מָגוֹג
𐤌𐤂𐤅𐤂
Magog
H4031 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The proper noun 'Magog' refers chiefly to (1) a descendant of Japheth, one of the sons of Noah, named in biblical genealogies, and (2) the name of a distant northern land or peoples, viewed in some texts as a symbol of foreign or hostile nations located beyond the horizons of the Israelite world. The term is associated both with a personal name and with a vaguely defined geopolitical region.
Semantic Range
a personal name (descendant of Japheth), the people descending from him, a distant northern region or people symbolizing remoteness or enemies, an eschatological or archetypal foe in prophetic imagery
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root גּוֹג (Gog), with an 'm' prefix that is typical in northwest Semitic languages for forming collective or place names. The exact root meaning is uncertain. The spelling suggests a relationship to the name Gog, but the semantic connection is unclear beyond the parallelism in certain biblical texts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Magog appears in two main contexts in the Hebrew Bible: (1) In genealogical lists (Genesis 10:2 || 1 Chronicles 1:5) as a son of Japheth, indicating a foundational ancestor for a people group (possibly understood as northern peoples from the perspective of the biblical writers). (2) As a region or people in prophetic literature—especially in Ezekiel 38–39, often in conjunction with 'Gog of the land of Magog'—as representing remote, northern adversaries of Israel. In later Second Temple and post-biblical Jewish and Christian literature, 'Magog' is often read symbolically as a representation of eschatological enemies from the far north. Standard English translations usually preserve the transliterated form, but the association with 'barbarous' or 'hostile' northern regions is a later interpretive development.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גּוֹג; Magog, a son of Japheth; also a barbarous northern region; Magog.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גוג (g-w-g) — personal or clan name (Gog), uncertain origin
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4031-03 |
וּ/מָג֔וֹג | umagog | HC/Np |
and Magog | and Magog | 2 |
H4031-01 |
בְּ/מָג֔וֹג | bemagog | HR/Np |
on Magog | in Magog | 1 |
H4031-02 |
הַ/מָּג֔וֹג | hamagog | HTd/Np |
of Magog | the Magog | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4031-03 |
Genesis 10:2 | וּ/מָג֔וֹג | umagog | HC/Np |
and Magog | and Magog |
H4031-02 |
Ezekiel 38:2 | הַ/מָּג֔וֹג | hamagog | HTd/Np |
of Magog | the Magog |
H4031-01 |
Ezekiel 39:6 | בְּ/מָג֔וֹג | bemagog | HR/Np |
on Magog | in Magog |
H4031-03 |
1 Chronicles 1:5 | וּ/מָג֔וֹג | umagog | HC/Np |
and Magog | and Magog |