Whom is Ezekiel
talking about in 27:13 and 38:2?by
Jack Kettler
Ezekiel speaks of Gog of the land
of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and
Tubal. Whom is Ezekiel talking about in this
passage? Is Ezekiel talking about his time or
something in the future? Is Rosh Russia? Is
Meshech Moscow? Is Tubal the Russian province
Tobolsk? As in previous studies, we will look
at definitions, scriptures, commentary
evidence for the purpose to glorify God in how
we live.
Scriptures
“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded
with you; they exchanged human beings and
vessels of bronze for your merchandise.”
(Ezekiel 27:13 ESV)
“Son of man set your face toward
Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh,
Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him.”
(Ezekiel 38:2 ASV)
A first glance, there is nothing
in texts above that give any hint of events
sometime way in the future. Whom is Ezekiel
speaking about in these texts? We should not
read into Scripture more than is there.
From Ellicott'sCommentary
for English Readers, we find a
historical interpretation on the Ezekiel
38:2 text:
“(2) Gog, the land of
Magog.—“Magog” is mentioned in Genesis 10:2
(1Chronicles 1:5) in connection with Gomer
(the Cimmerians) and Madai (the Medes), as the
name of a people descended from Japhet. Early
Jewish tradition, adopted by Josephus and St.
Jerome, identifies them with the Scythians;
and this view has seemed probable to nearly
all modern expositors. But the name of
Scythians must be understood rather in a
geographical than in a strictly ethnological
sense, of the tribes living north of the
Caucasus. Driven from their original home by
the Massagetæ, they had poured down upon Asia
Minor and Syria shortly before the time of
Ezekiel, and had advanced even as far as
Egypt. They took Sardis (B.C. 629), spread
themselves in Media (B.C. 624), were bribed
off from Egypt by Psammeticus, and were
finally driven back (B.C. 596), leaving their
name as a terror to the whole eastern world
for their fierce skill in war, their cruelty,
and rapacity. It was probably the memory of
their recent disastrous inroads that led
Ezekiel to the selection of their name as the
representative of the powers hostile to the
Church of God.
The name Gog occurs only in
connection with Magog, except in 1Chronicles
5:4, as the name of an otherwise unknown
Reubenite. It is also the reading of the
Samaritan and Septuagint in Numbers 24:7 for
Agag. It has generally been supposed that
Ezekiel here formed the name from Magog by
dropping the first syllable, which was thought
to mean simply place or land; but an Assyrian
inscription has been discovered, in which
Ga-a-gi is mentioned as a chief of the Saka
(Scythians), and Mr. Geo. Smith (“Hist. of
Assurbanipal”) identifies this name with Gog.
The text should be read, Gog, of the land of
Magog.
The chief prince of Meshech and
Tubal.—Rather, the prince of Rosh, Meshech,
and Tubal. Our version has followed St. Jerome
in translating Rosh “chief,” because formerly
no people of that name was definitely known;
but they are frequently mentioned by Arabic
writers as a Scythian tribe dwelling in the
Taurus, although the attempt
to derive from them the name of Russian
cannot be considered as sufficiently
supported. In Revelation 20:8,
Gog and Magog are both symbolic names of
nations. For Meshech and Tubal see Note on
Ezekiel 27:13.” (1)
From
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
and his note on Ezekiel 27:13:
“(13) Javan, Tubal, and
Meshech.—Javan is strictly Ionia, more
generally Greece. Tubal and Meshech are the
classic Tibareni and Moschi, between the Black
and Caspian Seas. They were famous for dealing
in slaves and in brass, or rather copper, of
which their mountains still contain abundant
supplies.” (2)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary on Meshech and
Tubal from Ezekiel 27:13:
“13. Javan—the Ionians or Greeks:
for the Ionians of Asia Minor were the first
Greeks with whom the Asiatics came in contact.
Tubal … Meshech—the Tibareni and
Moschi, in the mountain region between the
Black and Caspian Seas.
Persons of men—that is, as
slaves. So the Turkish harems are supplied
with female slaves from Circassia and Georgia.
Vessels—all kinds of articles.
Superior weapons are still manufactured in the
Caucasus region.” (3)
Helpful entries
from Strong’s
Lexicon:
Gog
Gog,
גּוֹג֙ (gō·wḡ)
Noun - proper - masculine
singular
Strong's Hebrew 1463: Gog =
'mountain' 1) a Reubenite, son of Shemaiah 2)
the prophetic prince of Rosh, Meshech and
Tubal, and Magog
Magog
of Magog,
הַמָּג֔וֹג (ham·mā·ḡō·wḡ)
Article | Noun - proper -
feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 4031: Magog =
'land of Gog' n pr m 1) the 2nd son of
Japheth, grandson of Noah, and progenitor of
several tribes northward from Israel n pr loc
2) the mountainous region between Cappadocia
and Media and habitation of the descendants of
Magog, son of Japheth and grandson of Noah
Javan,
יָוָ֤ן (yā·wān)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Hebrew 3120: Javan = 'Ionia' or
'Greece' n pr m 1) a son of Japheth and
grandson of Noah n pr loc 2) Greece, Ionia,
Ionians 2a) location of descendants of Javan
Meshech
of Meshech
מֶ֣שֶׁךְ (me·šeḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine
singular
Strong's Hebrew 4902: Mesech or
Meshech = 'drawing out' 1) son of Japheth,
grandson of Noah, and progenitor of peoples to
the north of Israel 1a) descendants of Mesech
often mentioned in connection with Tubal,
Magog, and other northern nations including
the Moschi, a people on the borders of Colchis
and Armenia
Strong's Hebrew 8422: Tubal =
'thou shall be brought' n pr m 1) son of
Japheth and grandson of Noah n pr terr 2) a
region in east Asia Minor 2a) perhaps nearly
equal to Cappadocia
Rosh: head
Original Word: רֹאשׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: rosh
Phonetic Spelling: (roshe)
Definition: head
Commentator
Gary DeMar sheds some light on the Hebrew
word Rosh,
Meshech, and Tubal:
“In Ezekiel 38:2 and 39:1, the
Hebrew word rosh is translated as if it were
the name of a nation. That nation is thought
to be modern Russia because rosh sounds like
Russia. In addition, Meshech (38:2) is said to
sound like Moscow, and Tubal (38:2) is similar
to the name of one of the prominent Asiatic
provinces of Russia, the province of Tobolsk.”
(4)
DeMar cites the
noted historian Edwin M. Yamauchi on the
word rosh:
“Edwin M. Yamauchi, noted
Christian historian and archeologist, writes
that rosh “can have nothing to do with modern
'Russia,’” -- “all informed references and
studies acknowledge that the association with
Moscow and Tobolsk is untenable.”
Yamauchi
continues:
“Rosh can have nothing to do with
modern ‘Russia. This would be a gross
anachronism, for the modern name is based upon
the name Rus, which was brought into the
region of Kiev, north of the Black Sea, by the
Vikings only in the Middle Ages.” (5)
DeMar seals the
case against rosh being understood to be
Russia by citing a leading dispensationalist
Charles Ryrie:
“Dispensational writer Charles
Ryrie does not believe that the rosh-Russian
theory holds up. He says: ‘The prince of Rosh
(better, 'the chief prince of Meshech and
Tubal'), the area of modern Turkey.’” (6)
Magog and
Meshech from the International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia:
MAGOG
“ma'-gog
(maghogh;
Magog): Named among the sons of Japheth (Gen
10:2; 1 Chapter 1:5). Ezekiel uses the word as
equivalent to "land of Gog" (Ezekiel 38:2;
39:6). Josephus identifies the Magogites with
the Scythians (Ant., I, vi, 1). From a
resemblance between the names Gog and Gyges
(Gugu), king of Lydia, some have suggested
that Magog is Lydia; others, however, urge
that Magog is probably only a variant of Gog
(Sayce in HDB). In the Apocalypse of John, Gog
and Magog represent all the heathen opponents
of Messiah (Rev 20:8), and in this sense,
these names frequently recur in Jewish
apocalyptic literature.” John A. Lees (7)
MESHECH; MESECH
“me'-shek,
me'-sek (meshekh, “long,” “tall”;
Mosoch): Son of Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1Chronicles
1:5; 1:17 is a scribal error for “Mash”;
compare Gen 10:22, 23). His descendants and
their dwelling-place (probably somewhere in
the neighborhood of Armenia (Herodotus
iii.94)) seem to be regarded in Scripture as
synonyms for the barbaric and remote (Ps
120:5; compare Isa 66:19, where Meshech should
be read instead of “that draw the bow”). It is
thought that the “Tibareni and Moschi” of the
classical writers refer to the same people.
Doubtless, they appear in the annals of
Assyria as enemies of that country under the
names Tabali and Mushki--the latter the
descendants of Meshech and the former those of
Tubal to whom the term “Tibareni” may refer in
the clause above. This juxtaposition of names
is in harmony with practically every
appearance of the word in Scripture. It is
seldom named without some one of the
others--Tubal, Javan, Gog and Magog. It is
this, which forms a good justification for
making the suggested change in Isa 66:19,
where Meshech would be in the usual company of
Tubal and Javan. Ezekiel mentions them several
times, first, as engaged in contributing to
the trade of Tyre (Tiras of Gen 10:2?), in
“vessels of brass” and--very
significantly--slaves; again there is the
association of Javan and Tubal with them
(Ezekiel 27:13); second, they are included in
his weird picture of the under-world: “them
that go down into the pit” (Ezekiel 32:18,26).
They are mentioned again with Gog and Magog
twice as those against whom the prophet is to
“set his face” (Ezekiel 38:2, 3; 39:1).” Henry
Wallace (8)
Easton's Bible Dictionary – Tubal:
“The fifth son of Japheth Genesis
10:2).
A nation probably descended from
the son of Japheth. It is mentioned by (Isaiah
66:19), along with Javan, and by (Ezekiel
27:13), along with Meshech, among the traders
with Tyre, also among the confederates of Gog
(Ezekiel 38:2 Ezekiel 38:3; 39:1), and with
Meshech among the nations which were to be
destroyed (32:26). This nation was probably
the Tiberini of the Greek historian Herodotus,
a people of the Asiatic highland west of the
Upper Euphrates, the southern range of the
Caucasus, on the east of the Black Sea.” (9)
Meshech and
Tubal are cities in Turkey, not Russia. Many
academics such as the following short list
of scholars support this:
Ralph Alexander Old Testament scholar,
(B.A., Rice University; Th.M., Th.D., Dallas
Theological Seminary) is a professor of Hebrew
Scriptures and chair of the Division of Bible
Studies at Western Conservative Baptist
Seminary, Portland, Oregon. He has completed
graduate work at Hebrew University and
specializes in Hebrew and archaeology.
Daniel I. Block Old Testament scholar,
Semitics: Classical Hebrew, School of
Archaeology and Oriental Studies, University
of Liverpool, Liverpool, England.
Dissertation: The Foundations of National
Identity: A Study in Ancient Northwest Semitic
Perceptions M.A. 1973, Old Testament, Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield,
Illinois
Edwin Yamauchi, scholar and historian areas
of expertise include Ancient History, Old
Testament, New Testament, Early Church
History, Gnosticism, and Biblical Archaeology.
He has been awarded eight fellowships,
contributed chapters to several books,
articles in reference works, and has published
80 essays in 37 scholarly journals.
Dr. Michael
Heiser holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew, and
Semitic languages. He is the co-editor of Old
Testament Greek Pseudepigrapha with Morphology
and Semitic Inscriptions: Analyzed Texts and
English Translations, and can do translation
work in roughly a dozen ancient languages,
including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic,
Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ugaritic cuneiform.
In addition, he was named the 2007 Pacific
Northwest Regional Scholar by the Society of
Biblical Literature.
An abbreviated
list of dictionaries and encyclopedias:
The New Bible Dictionary places both Meshech and Tubal in
Turkey. See p. 763.
The Baker
Encyclopedia of the Bible places Meshech and Tubal in
Northern Assyria, which today is northern Iraq
and southeastern Turkey today. See pp.
1443-1444.
In closing:
An interpretive
fallacy:
It is a fallacy to equate Rosh
with Russia, Meshech with Moscow, and Tubal
with the Russian province Tobolsk. What type
of fallacy is this? This fallacy is called an
anachronism. “Rosh can have nothing to do with
modern ‘Russia. This would be a gross
anachronism, for the modern name is based upon
the name Rus, which was brought into the
region of Kiev, north of the Black Sea, by the
Vikings only in the Middle Ages.” See footnote
(5)
above.
An anachronism is the
representation of an event, person, or thing
in a historical context in which it could not
have occurred or existed.
It is incredible that Bible
teachers can get away with such logical
fallacies like reading the country of Russia
into an ancient Hebrew text. Another way to
describe this fallacy has been called
“newspaper exegesis.” Said another way, it is
reading current events from a newspaper back
into an ancient text, which is a gross
historical anachronism.
The Bible is not a series of
hidden cryptic messages that only later in
history will become clear. Are helicopters
mentioned in the Bible? For example, “And they
had tails like unto scorpions, and there were
stings in their tails: and their power was to
hurt men five months” (Revelation 9:10). Some
futurist Bible interpreters say John is
talking about helicopter gunships instead of
locust-like scorpions. Did God show John some
future TV screen vision of helicopters? Since
John did not know what he was seeing, he tried
the best to describe helicopters as scorpions.
Approaching the Bible this way is not biblical
exegesis; it is FANTASTIC nonsense.
What is
biblical exegesis?
The first job of an exegete is to
determine what Ezekiel was trying to convey to
his readers. Ezekiel was writing under the
inspiration of God things to the nation of
Israel, for their understanding, not
twenty-first-century American futuristic
speculators. Being bound by futuristic
eschatological assumptions can color one’s
research.
The careful reader of God's Word
should use the grammatical and historical
contexts when interpreting the Scriptures. The
exegete should not come to the text with
preconceived ideas that may color textual
interpretation. The grammatical-historical
method is a safeguard against this. The
grammatical-historical method is a
hermeneutical method that seeks to ascertain
the authors' original understanding of a text
of Scripture.
The grammatical-historical method
of interpretation focuses attention not only
on literary forms but also upon grammatical
constructions and historical contexts out of
which the Scriptures were written. The
grammatical-historical method is solidly in
the literal school of interpretation and is
the hermeneutical methodology embraced by
virtually all Reformed Protestant exegetes and
scholars. The goal of biblical exegesis (to
bring out) is to explore the meaning of the
text, which then leads to discovering its
significance or relevance.
To answer the
question:
Whom is Ezekiel
talking about in 27:13 and 38:2?
Ezekiel was talking about real
physical places known in his day, not nations
that did not exist. The theories about Russia,
fail on both grammatical and historical
grounds as well as being logically fallacious.
Notes:
1.Charles John Ellicott,
Bible
Commentary for English Readers, Ezekiel,
Vol.5, (London, England, Cassell and Company),
p. 309.
2.Charles John Ellicott,
Bible
Commentary for English Readers, Ezekiel,
Vol.5, (London, England, Cassell and Company),
p. 281.
3.Jamieson, Fausset and
Brown, Commentary
on the Whole Bible, (Grand Rapids,
Michigan, Zondervan, 1977) p. 708.
4.Gary
DeMar, Last Days Madness, (Powder Springs,
Georgia, American Vision), p. 363.
5.Edwin M. Yamauchi, Foes from
the Northern Frontier: Invading Hordes from
the Russian Steppes, (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Book House, 1982), 20, 24-25.
6.Charles C. Ryrie, ed.,
The
Ryrie Study Bible, (Chicago, IL: Moody
Press, 1978), p. 1285.
7.Orr, James, M.A., D.D.
General Editor, “Entry for
'Magog,'” International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia, (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Eerdmans, reprinted 1986),
p. 1965.
8.Orr, James, M.A., D.D.
General Editor. “Definition
for'MESHECH;
MESECH'”, International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia, (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Eerdmans, reprinted 1986),
p. 2038.
9.M.G. Easton M.A., D.D.,
Illustrated
Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public
Domain, copy freely.
“To God,
only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ
forever. Amen.” (Romans 16:27) and “heirs
according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:28,
29)
Mr. Kettler has
previously published articles in the Chalcedon
Report and Contra
Mundum. He and his wife Marea attend the
Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr. Kettler is
the author of the book defending the Reformed
Faith against attacks, titled: The
Religion That Started in a Hat.
Available at: http://www.TheReligionThatStartedInAHat.com
For More
Study
Debunking the
Russia/War of Gog and Magog Myth by Jeffrey
Goodman, Ph.D.