Who are Meshech and Tubal in the Bible?

Meshech, a word meaning "to draw out (hence possibly to be "tall of stature"), was the name of Japheth's sixth son. Coupled with this is generally found the name of Japheth's fifth son Tubal which means "flowing forth" (i.e. "increase and diffusion of a race").

These two brothers are generally admitted to have been the progenitors of the Moschi and Tibareni respectively, tribes constantly associated under the names of "Muskai and Tuplai," in the Assyrian inscriptions, just as Meshech and Tubal are in scripture. "They can, therefore, scarcely fail to belong to one and the same ethnic family: so that if we can succeed in distinctly referring either of them to a particular branch, we may assume the same of the other. Now the Muskai (or Moschoi of the Greeks) are regarded on very sufficient grounds as the ancestors of the Muscovites, who built Moscow, an d who still give name to Russia throughout the East. And these Muscovites have been lately recognized as belonging to the Tchad or Finnish family, which the Slavonic Russians conquered and which is a well-known Turanian race."*

Son of Japheth, and his descendants, who are supposed to have settled on the south-east of the Euxine or Black Sea, and were known as the Tibareni. They sent slaves and brass to Tyre. Their descendants with Rosh and Meshech will be among the enemies of the Jews in a future day, and will be destroyed. Gen. 10:2; 1 Chr. 1:5; Isa. 66:19; Ezek. 27:13; Ezek. 32:26; Ezek. 38:2-3; Ezek. 39:1. The district they occupied now forms a part of the Russian Empire, which well agrees with their being associated with Rosh (Russia) and the Muscovites spoken of in Ezek. 38. The Moschi and Tibareni are constantly associated in the Assyrian inscriptions under the names of Muskai and Tuplai, which latter very nearly approaches Tubal.

Next, Magog (cf. Ezek. 38:2) quite as certainly is identified with the land we call Russia (a name derived from the river Volga, called Greek Ῥᾶ, as Ῥῶς is their Greek title). To these must add Meshech and Tubal, races long known as Moschi and Tibareni: these are the Muskai and the Tuplai of the Assyrian inscriptions, who find their representatives in Moscow and Tobolsk. This is the Sclavonian branch.

Russia's future bold and profane doings are unfolded in Ezek. 38 & Ezek. 39. The prophet was told by God to set his face against "Gog, the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him." We cannot state fully here the reasons for accepting "Rosh" as a proper name, our space not permitting. It must suffice to say that the translators of the Septuagint so rendered it many years before Christ; and the English revisers of 1881 have adopted it in their work. "Meshech" and "Tubal" represent the Moschi and Tibareni, two ancient tribes long ago incorporated with the empire of Russia." They were in fact three great tribes, by the ancients called Scythians, the first of them apparently deriving its name from their proximity in those days to the river Rha, or Volga (though some think the Araxes), and supplying that of the modern Russ, as the others are reproduced in Moscow or Muscovy and in Tobolsk. There is, of course, no difficulty in supposing migrations northward from the original seats, supposing that they may have been the races in the north of Asia Minor during the days of Ezekiel, and familiar to us as the Moschi, Tibareni, and perhaps other tribes named in later authors of Greece."

But none of these affords a tolerable or even intelligible meaning, save the latter two which desert the text. It is true that 'rosh', when the context requires it to be a common appellative, means "head" or "chief;" but it is this sense which in the present instance brings in confusion. There can be no doubt therefore that it must be taken as a proper name, and here not of a man as in Genesis 26:2, if the common reading stand, but of a race. This at once furnishes a suitable sense, which is strengthened by the term which precedes it as well as by those that follow. For, as 'nasi' regularly means the head of a tribe, or a prince in general, So Meshech and Thubal fix 'rosh' as meaning a Gentilic name (Rosh). They were in fact three great tribes, by the ancients called Scythians, the first of them apparently deriving its name from their proximity in those days to the river Rha, or Volga (though some think the Araxes), and supplying that of the modern Russ, as the others are reproduced in Moscow or Muscovy, and in Tobolsk. There is of course no difficulty in supposing migrations northward from the original seats, supposing that they may have been the races in the north of Asia Minor during the days of Ezekiel, and familiar to us as the Moschi, Tibareni, and perhaps other tribes named in later authors of Greece.

Suddenly, Russia and her allies invade Israel (Ezek. 38 — 39:24). Contrary to popular belief, the prophecy in these two chapters concerns Russia, not the King of the North. The ones addressed are Rosh (Russia), Meshech (Moscow) and Tubal (probably Tobolsk) as seen in Ezekiel 38:2-3 and 39:1 (NKJV, NASB, JND, etc.). Rosh means "chief” and was so translated in the King James Version (KJV) because the translators evidently didn't realize it was a proper name. This has caused much confusion among those who only read the KJV.

GOG is a symbolical name for the powerful and proud chief of the vast hordes of Scythia and Tartary. MAGOG, the son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2), whose descendants spread over the vast steppes in the north, after whom the land is here called. Ezek. 38:2 should read "Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal." Gog is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal answering to Russia, Moscow or Muscovy, and Tobolsk: all now in the Russian empire. These, 'coming out of the north,' as a cloud to cover the land,' will attack Israel in the land of Palestine, but will be smitten by God. Ezek. 38:2, 18; Ezek. 39:1, 6, 11. The valley where they will be buried will be called HAMON-GOG, the 'multitude of Gog,' Ezek. 39:11, 15. The destruction of these hordes will cause the heathen to know the Lord, that is, the nations extern to the Anti-christian Empire of the West.

The leader is the prince of Rosh (not as the authorized version has it "the chief prince") of Meshech and Tubal. This prince is the head of the confederacy and with him allied are Persia, Cush, Phut, Gomer and Togormah. They come out of the north, or, as it is in Hebrew, "out of the uttermost north" (verse 15). Inasmuch as the Prince of Rosh is addressed in verse 3 as Gog, we take it that Gog is the name given to this prince and leader of these nations. His dwelling place is in the land of Magog. We know from Genesis 10:2, that Magog was the second son of Japheth. Gomer, Tubal and Meshech were also sons of Japheth; Togormah was a grandson of Japheth, being the third son of Gomer. Magog's land was located in what is called today the Caucasus and the adjoining steppes. And the three, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal were called by the ancients Scythians. They roamed as nomads in the country around and north of the Black and the Caspian Seas, and were known as the wildest barbarians. We learn from this that the invading forces, which fall into Israel's land in the future, when Israel has been regathered, come from a territory north of Palestine which today is in the hands of Russia. And here we call attention to the prince, this northern leader, or king, who is the head of all these nations. He is the prince of Rosh. Careful research has established the fact that the progenitor of Rosh was Tiraz (Gen. 10:2), and that Rosh is Russia. All students of prophecy are agreed that this is the correct meaning of Rosh. The prince of Rosh, means, therefore, the prince or king of the Russian empire. But he also is in control of Meshech and Tubal, which are reproduced in the modern Moscow and Tobolsk. Russia, we may well conclude from this, will furnish the man who will lead this confederacy of nations. We write this at a time when Russia is passing through horrors upon horrors. A revolution changed the autocratic government into a democracy, and that gave way to anarchy, produced by satanic powers. From what is written in this chapter, we learn that Russia will ultimately return to the old regime, and will once more become a monarchy to fulfill her final destiny as made known in this sublime prophecy. Well known it is that Russia has been in the past the most pronounced and bitterest enemy of the Jewish people. What she passes through today is but a fulfillment of what the Lord has spoken: "I will curse them that curse thee." Today, the Jews in Russia may have bright hopes of getting their rights and complete emancipation at last. For a time this may come to pass, but ultimately Russia will turn against them; and, as Pharaoh did, when Israel had left his domain, so this coming king of the north, the prince of Rosh, when Israel is back in the land, will turn against them.

Gog is distinctly the ruler; the land of Magog, the people ruled; Rosh, we believe, stands for Russia; Meshech, for Moscow, the ancient capital of European Russia. One remarkable result of the Revolution in Russia has been the decay of Petrograd, and the transfer of the capital to Moscow. Tubal, we believe, stands for Tobolsk, the capital of Asiatic Russia, that is of Siberia.

Ezekiel does exactly the contrary. He goes, himself a captive, up to the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and goes then right over to the end, when Israel would be restored and the enemies go up against them in their land. We shall turn now to his prophecy, where you will find largely developed this other great power. Chapter 38:1-2, "And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him." The chief prince of Meshech is properly interpreted prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and then follow the names of countries which agree with the names of those of the present day under the influence of Rosh (Russia). You will remark that, in the two preceding chapters, 36 and 37, you have the restoration of the people and divine revival of Israel. Now, when restored and quiet in the land, Gog comes up against them (chap. 38:8) to plunder and possess the land; but it is that the heathen may know Jehovah when He is sanctified in Gog before their eyes (v. 16). They will then know by His judgments that He is Jehovah (v. 23). In chapter 39 God leaves a sixth part of them, and when judgment is thus executed, God's holy name is known in the midst of His people Israel. He will not let them pollute His holy name any more, "And the heathen shall know that I am Jehovah, the Holy One in Israel." He then calls on all the fowls of the air to come and feast on the slaughtered victims whom He has slain for a sacrifice; so many are they that it is seven months before the land is clean. This also is the one of whom He has spoken in old times by His servants the prophets, the Assyrian of the last days, in whom, as these passages plainly shew, the indignation ceases.