Genesis 10:4

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 10:1-5

Moses begins with Japheth's family, either because he was the eldest, or because his family lay remotest from Israel and had least concern with them at the time when Moses wrote, and therefore he mentions that race very briefly, hastening to give an account of the posterity of Ham, who were Israel's enemies and of Shem, who were Israel's ancestors; for it is the church that the scripture is designed to be the history of, and of the nations of the world only as they were some way or other... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:4

And the sons of Javan ,.... Another son of Japheth; four sons of Javan are mentioned, which gave names to countries, and are as follow: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim ; the first of these, Elishah, gave name to the Elysaeans, now called Aeoles, as Josephus F12 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 1.) says; hence the country Aeolia, and the Aeolic dialect, all from this name; and there are many traces of it in the several parts of Greece. Hellas, a large country in it,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:4

Elishah - As Javan peopled a considerable part of Greece, it is in that region that we must seek for the settlements of his descendants; Elishah probably was the first who settled at Elis, in Peloponnesus. Tarshish - He first inhabited Cilicia, whose capital anciently was the city of Tarsus, where the Apostle Paul was born. Kittim - We have already seen that this name was rather the name of a people than of an individual: some think by Kittim Cyprus is meant: others, the isle of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 10:1-32

PART II . THE POST - DILUVIAN AGE OF THE WORLD . CH . 10:1-11:26. FROM THE DELUGE TO THE CALL OF ABRAM . § 5. THE GENERATIONS or THE SONS OF NOAH ( CH . 10:1-11:9). I. THE historical credibility of the present section has been challenged. 1. On account of a fancied resemblance to the ethnographic mythologies of Greece, the genealogical table of the nations has been relegated to the category of fictitious invention. It has been assigned by... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 10:4

And the sons of Javan; Elizhah . The isles of Elishah are praised by Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 27:7 ) for their blue and purple; supposed to have been Elis in the Peloponnesus, famous for its purple dyes (Bochart); AE olis (Josephus, Knobel); Hellas (Michaelis, Rosenmüller, Kalisch); without doubt a maritime people of Grecian stock ('Speaker's Commentary'). And Tarshish. Tarsus in Cilicia (Josephus); but rather Tartessus in Spain (Eusehius, Michaelis, Bochart, Kalisch). Biblical notices... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 10:1-5

- Section VIII - The Nations- Japheth2. גמר gomer, “Gomer, completion; related: complete;” Κιμμέριοι Kimmerioi. מגוג māgôg, “Magog, Caucasian, Skyth.” מדי māday, “Madai, middle: Mede.” יון yāvān, “Javan”; Ἰάων Iaōn; “Sanskrit, Javana; Old Persian, Juna.” תבל tubāl, “Tubal”; Τιβαρηνοὶ Tibareenoi. משׁך meshek, “Meshek, drawing possession, valor”; Μόσχοι Moschoi, תירס tı̂yrās, “Tiras;” Θρᾷξ Thrax.3. אשׁכנו 'ashkenaz, “Ashkenaz,” Ἀσκάνιος Askanios. ריפת rı̂ypat, “Riphath,” ὄρη... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:1-32

10:1-11:26 GENEALOGIES FROM NOAH TO ABRAMNations descended from Noah (10:1-32)This genealogy must have been written hundreds of years after the time of Noah, when his descendants had multiplied and moved to many places. By that time differences in language, race and culture were noticeable. The purpose of the listing here is to trace the origin of these groups, not to name every single descendant of Noah.Again the genealogy is simplified, being based on a selection of seventy descendants. Most... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 10:1-4

Here we shall vary a little from our usual method. Instead of writing in full each of the 32 verses, we shall give a chart setting forth visually the descent of all nations from Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.JAPHETHGOMER Descendants of Gomer have been assigned tothe Caspian and Black Sea areas (Pulpit Commentary),and to Germany (Teachers' Bible Commentary).Ashkenaz Wales, Brittany (Old Testament Commentary);Germany (Flavius Josephus).Riphath North Europe (Old Testament... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 10:4

Genesis 10:4. Sons of Javan— Who were four: Elishah, inhabited Elis and Peloponnesus; Tarshish, Cilicia, whose capital was Tarsus; Kittim, Macedonia; Dodanim, or Rhodanim, Epirus. Bochart observes, that Rhodanim peopled France, and gave its name to the river Rhodanus. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 10:1-9

E. What became of Noah’s sons 10:1-11:9This section gives in some detail the distribution of Noah’s descendants over the earth after the Flood (cf. Genesis 9:18-19).This fourth toledot section (Genesis 10:1 to Genesis 11:9) brings the inspired record of primeval events to a climax and provides a transition to the patriarchal narratives. All the nations of the world in their various lands with their different languages descended from Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Of special interest to the original... read more

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