They ask if he has come to take plunder, showing that both Gog and the merchants are motivated by greed. But behind this, God is sovereignly using Gog's evil plan to bring judgment and reveal His power (verse 16).
Does Ezekiel 38:13 refer to a specific historical event or a future end-times battle?
Interpretations vary. Some Christians, like Adam Clarke, connected this to Antiochus Epiphanes around 170 BC. Others see it as a prophecy of a future conflict in the latter days when God defends Israel. The oracle about Gog has been read both historically and eschatologically by different traditions. Both seek to be faithful to the text.
What does 'young lions' mean in Ezekiel 38:13?
The phrase 'young lions' is interpreted in different ways. Some translations render it as 'villages' (BSB) or 'princes'. The Cambridge Bible notes it may describe the prominence of these merchant peoples. John Gill mentions that the Targum interprets it as kings. The lion imagery from Ezekiel 19 suggests fierceness and a hunger for prey. Most likely, it refers to the fierce leaders or rulers among these trading nations.
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