Ezekiel 38:2

King James Version (KJV)

Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog - This is allowed to be the most difficult prophecy in the Old Testament. It is difficult to us, because we know not the king nor people intended by it: but I am satisfied they were well known by these names in the time that the prophet wrote.

I have already remarked in the introduction to this book that there are but two opinions on this subject that appear to be at all probable:

That which makes Gog Cambyses, king of Persia; and,

That which makes him Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria.

And between these two (for one or other is supposed to be the person intended) men are much divided.

Calmet, one of the most judicious commentators that ever wrote on the Bible, declares for Cambyses; and supports his opinion, in opposition to all others, by many arguments.

Mr. Mede supposes the Americans are meant who were originally colonies of the Scythians who were descendants of Magog, son of Japheth. Houbigant declares for the Scythians, whose neighbors were the people of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, that is the Russians, Muscovites, and Tybareni or Cappadocians. Several eminent critics espouse this opinion. Rabbi David Kimchi says the Christians and Turks are meant: and of later opinions there are several, founded in the ocean of conjecture. Calmet says expressly, that Gog is Cambyses, king of Persia, who on his return from the land of Egypt, died in Judea. The Revelation David Martin, pastor of the Waloon church at Utrecht, concludes, after examining all previous opinions, that Antiochus Epiphanes, the great enemy on the Israelites, is alone intended here; and that Gog, which signifies covered, is an allusion to the well-known character of Antiochus, whom historians describe as an artful, cunning, and dissembling man. See Daniel 8:23, Daniel 8:25; Daniel 11:23, Daniel 11:27, Daniel 11:32. Magog he supposes to mean the country of Syria. Of this opinion the following quotation from Pliny, Hist. Nat., lib. v., c. 23, seems a proof; who, speaking of Coele-Syria, says Coele habet Apamiam Marsyia amne divisam a Nazarinorum Tetrarchia. Bambycem quam alio nomine Hierapolis vocatur, Syris vero Magog. "Coele-Syria has Apamia separated from the tetrarchy of the Nazarenes by the river Marsyia; and Bambyce, otherwise called Hierapolis; but by the Syrians, Magog."

I shall at present examine the text by this latter opinion.

Chief prince of Meshech and Tubal - These probably mean the auxiliary forces, over whom Antiochus was supreme; they were the Muscovites and Cappadocians.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

Gog … - Gog of the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. “Gog” is here the name of a captain from “the land of Magog” (compare Genesis 10:2) the name of a people of the north, placed between “Gomer” (the Cimmerians) and “Madai” (the Medes). In the History of Assurbanipal from cuneiform inscriptions, a chief of the Saka (Scythians), called Ga -a -gi is identified by some with Gog. Rosh, if a proper name, occurs in this connection only.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

These events will be in the latter days. It is supposed these enemies will come together to invade the land of Judea, and God will defeat them. God not only sees who are now the enemies of his church, but he foresees who will be so, and lets them know by his word that he is against them; though they join together, the wicked shall not be unpunished.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

2. Gog. This is the name chosen by Ezekiel to designate the leader of the heathen hosts who would attack the restored Jewish state after the return of the exiles (see vs. 14-16). Efforts to identify him with any historical character have so far proved fruitless. The root from which the name is derived is unknown. The word occurs 13 times in the Scriptures, but none of the references throws any light on its meaning. Gog appears in 1 Chron. 5:4 as the name of one of the sons of Joel of the tribe of Reuben. In Rev. 20:8 it is used in connection with Magog to symbolize the nations of the wicked, whom Satan assembles after the millennium to attack Christ and to seize the New Jerusalem. The 11 occurrences in Ezekiel (chs. 38:2, 3, 14, 16, 18; 39:1, 11, 15) describe the leader of a vast coalition of heathen nations. Gog is also the reading of the Samaritan and the LXX for Agag in Num. 24:7. A compound form, Hamon-gog, the “multitude of Gog,” is used in Eze. 39:11, 15, which name is applied to the valley in which the multitudes of Gog would be buried. All these Bible references shed no light on the identity of Gog, and the only indication as to his origin is in ch. 38:15, where the statement is made, “Thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts.”

In secular sources, contemporary with Ezekiel or earlier, no character by the name of Gog is found. Several names resembling it have been found. One of them is that of Gyges, king of Lydia (c. 600 b.c., see Vol. II, p. 66; see on 1 Chron. 1:5). Because of the slight similarity between Gyges and Gog, some commentators have attempted to equate the two. An examination of the historical evidence shows that Gyges was not a king of outstanding military genius. In the records left by Ashurbanipal, Gyges is called Guggu. The story is told of how Guggu sent ambassadors to Ashurbanipal for aid against the Cimmerians. Ashurbanipal states that with the help of the Assyrian gods, Ashur and Ishtar, Guggu was able to overcome his enemies. However, later, in a war between Assyria and Egypt, the treacherous Guggu joined with Egypt. Guggu was later rewarded for his perfidy when the Cimmerians overran his country and killed him. Such is the story of Guggu. But there is no evidence whatsoever to prove that Gog is the Hebrew form of Guggu. Similarity of sound seems to form the only connection, and such evidence is largely valueless without further confirmatory proof.

Another suggestion connects Gog with the barbarian country of Gagaia, which is mentioned in the Tell el-Amarna Tablets (see Vol. I, p. 169; cf. pp. 105, 106). However, Gagaia is a country and not a person, as the Gog of Ezekiel is represented to be.

Actually it is not necessary to find a Gog in the historical records. Gog is most probably an ideal name by which Ezekiel describes the leader of the heathen hordes who make a final onslaught upon Israel after their restoration, and at a time when they are enjoying the prosperity promised by God upon condition of their obedience.

The land of Magog. Or, “of the land of Magog.” The “Magog” of Ezekiel was the homeland of Gog, and like “Gog” its meaning is obscure. The title was probably formed by Ezekiel himself, by prefixing ma to the name gog. “Magog” occurs five times in the Scriptures. It is used twice in Ezekiel (here and in ch. 39:6), as the land of Gog; once in Rev. 20:8, of the nations of the wicked; and in Gen. 10:2 and 1 Chron. 1:5, of one of the sons of Japheth. Some, having identified Gog as Gyges, king of Lydia, suggest that Magog must necessarily be Lydia. There is no historical proof of this, however. The barbaric tribe called Gagaia, usually understood to refer to Magog, is mentioned in a letter of a Babylonian king (see on Gen. 10:2).

These two names, Gog and Magog, have occasioned much speculation. Early Jewish tradition identified Magog with the Scythians (Josephus Antiquities i. 6. 1). The same is suggested by Gesenius (see his Hebrew lexicon).

However, this identification of Magog with the Scythians still rests only on conjecture. Like Gog, the name is probably idealistic, too close identity probably having been purposely avoided, as is often the case in predictive prophecy, lest such identity in prediction defeat its fulfillment.

Other fanciful interpretations from time to time have identified Magog with various nations or with individuals. A large library of legends concerning Gog and Magog could be collected. In many of them the story concerns a wall to keep out Gog and Magog. This wall has been situated in many countries, from Greece to China, depending on the nationality of the legend. The breaking of the wall paved the way for the destructive forces of Gog and Magog to do their work. In some of the legends these events were connected with the appearance of the Antichrist, at which time Gog and Magog (the wild peoples north of the Caucasus Mts.), formerly shut behind gates by Alexander the Great, would be let loose (see L. E. Froom, Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Vol. I, pp. 555, 583, 584, 586, 662).

The chief prince of. Heb. neÅâ€ºi’ ro’sh. NeÅâ€ºi’ means prince. Ro’sh may mean “chief,” as here. However the LXX renders it as a proper name RÅÂs, as does also the RV by its translation “Rosh.” The RSV follows the KJV. Whatever translation is adopted, the general teaching of the prophecy remains the same. If ro’sh is taken to represent a nation, we still have the problem of identifying that nation.

However, the propriety of translating the Heb. ro’sh as a proper name “Rosh” is questionable. The word is very common in the Hebrew, occurring more than 600 times in the OT. Its basic meaning is “head,” and in the KJV is nowhere translated as a proper name except in Gen. 46:21, where it is the name given a son of Benjamin. Of course, the possibility exists that a word occurring more than 600 times with the basic idea of “head” could actually in one or two instances become a proper name. Perhaps the strongest evidence claimed in support of the translation “Rosh” is the testimony of the LXX. The LXX was translated in the 3d and 2d centuries b.c., and for some reason its translators adopted the reading RÅÂs. Whether in their day they knew of a land called RÅÂs, we cannot tell.

There is a syntactical consideration that tends to favor a proper name here. If the word ro’sh is used as an adjective, it would normally be expected to have an article, inasmuch as it would modify “neÅâ€ºi’,” which in the Hebrew is definite by reason of being in the construct state with a proper noun, in this case, “Meshech.” Examples of such constructions, where the adjective modifying the noun in the construct state is definite by the affixing of the article, are Jer. 13:9, “the great pride of Jerusalem”; Ezra 7:9, “the good hand of his God.” The adjective stands in Eze. 38:2 without the article, providing a pretext for translating it as a proper name, since proper names do not take the article. But the evidence is by no means conclusive. At times such an adjective is itself placed in the construct state, and is hence without the article in the Hebrew (see, for example, 2 Sam. 23:1; 2 Chron. 36:10). A notable exception to the foregoing rule is also found in 1 Chron. 27:5, where the expression hakkohen ro’sh, “chief priest,” occurs. There “priest” has the article and the adjective “chief” is without the article. However, this is considered by editors of the Hebrew text to be an error, the article naturally belonging to the adjective.

A study of the secular sources in search of a country by the name of “Rosh” yields very little. Several names with a sound similar to “Rosh” appear in Assyrian inscriptions, but there is no certainty that any of them is identical with “Rosh.”

From the 10th century until the present day, attempts have been made by various exegetes to identify “Rosh” as “Russia.” According to Gesenius, the Byzantine writers of the 10th century identified “Rosh” under the name of hoi RhÅÂs, a people inhabiting the northern parts of Taurus, who, he claims, were “undoubtedly the Russians” (see his Hebrew lexicon). He also mentions an Arabian writer of the same period, Ibn Fosslan, who speaks of these people as dwelling upon the river Rha (Volga).

However, historical evidence shows that the term “Russia” did not come from “Rosh.” Among the Slavs who lived in what is now Russia were groups of Vikings called Varangians, who migrated from eastern Sweden. Although there are different views concerning the role of the Varangians, it is the prevailing scholarly opinion that these non-Slavic warrior-traders and military leaders gave the name “Rus” (whence “Russia”) to the territory they ruled. Russian tradition says that Rurik, a Varangian, took the title of Prince of Novgorod (the leading city of northern Russia at that time) about a.d. 862. His descendants ruled, even through the Mongol domination, until the death of Feodor (Theodore), the last ruler of the Rurik dynasty, in 1598. After a number of years of turmoil, during which several claimants ruled by force, a new czar was elected, Michael Romanoff, whose dynasty continued until the revolution of 1917 (see J. B. Bury, A History of the Eastern Roman Empire, 1912, p. 412; Bernard Pares, A History of Russia, 1944; Encyclopedia Britannica [1974 ed.] art. “Russia”).

Thus it can be seen that any similarity of sound between “Rosh” and “Russia” is obviously purely coincidental. There seems to be no evidence that the name was applied to that country until about the 10th century. a.d.

Meshech. The name appears nine times in the Scriptures. In Gen. 10:2 and 1 Chron. 1:5 Meshech is listed as one of the sons of Japheth. In 1 Chron. 1:17 a likely scribal error lists Meshech as one of the sons of Shem, but doubtless “Mash” was intended, in harmony with Gen. 10:23. The other six occurrences refer to Meshech as a nation. Three of these are in Eze. 38, 39; two are in chs. 27:13; 32:26, and the remaining reference is in Ps. 120:5. According to the LXX, “Meshech” should also be read in Isa. 66:19 instead of “that draw the bow.” In all five of its occurrences in Ezekiel (as well as in Gen. 10:2 and 1 Chron. 1:5) it is coupled with Tubal, indicating that the descendants of Japheth are intended. Ezekiel speaks of them as merchants trading with Tyre, in “vessels of brass,” as well as in slaves (ch. 27:13). In Psalms they are described as inclined “for war” (Ps. 120:7).

Historically, Meshech is believed to represent the Moshians of the Greek classical writers (see Herodotus iii. 94; vii. 78), the Mushku of the Assyrian inscriptions (see on Gen. 10:2).

Some writers, who find Russia in the sound ro’sh, also find Moscow in the sound “Meshech,” or Mushku, and believe that the city may have been founded by descendants of the Mushku. However, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, 1974 edition, Moscow was not established until the 12th century, by George Dolgoruki. No trace of connection between the two names can be found.

Tubal. This name appears eight times in the Scriptures. In Gen. 10:2 and 1 Chron. 1:5 Tubal is listed as one of the sons of Japheth. It occurs in Isa. 66:19, where the LXX has Meshech also (see the foregoing discussion of Meshech). In Ezekiel it is mentioned five times (chs. 27:13; 32:26; 38:2, 3; 39:1), in every case coupled with Meshech. The compound, Tubalcain, appears twice in Gen. 4:22 as the name of the son of Lamech and Zillah.

Historically, Tubal has been identified with the Tibarenians (Gr. TibarÃ„â€œnoi) mentioned in Herodotus iii. 94 and with Tabal of the Assyrian inscriptions (see on Gen. 10:2).

Those who hold that Ro’sh represents Russia attempt to find in Tubal a reference to Tobolsk. The only basis of equating the two is similarity of sound, and such a basis is scarcely tenable. Tobolsk was not founded until 1587, by the Cossacks, and is an unimportant town.

The fact that there were other countries that occupied a much greater place in history than those mentioned in ch. 38 suggests the thought that exact identity is perhaps not the object of the prophecy. Israel was to know that a vast concourse of people would oppose its future rise to national and spiritual greatness. Precisely who the nations were that would play a leading role in the immense confederacy was more or less beside the point, since virtually all heathen powers in opposition to God were to be included. The selection and enumeration of certain nations was probably no more than a of poetic imagery. Similarly, in its application to the present time, inasmuch as all nations will join with Satan in his final struggle against the government of Heaven, no special point is achieved by attempting to identify only a few of the nations.

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Cross References

Son

set

Gog

Magog

Meshech

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