Lexical Summary Meshek: Meshech Original Word: מֶשֶׁךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Mesech, Meshech The same in form as meshek, but probably of foreign derivation; Meshek, a son of Japheth, and the people descended from him -- Mesech, Meshech. see HEBREW meshek NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom mashak Definition a son of Japheth, also his desc. and their land NASB Translation Meshech (10). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. מֶ֫שֶׁךְ proper name, of a people the Moschi (Greek Μοσχοι, see below; Assyrian Mušku, Muški, DlPar 250 E. SchrCOT Genesis 10:2; KGF 155 ff.; compare Sabean משך Hal243); — 'son' of Japheth Genesis 10:2 (P), between תֻּבָל and תִּירָס, = 1 Chronicles 1:5; also, מֶ֑שֶׁךְ, probably error, 1 Chronicles 1:17 (see מַשׁ); מֶ֑שֶׁךְ Psalm 120:5 ("" קֵדָר; here without תֻּבָל); ׳תּוּבַל וּמ Ezekiel 27:13; compare Ezekiel 32:26; Ezekiel 38:2 (both + תֻּבָל); so also ᵐ5 Isaiah 66:19 (Lo StaJavan 8 Du CheHpt; see above מָשַׁךְ 2); וְתֻבָ֑ל ׳גּוֺג נְשִׂיא ראֹשׁ מ Ezekiel 38:3; Ezekiel 39:1. ᵐ5 Μοσοχ (Μεσοχ), Samaritan מושׁ(י)ך. — On identification compare Boch.; in Assyrian times they dwelt in west (or northwest) Armenia (compare Schrl.c.); in Persian times apparently farther northeast (southeast of Euxine Sea), compare Μοσχοι καὶ Τιβαρηνοι Herodiii. 94; vii. 78; also DiGenesis 10:2 and CheEncycl. Blb. Art. Geogr. (Biblical). Topical Lexicon Genealogical Origin Meshech first appears in the Table of Nations as a son of Japheth (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5), placing him among the peoples whom God appointed to “spread out over the earth” after the flood. A textual variant in 1 Chronicles 1:17 lists Meshech among the descendants of Aram, a detail usually attributed to scribal transposition; the dominant, earliest witness remains the Japhethite line. In prophetic literature Meshech is paired with Tubal, another Japhethite people, underscoring a long-standing ethnic and geopolitical association. Geographical Identification Extra-biblical records (Assyrian “Mushku,” Greek “Moschoi”) situate Meshech in the highlands south of the Black Sea, extending into the valleys of the upper Euphrates and the Caucasus. The territory lay astride major north–south and east–west trade corridors linking Anatolia, the Levant, and the steppes; thus Meshech was never completely isolated from Israel’s world, even though it remained distant from the covenant land. Cultural and Economic Activity Ezekiel 27:13 portrays Meshech as an aggressive commercial power: “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants; they bartered human beings and bronze for your wares.” Slave-trading and metalwork placed Meshech among the early iron-age suppliers to Phoenician Tyre. The prophetic censure highlights both the profitability and the moral bankruptcy of such commerce, providing a timeless warning against economies built on exploitation. Symbolic Portrayal in Psalms Psalm 120:5 voices a pilgrim’s anguish: “Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!” Here Meshech functions symbolically for remote, hostile surroundings. The psalmist’s yearning for Jerusalem amid far-flung pagan cultures illustrates the believer’s tension between earthly sojourn and heavenly homeland. Role in Prophetic Oracles of Ezekiel 1. Judgment on the Nations – Ezekiel 32:26 places Meshech and Tubal among the slain in Sheol: “Their graves surround them… slain by the sword because they spread their terror.” The oracle affirms divine retribution upon nations whose power fosters violence. “Set your face toward Gog… the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” (38:2-3; cf. 39:1). For readers today, the Gog oracle reminds the Church that end-time hostilities serve God’s redemptive plan and cannot frustrate His covenant promises. Theological Themes • Sovereign Dispersion and Gathering – Meshech’s distance magnifies the hope of ingathering: even those “far off” places are within the reach of grace (compare Acts 2:9’s “Mesopotamia” and “Pontus,” regions once influenced by Meshech’s descendants). Practical Ministry Applications 1. Missions Perspective – Meshech’s remoteness in the psalmist’s day underscores the Great Commission’s mandate to reach every tribe, even those considered inaccessible. Key References Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5; Psalm 120:5; Ezekiel 27:13; Ezekiel 32:26; Ezekiel 38:2-3, 15; Ezekiel 39:1, 6-7. Forms and Transliterations וָמֶ֔שֶׁךְ וָמֶֽשֶׁךְ׃ וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ ומשך ומשך׃ מֶ֑שֶׁךְ מֶ֣שֶׁךְ מֶ֤שֶׁךְ מֶ֥שֶׁךְ משך me·šeḵ mešeḵ Meshech ū·me·šeḵ ūmešeḵ uMeshech vaMeshech wā·me·šeḵ wāmešeḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 10:2 HEB: וְיָוָ֣ן וְתֻבָ֑ל וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ וְתִירָֽס׃ NAS: and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. KJV: and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. INT: and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras 1 Chronicles 1:5 1 Chronicles 1:17 Psalm 120:5 Ezekiel 27:13 Ezekiel 32:26 Ezekiel 38:2 Ezekiel 38:3 Ezekiel 39:1 9 Occurrences |
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