Magog מָגוֹג

Male Early Patriarch H4031G 2 books

Son of Japheth; progenitor of a people group

Biography

Magog is mentioned in the Table of Nations (Gen.10) and the genealogy of Chronicles (1Ch.1) as one of the sons of Japheth, the son of Noah. He is considered the ancestor of a people group that bore his name. In the Bible, the name Magog appears in the prophetic context of Ezekiel 38-39, where Magog is described as a land ruled by Gog, a powerful leader who will lead a coalition of nations against Israel in the end times. The exact identity of the Magog people and their geographical location is uncertain, but some scholars suggest that they may have been associated with the Scythians, a nomadic people who inhabited the region north of the Black Sea. The inclusion of Magog in the Table of Nations and the genealogy of Chronicles emphasizes the biblical understanding of the origins and relationships of the various nations and people groups in the ancient world. As a descendant of Japheth, Magog is part of the lineage that spread out and populated the coastlands and islands, as described in Genesis 10.5.

Family

In Scripture

2 biblical books ; 1 with study content
Genesis 1 verse
  • Genesis 10:2

    "The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras."

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1 Chronicles 1 verse
  • 1 Chronicles 1:5

    "The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras."

Names & Aliases

Form Language Script Strong's
Named Hebrew מָגוֹג H4031G
Encyclopedia Article

Magog

ISBE 1915 (Public Domain)

ible:Ezek.38.2">Eze 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 (Re 20:8), and in this sense these names frequently recur in Jewish apocalyptic literature.

John A. Lees

ma'-gor-mis'-a-bib (maghor miccabhibh, "terror on every side"): A name given by Jeremiah to Pashhur ben Immer, the governor of the temple, who had caused the prophet to be beaten and set in the stocks (<ref osi