Genesis 10:4

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:1-32

The Nations descended from NoahThis section gives the origins and situations of the nations of the world, as their relationships were conceived by the early Hebrews. Before passing to the history of the chosen race, the author traces the ties by which the rest of mankind are united with his own people, and shows the position of Israel among the nations. Each nation is regarded as a unity, and is summed up in the person of its supposed ancestor. The nations being treated as individuals, it... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Genesis 10:4

(4) Javan has four main divisions:—1. Elishah, a maritime people of Greece. Traces of the name occur in Aeolis and in Elis, a district of the Peloponessus. Some boldly identify with Hellas. The isles of Elishah are mentioned in Ezekiel 27:7.2. Tarshish. At so early a period this could scarcely be Tartessus, but is more probably the Tyrseni, or Tyrrheni, a race once powerful in Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and finally in Spain. Probably Tartessus, at the mouth of the Guadalquiver, in Spain, was... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Genesis 10:1-32

V. THE GENERATIONS OF THE SONS OF NOAH CHAPTER 10 Shem, Ham, and Japheth and Their Seed 1. The sons of Japheth (Genesis 10:2-5 ) 2. The sons of Ham (Genesis 10:6-20 ) 3. The sons of Shem (Genesis 10:21-32 ) Here we have the beginning of the nations. God knows them and keeps track of the nations of the earth. The order of the sons of Noah is here changed. Japheth comes first. Ham’s place is unchanged. Shem comes last. This order is given in view of Noah’s prophecy. Among the descendants... read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:1-32

DESCENDANTS OF NOAH In this chapter the genealogy of Japheth is given first (vs.1-5). Their history is not pursued in the book of Genesis: their character was that of the energy of independence, and though at first it seems they were involved in the building of the tower of Babel (for all Noah's family evidently remained at that time close to that area), yet they soon spread northward and had no significant connection with Abraham and his descendants. There is more said about the family of... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:1-32

THE NATIONS This chapter is more than a list of names of individuals. Several are names of families or nations, and make it the most important historical document in the world. You will see that the stream of the race divides according to the three sons of Noah. Whose division is first traced (Genesis 10:2 )? What part of the world was settled by his offspring (Genesis 10:5 )? This might read: “By these were the coast lands of the nations divided,” and research indicates that the names of... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Genesis 10:1-32

The Fountains of History Gen 10:1-5 Shall I be far wrong if I suppose that few of you have ever read the tenth chapter of Genesis right through? Certainly, from a glance at the long, hard names, one would think that there is not much here for the edification of the reader, and that the best thing that can be done is to skip the chapter. Yet there are some home-words here, and hidden under rough husks are some germs, out of which perhaps we ourselves may have come! In the fifth verse you find... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:1-7

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;... read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - Genesis 10:1-5

The Sons of Japheth v. 1. Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and unto them were sons born after the Flood. v. 2. The sons of Japheth, who in this chronological table is named first, as the oldest, while in the other table Shem is mentioned first, as the progenitor of the children of Israel: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Yeshech, and Tiras. The descendants of these men have been identified respectively, and with some show of... read more

Johann Peter Lange

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical - Genesis 10:1-32

THIRD SECTIONThe Ethnological Table. Genesis 10:1-321Now these are the generations [genealogies] of the sons of Noah; [they were] Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and unto them were sons born after the flood.1. The Japhethites (Genesis 10:2-5).2The Sons of Japheth; Gomer [the Cimmerians, in the Taurian Chersonesus; Crimea], and Magog [Scythians], and Madai [Medes], and Javan [Ionians], and Tubal [Tibereni], and Meschech 3[Moschi], and Tiras [Thracians]. And the sons of Gomer1; Ashkenaz1 [Germans, Asen],... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - Genesis 10:1-32

In this chapter we have a simple and straightforward account of the dispersion of the sons of Noah and their families after the Flood. The descendants of Japheth moved toward the isles or the coastlands. The descendants of Ham moved toward the plains of Shinar and thence on. The descendants of Shem moved toward the hill country of the east. It is not possible very clearly to define geographically today the districts occupied by various descendants of Noah. What is clear, however, and to be... read more