Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 38:4

"and I will turn thee about, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords;" — Ezekiel 38:4 (ASV)

I will turn you back— This is the more common meaning of the word. However, if this meaning is retained here, it is not to be taken in the sense of turning back from the Holy Land, but rather, in connection with the figure of the next clause, of turning away the wild beast from its natural inclination to the fulfilment of God’s purpose.

It is better, however, to take it in the sense in which it is used in Isaiah 47:10 (perverted) and Jeremiah 8:5 (slidden back): “I will lead you astray.”

In Revelation 20:8, this leading astray of the nations is ascribed to Satan, just as in 2 Samuel 24:1, God, and in 1 Chronicles 21:1, Satan, are said to move David to number the people. In either case, God is said to do that which He allows to be done by Satan. For the same Divine gathering of the nations against God’s people, see Joel 3:2 and Zechariah 14:2-3.

Hooks into your jaws—See the same figure in Ezekiel 29:4.