The Meaning of Ezekiel 38:2 Explained

Ezekiel 38:2

KJV: Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

YLT: 'Son of man, set thy face unto Gog, of the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy concerning him,

Darby: Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

ASV: Son of man, set thy face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Son  of man,  set  thy face  against Gog,  the land  of Magog,  the chief  prince  of Meshech  and Tubal,  and prophesy  against him, 

What does Ezekiel 38:2 Mean?

Study Notes

Gog
That the primary reference is to the northern (European) powers, headed up by Russia, all agree. The whole passage should be read in connection with Zechariah 12:1-4 ; Zechariah 14:1-9 ; Matthew 24:14-30 ; Revelation 14:14-20 ; Revelation 19:17-21 , "gog" is the prince, "Magog," his land. The reference to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification. Russia and the northern powers have been the latest persecutors of dispersed Israel, and it is congruous both with divine justice and with the covenants See Scofield " Revelation 20:7-950 " that destruction should fall at the climax of the last mad attempt to exterminate the remnant of Israel in Jerusalem. The whole prophecy belongs to the yet future "day of Jehovah"; Isaiah 2:10-22 ; Revelation 19:11-21 and to the battle of Armageddon Revelation 16:14 See Scofield " Revelation 19:19 " but includes also the final revolt of the nations at the close of the kingdom-age. 1711703015_2 .
covenant
The Abrahamic Covenant as formed Genesis 12:1-4 and confirmed; Genesis 13:14-17 ; Genesis 15:1-7 ; Genesis 17:1-8 is in seven distinct parts:
(1) "I will make of thee a great nation." Fulfilled in a threefold way:
(a) In a natural posterity--"as the dust of the earth Genesis 13:16 ; John 8:37 , viz. the Hebrew people.
(b) In a spiritual posterity--"look now toward heaven. .. so shall thy seed be" John 8:39 ; Romans 4:16 ; Romans 4:17 ; Romans 9:7 ; Romans 9:8 ; Galatians 3:6 ; Galatians 3:7 ; Galatians 3:29 viz. all men of faith, whether Jew or Gentile.
(c) fulfilled also through Ishmael Genesis 17:18-20
(2) "I will bless thee." Fulfilled in two ways:
(a) temporally Genesis 13:14 ; Genesis 13:15 ; Genesis 13:17 ; Genesis 15:18 ; Genesis 24:34 ; Genesis 24:35 (b) spiritually; Genesis 15:6 ; John 8:56
(3) "And make thy name great." Abraham's is one of the universal names.
(4) "And thou shalt be a blessing" Galatians 3:13 ; Galatians 3:14
(5) "I will bless them that bless thee." In fulfilment closely related to the next clause.
(6) "And curse him that curseth thee." Wonderfully fulfilled in the history of the dispersion. It has invariably fared ill with the people who have persecuted the Jew--well with those who have protected him. The future will still more remarkably prove this principle Deuteronomy 30:7 ; Isaiah 14:1 ,; Joel 3:1-8 ; Micah 5:7-9 ; Haggai 2:22 ; Zechariah 14:1-3 ; Matthew 25:40 ; Matthew 25:45 .
(7) "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." This is the great evangelic promise fulfilled in Abraham's Seed, Christ Galatians 3:16 ; John 8:56-58 .
It brings into greater definiteness the promise of the Adamic Covenant concerning the Seed of the woman Genesis 3:15
NOTE.--The gift of the land is modified by prophecies of three dispossessions and restorations Genesis 15:13 ; Genesis 15:14 ; Genesis 15:16 ; Jeremiah 25:11 ; Jeremiah 25:12 ; Deuteronomy 28:62-65 ; Deuteronomy 30:1-3 . Two dispossessions and restorations have been accomplished. Israel is now in the third dispersion, from which she will be restored at the return of the Lord as King under the Davidic Covenant; Deuteronomy 30:3 ; Jeremiah 23:5-8 ; Ezekiel 37:21-25 ; Luke 1:30-33 ; Acts 15:14-17
See, for the other seven covenants:
EDENIC (See Scofield " Genesis 1:28 ") ADAMIC See Scofield " Genesis 3:15 " NOAHIC See Scofield " Genesis 9:1 " MOSAIC See Scofield " Exodus 19:25 " PALESTINIAN See Scofield " Deuteronomy 30:3 " DAVIDIC See Scofield " 2 Samuel 7:16 " NEW See Scofield " Hebrews 8:8 "

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 38

1  The army
8  and malice of Gog
14  God's judgment against him

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 38:2 mean?

Son of man set your face against Gog of the land of Magog the prince of Rosh Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him
בֶּן־ אָדָ֗ם שִׂ֤ים פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־ גּוֹג֙ אֶ֣רֶץ הַמָּג֔וֹג נְשִׂ֕יא רֹ֖אשׁ מֶ֣שֶׁךְ וְתֻבָ֑ל וְהִנָּבֵ֖א עָלָֽיו

בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֗ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שִׂ֤ים  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙  your  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֶל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
גּוֹג֙  Gog 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוג  
Sense: a Reubenite, son of Shemaiah.
אֶ֣רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַמָּג֔וֹג  of  Magog 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָגֹוג  
Sense: the 2nd son of Japheth, grandson of Noah, and progenitor of several tribes northward from Israel.
נְשִׂ֕יא  the  prince 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
רֹ֖אשׁ  of  Rosh 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
מֶ֣שֶׁךְ  Meshech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶשֶׁךְ  
Sense: son of Japheth, grandson of Noah, and progenitor of peoples to the north of Israel.
וְתֻבָ֑ל  and  Tubal 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֻּבַל  
Sense: son of Japheth and grandson of Noah.
וְהִנָּבֵ֖א  and  prophesy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
עָלָֽיו  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.