Rosh

ROSH (rŏsh, Heb. rō’sh, head)

A son of Benjamin who went to Egypt with Jacob and his sons (Gen.46.21). He probably died without any descendants.In ASV (cf. niv footnote) head of three nations that are to invade Israel during the latter days (Ezek.38.2, Ezek.38.8). Gog is chief of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal. These tribes were from the far north, hence Rosh could possibly be Russia.

2. In the ASV this word appears in the title of Gog, who is described as “the prince of Rosh” (Ezek 38:2, 3; 39:1), but the margin has “or, ‘chief prince of.’” A people or country named Rosh is impossible to identify, although Russia and Rasu in Assyria have been suggested. Instead of Rosh the KJV and RSV have the “chief prince of,” but this would imply an unusual construction and is not generally favored by textual scholars and exegetes. Russians are mentioned for the first time in the 10th century a.d. by Byzantine writers under the name of ̔Ρώς, and by Ibn Fosslan under the name of Rus, a people dwelling on the river Volga. It is therefore unlikely that the prophet could be referring to them.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

rosh, rosh (ro’sh): A son or grandson of Benjamin (Ge 46:21).

1. Rosh and Its Renderings:

This name occurs in the prophecies against Gog in Eze 38:2,3 and 39:1, where the King James Version has "Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal." This translation is due to ro’sh being the common Hebrew word for "head" or "chief" (compare the Greek variant and the Vulgate), and is regarded as incorrect, that of the Revised Version (British and American), "Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal," being preferred.

2. Identification with Russia:

The identification of Rosh is not without its difficulties. Gesenius regarded it as indicating the Russians, who are mentioned in Byzantine writers of the 10th century under the name of Rhos. He adds that they are also noticed by Ibn Fosslan (same period), under the name of Rus, as a people dwelling on the river Rha (Volga). Apart from the improbability that the dominion of Gog extended to this district, it would be needful to know at what date the Rus of the Volga arrived there.

3. Probably the Assyrian Rasu:

Notwithstanding objections on account of its eastern position, in all probability Fried. Delitzsch’s identification of Rosh with the mat Rasi, "land of Rash" of the Assyrian inscriptions, is the best. Sargon of Assyria (circa 710 BC) conquered the countries "from the land of Rasu on the border of Elam as far as the river of Egypt," and this country is further described in his Khorsabad Inscription, 18, as "the land of Rasu, of the boundary of Elam, which is beside the Tigris." Assyria having disappeared from among the nations when Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, Babylonia was probably the only power with which "Gog of the land of Magog" would have had to reckon, but it may well be doubted whether the Babylonian king would have allowed him to exercise power in the district of Rasu, except as a very faithful vassal. It may here be noted that the Hebrew spelling of Rosh presupposes an earlier pronunciation as Rash, a form agreeing closely with that used by the Assyrians. See Fried. Delitzsch, Wo lag das Paradies? 325.