Meshech in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
me'-shek, me'-sek (meshekh, "long," "tall"; Mosoch): Son of
Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1 Ch 1:5; 1:17 is a scribal error for
"Mash"; compare Gen 10:22,23). His descendants and their
dwelling-place (probably somewhere in the neighborhood of
armenia (Herodotus iii.94)) seem to be regarded in Scripture
as synonyms for the barbaric and remote (Ps 120:5; compare
Isa 66:19, where Meshech should be read instead of "that
draw the bow"). It is thought that the "Tibareni and Moschi"
of the classical writers refer to the same people. Doubtless
they appear in the annals of Assyria as enemies of that
country under the names Tabali and Mushki--the latter the
descendants of Meshech and the former those of Tubal to whom
the term "Tibareni" may refer in the clause above. This
juxtaposition of names is in harmony with practically every
appearance of the word in Scripture. It is seldom named
without some one of the others--Tubal, Javan, Gog and Magog.
It is this which forms a good justification for making the
suggested change in Isa 66:19, where Meshech would be in the
usual company of Tubal and Javan. Ezekiel mentions them
several times, first, as engaged in contributing to the
trade of Tyre (Tiras of Gen 10:2?), in "vessels of brass"
and--very significantly--slaves; again there is the
association of Javan and Tubal with them (Ezek 27:13);
second, they are included in his weird picture of the under-
world: "them that go down into the pit" (Ezek 32:18,26).
They are mentioned again with Gog and Magog twice as those
against whom the prophet is to "set his face" (Ezek 38:2,3;
39:1).
Henry Wallace
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