You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples that are with you: Some translations render fall as “fall dead” (Good News Translation, New International Reader’s Version, New Century Version), which gives the misleading impression that Gog and his soldiers will suddenly and miraculously fall down and die. It is more likely that they will die in battle, even though God does not explicitly refer to any fighting. It is better to say simply “die” (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation). For all your hordes and the peoples that are with you, see 38.6.

I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the wild beasts to be devoured: Birds of prey refers to birds that feed on the dead bodies of other animals (compare Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which say “carrion birds”). Many languages may not have a general term for such birds and may need to use the name of a particular bird that feeds on dead bodies (for example, “vultures” in New Living Translation). However, translators may use a general expression, such as “birds that eat meat.” For more help on translating this expression, see the comments on Gen 15.11. Wild beasts, which is literally “beasts of the field” (King James Version / New King James Version) refers to wild animals here (see the comments on 38.20). I will give you … to be devoured may be rendered “I will let your bodies be food for…” (similarly Good News Translation). A simple model for this clause is “I will let all the birds and wild animals eat you.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .