It shall come to pass at the same time The time when my people are gathered together, settled in peace in their own land, and think themselves secure; shall things come into thy mind Mischievous things; and thou shalt think an evil thought Shalt entertain a malicious design for the destruction of my people. And thou shalt say Wilt resolve in thyself; I will go up I will invade with all my forces; the land of unwalled villages A people weak, and destitute of any considerable defences. To them that are at rest Who would willingly be quiet, and suspect as little evil from others as they intend against others, and who trust in the protection of their God, who hath promised they shall dwell safely. Dwelling without walls, &c. That is, having no sufficient fortifications to defend them against the force of an enemy. To take a spoil, &c. With the thoughts of taking a large spoil without any difficulty. To turn thy hand upon the desolate places To go against, or fall upon, a country which had lain a long time desolate, but which has been peopled again, and come into a flourishing condition. Judea is very plainly marked out by this land, which Gog is here represented as designing to attack, because it lay open to be invaded. That dwell in the midst of the land Hebrew, in the navel of the land, that is, in Jerusalem, which stood nearly in the middle of Judea, and was situate upon a rising ground, which the Hebrew metaphorically expresses by the navel. Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish These were people that traded much, the two former dwelling in the east, and the merchants of Tarshish often sailing from the Spanish coasts into the eastern parts, as having commerce with Tyre, which bordered upon Judea. “These merchants, as soon as they heard of this intended invasion, came into Gog's camp as to a market, to buy both persons and goods which should come into the conqueror's power.”
With all the young lions thereof Their kings and princes, as the Targum understands it; or their chief merchants, who are described as so many princes, (Isaiah 23:8,) and are called lions because of the injustice and oppression they too commonly practised in their commerce.