Who is Gog?
Rashi: It is the name of the king.
What is "ha'Magog"?
Rashi: It is the name of the nation ? "Gomer u'Magog" (Bereishis 10:2).
Radak: Magog was a son of Yefes; also Meshech and Tuval were. The prefix the prefix Hei ha'Yedi'ah (to identify) does not apply to a person's name! Perhaps it is the name that attributes lineage. The first (Yefes' son), the nation that comes from him is called Magog ? they are attributed to the first Magog. This is like "Shevet ha'Menasheh" (Devarim 3:13).
Why does it say "El Gog Eretz ha'Magog"?
Radak: "El" applies to both of them. It is as if it says El Gog El 1 Eretz ha'Magog.
Presumably, it should say 'v'El' (PF).
What do we learn from "Nesi Rosh Meshech v'Tuval"?
Radak: Gog was king of Magog, and also of Meshech and Tuval. Nesi Rosh is a repetition; both of them are Samuch [to Meshech v'Tuval], like "Mivchar v'Tov Levanon" (31:16) "Mispar Mifkad ha'Am" (Shmuel II, 24:9).
Also Zecharyah (Perek 14) prophesizes about Gog. Are the Nevu'os the same?
Malbim: No. I mentioned above (32:17) that in the days, all Goyim will gather around Yerushalayim [for war]. On the one side will be Egypt, Ashur and Eilam; all are Yishmaelim. The other side will be Meshech Tuval, the princes of Edom and the kings of the north. They will kill each other. Chazal have a tradition that Gog will come to Yerushalayim three times. Here discusses the first two times; Zecharyah discusses the third. It is not known who is Gog 1 or what is Eretz ha'Magog. We know only that he is also king of Meshech and Tuval; they are from Bnei Yefes, and they do not circumcise. They will be aroused to come in the end of days after Yisrael settle in Eretz Yisrael and dwell in serenity. This arousal will be from Hashem.
Why would we expect to know who is Gog? He will be at the end of days ? perhaps he was not born yet! Perhaps since Mashi'ach can come at any time, there is always a potential Gog in the world; Malbim teaches that we do not know who it is. (PF)
