“Chief prince” or “Prince of Rosh” in Ezekiel 38:2?
"Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him," (Ezekiel 38:2, KJV)
“ראשׁ (rô'sh)” is translated as “chief,” “head,” or “top” in dozens of places in all translations. It denotes the most important or highest position (“chief” or “top” in regards to status, and “head” in regards to anatomy). One might be tempted to translate the word as “Rosh” in order to strengthen the prophecy concerning Russia, as suggested by the mention of Meshech and Tubal; however, the most plain and honest translation seems to be “chief prince” since the subject matter of the passage concerns Gog, a chief commander of a coalition of invading nations. If God intended to refer to Russia, it may be doubtful that he would have transliterated the name using a common word for “chief” in a context where “chief” is the fitting meaning.
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