What or who is me'shech and tu'bal in the bible?

Answer 1

Although the names of nations can change, the names of their progenitor (or original ancestor) does not. For example, when The Bible refers to 'Persia' it is referring to the nation now known since 1935 as 'Iran', but it is still the same country. In Bible prophecy God calls modern nations and people-groups by the names of their progenitor and his descendants. In prophecy "Meshech"and"Tubal" are usually mentioned in reference to Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39:-Eze 38:1-3 KJV (v.1) (v.1) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (v.2) Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshechand Tubal, and prophesy against him, (v.3) And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I amagainst thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

They are found listed in Genesis chapter 10, often called "The Table of Nations":-

Gen 10:1[NET] The Table of NationsThis is the account of Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.(v.2) The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal,9Meshech,10and Tiras.

The associated Scriptural Notes [or sn] 9& 10 in the NET Bible are:-

9sn Tubalwas the ancestor of militaristic tribes that lived north of the Black Sea. (For a discussion of ancient references to Tubal see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier(SBA), 24-26.)

10sn Meshechwas the ancestor of the people known in Assyrian records as the Musku. (For a discussion of ancient references to them see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier(SBA), 24-26.)

In his notes on Ezekiel 38:2 C.I. Scofield says that "The reference to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification [of] Russia and the northern powers ..."

"Smith's Bible Dictionary" of 1884 says that :

Me'shech.(drawing out). A son of Japheth, and the progenitor of a race frequently noticed in Scripture, in connection with Tubal, Magog and other northern nations. ...they are noticed as one of the remotest, and at the same time, rudest nations of the world. Both the name and the associations are in favor of the identification of Meshech with the Moschi, a people on the borders of Colchis and Armenia.Tu'bal.Tubal is reckoned with Javan and Meshech, among the sons of Japheth. ... Meshech and Tubal are nations of the north. Josephus identified the descendants of Tubal with the Iberians, that is, the inhabitants of a tract of country, between the Caspian and Euxine Seas, which nearly corresponded to the modern Georgia.

MG Easton in his "Illustrated Bible Dictionary says on Meshech that"They were in all probability the Moschi, a people inhabiting the Moschian Mountains, between the Black and the Caspian Seas ..[and] that a large number of them crossed the Caucasus range and spread over the northern steppes, mingling with the Scythians. There they became known as Muscovs, and gave that name to the Russian nation ..."

To summarize the above references and 'Links' below :-

Meshech

Meshechwas the ancestor of the people known as the Muskuor the Moschi, a people initially settling on the borders of Colchis and Armenia in the mountains of Armenia to the north of Assyria in Eastern Anatolia. As the Eastern 2/3rds of Turkey was known as Anatolia, which we know today as Turkey. This is in northern Turkey south east of the Caspian Sea. The city of Moscow (Muskovi) is named after him, as is the Russian nation. It also includes the Poles, Finns, Czechs, and Yugoslavs.

Tubal,

The city of Tobolsk was named after Tubal, who was the ancestor of militaristic tribes that lived north of the Black Sea. He settled near Cappadocia in Asia Minor in the mountains of Armenia to the north of Assyria inEastern Anatolia, which we know today as Turkey (Eastern 2/3rds of Turkey was known as Anatolia.). It also includes modern Georgia, the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Albanians, and Romanians.