Matthew Poole and continuators on Ezekiel 39:9

9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth , and shall set on fire , and burn the weapons , both the shields , and the bucklers, the bows, and the arrows, and the hand staves and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years.

Out of their Houses and out of the Cities, with joy to see, and admire the great goodness of God towards them, and the greatness of his power against their Enemies.

This expression seems to intimate that they should burn these things in the open Field, or Mountains, where they found them, here is no mention made of the carrying any into City or Houses to burn in their Chimneys, it may be they should make those fires intoken of Joy.

The warlike Provision, Instruments, Engines, Carriages, and Waggons, &c. as well as those recounted.

Vid. chap. 38. ver. 4. let. o.

That either their Leaders used, like our half Pikes, or perhaps such as they cast like darts at the Enemy.

It may be wondered they burn these Weapons, which might be of use to them for defence and safety, but 'twas done, partly, because they were Weapons of the uncircumcised, partly because they were Anathemata as all Iericho was, but chiefly in testimony, that God was their safety and defence, on which they relyed, and would ever since he had so wonderfully delivered.

We might read the words thus, they shall kindle with them a fire of seven years, and then the sense would be plain, that there should be such store of Weapons, and warlike Utensils that heapt together, they would last so long, being cast into the fire still by such as found them, for its not unlike they gathered up the Weapons, as they did scattered bones on their walks, as they did light on them. Other tell us, 'tis a certain number for an uncertain, others that 'tis somewhat a proverbial speech, they shall have enough by the spoil of the Enemy to make them and keep them warm, much as we sometimes say of one well provided, he is a warm Gentleman, and some others tell us, 'tis an expression of the Jews, who love to use this number in extraordinary cases, though they intend not precisely the same, as we say of a thing delay'd 'twill be seven years ere it come, or of a thing that will serve us a good while, 'twill last seven years. Or else, since the Hebrew hath not a distinct way of declaring what might be, or the Potential mode as the Latin, but they express possible by future, and say, that shall be, which we express by that may be, the meaning of these futures, they shall, in this and the next verse, is no more, then they may or might burn for seven years, and so Kimchi glosseth it as to countenance this last ghesse. They shall be sufficient, and in such a Countrey, where the need of fire is much less then with us, it will not seem very incredible, that the warlike Utensils of so numerous an Army might be enough to furnish them with fewel for so many years, or more.

Marginal references: Or, javelins.; Or, make a fire of them.