We know they are a new, previously unnamed enemy (unlike Babylonia or Assyria or Egypt), that this ruler Gog rules over more than one people (including Meshech and Tubal), and that Gog’s territory is found in the far north in respect to Israel (Ezekiel 38:15). Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh: Though the similar sounding name does not certainly identify Rosh with Russia, that identification matches what we do know about Gog and Rosh. “These two are thus conjoined to show, as some think, that Turks and Popelings shall at length join their forces to root out the true religion, and that, while they are tumultuating and endeavouring the Church’s downfall, Christ shall come upon them and confound them.”ī. Trapp wrote that Meshech represented the Muslims and Tubal the Roman Catholics. John Trapp is an example of speculative guessing regarding the identity of the people mentioned here. Meshech and Tubal: “The biblical and extrabiblical data, though sparse, would imply that Meshech and Tubal refer to geographical areas or countries in eastern modern Turkey, southwest of Russia and northwest of Iran.” (Alexander) 6, 15 39:2), but neither does it demand it.” (Wiersbe) This doesn’t rule out the participation of modern Russia, since it is located in the north (vv. “It’s tempting to identify Rosh with Russia and therefore Meschech with Moscow and Tubal with Tobolsk, both cities in Russia but we would have a hard time defending this on linguistic grounds.
There have been many writers who connected the name Rosh with the Russians, but this is not generally accepted today.” Feinberg on Rosh: “Byzantine and Arabic writers mentioned a people called Rus inhabiting the country of Taurus and reckoned among the Scythians. This position is generally accepted.” (Alexander)
The land of Magog: “Magog, a Japhetic descendant (Genesis 10:2) in the table of nations, is identified by Josephus (Antiquities I, 123 ) as the land of the Scythians, a mountainous region around the Black and Caspian seas. Others see Gog as a king who lived more than a hundred years before Ezekiel’s time ( Gyges, the king of Lydia). This is an extremely unlikely conclusion. Several older commentators (such as Matthew Poole, John Trapp, and Adam Clarke) identified Gog with Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the great persecutor of the Jewish people in the period between the Old and New Testaments. It is a new confederacy and antagonism.” (Morgan) “Notice also that none of these enemies are the old ones with which we are familiar as hostile to Israel.
There is no other Old Testament description of or connection with Gog (apart from 1 Chronicles 5:4, which seems to have no relevance to this passage).It is a difficult problem without an entirely clear solution, for several reasons. Identifying Gog and the battle described in this chapter has interested interpreters and students of Bible prophecy since ancient times. Here Gog is noted as the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog: In this general context of God’s restoration of Israel, here Ezekiel prophesied against Gog (a ruler) and Magog (the place of Gog). Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.Ī. (1-3) God against Gog of the land of Magog. Ezekiel 38 – The Defeat of Gog and Defense of Israel A.