מָגוֹג

From the study of Ezekiel 39:6

Range of meaning

A people or land. In Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5, Magog is a son of Japheth, alongside Gomer, Madai, Tubal and Meshech. These are peoples of Anatolia (modern Turkey) and the regions north of it. Many scholars think the name means 'land of Gog' (ma- as a place prefix, possibly from Akkadian māt, 'land').

Against the English

English simply transliterates it. The trouble comes from modern attempts to match it to a present-day nation.

How it drifted

Popular prophecy writing from the 19th and 20th centuries identified Magog (with 'Rosh' in 38:2) as Russia. Nothing in the Hebrew supports this.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus (Antiquities 1.123) identifies Magog's descendants with the Scythians, the horse-riding peoples of the far north. Gog is often linked with Gyges (Gugu in Assyrian records), a 7th-century king of Lydia in western Anatolia. In Revelation 20:8, 'Gog and Magog' have become symbols of the hostile nations at the ends of the earth.

From the study of Genesis 10:2

Range of meaning

Name of a northern people or territory. The ma- prefix may mean 'place of / land of' (perhaps compare Akkadian māt, 'land'), which would make Magog 'the land of Gog,' but this is not proven.

Against the English

Transliterated in every version. Because of Ezekiel 38–39 and Revelation 20:8, modern readers tend to hear the name as an end-times enemy.

How it drifted

Ezekiel 38–39 makes 'Gog of the land of Magog' the leader of a final invasion. Revelation 20:8 turns 'Gog and Magog' into a symbol for the nations gathered against God's people. Modern prophecy teaching then tried to match the names to present-day states.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus (Antiquities 1.123) identifies Magog with the Scythians. Gog is often compared with Gyges (Akkadian Gugu), a 7th-century king of Lydia in western Anatolia, though this is debated. Other proposals place Magog in Lydia or among the steppe peoples generally.