Verses 1-7 This chapter shows concerning the three sons of Noah, that of them was the whole earth overspread. No nation but that of the Jews can be sure from which of these seventy it has come. The lists of names of fathers and sons were preserved of the Jews alone, for the sake of the Messiah. Many learned men, however, have, with some probability, shown which of the nations of the earth descended from each of the sons of Noah To the posterity of Japheth were allotted the isles of the gentiles; probably, the island of Britain among the rest. All places beyond the sea from Judea are called isles, ( Jeremiah 25:22 ) . That promise, ( Isaiah 42:4 ) , The isles shall wait for his law, speaks of the conversion of the gentiles to the faith of Christ.
These generations are here recited, partly to declare the marvelous increase in so small a time, and also to set forth their great forgetfulness of God’s grace towards their fathers.
These generations are here recited, partly to declare the marvelous increase in so small a time, and also to set forth their great forgetfulness of God’s grace towards their fathers.
These generations are here recited, partly to declare the marvelous increase in so small a time, and also to set forth their great forgetfulness of God’s grace towards their fathers.
This chapter shows more particularly what was said in general (ch. 9 19), concerning the three sons of Noah, that "of them was the whole earth overspread;" and the fruit of that blessing (ch. 9 1, 7), "replenish the earth." Is is the only certain account extant of the origin of nations; and yet perhaps there is no nation but that of the Jews that can be confident from which of these seventy fountains (for so many there are here) it derives its streams. Through the want of early records, the mixtures of people, the revolutions of nations, and distance of time, the knowledge of the lineal descent of the present inhabitants of the earth is lost; nor were any genealogies preserved but those of the Jews, for the sake of the Messiah, only in this chapter we have a brief account, I. Of the posterity of Japheth, ver 2-5. II. The posterity of Ham (ver 6-20), and in this particular notice is taken of Nimrod, ver 8-10. III. The posterity of Shem, ver 21, etc.
Japheth. From his being placed first, some conclude that he was the eldest; and perhaps the famed Japetus of the Greeks is the same person. (Du Hamel) — Sem comes last, though elder than Cham, that the history of the true Church may be more connected. Though it would be a work of great labour to discover what nations sprung from the people here mentioned, yet some are sufficiently obvious; and the learned Bochart has given very plausible applications of the different names to the respective nations, in his Phaleg. or sacred Geography. Gomer is supposed to be the father of the Cimbri in Germany, from whom the French and English also probably sprung. (Haydock) — Magog, father of the Scythians, &c. (Ezechiel 36.[Ezechiel xxxviii.?]) Madai of the Medes, Javan of the Ionians in Greece, Thubal of the Iberians and Spaniards, Mosoch of the Muscovites, Thiras of the Thracians.
1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Of Madai and Javan came the Medes, and Greeks.