Difference between revisions of "Japheth"

<p> the son of Noah, who is commonly named the third in order of Noah's sons, was born in the five hundredth year of that patriarch, [[Genesis]] 5:32; but Moses, Genesis 10:21 , says expressly he was the oldest of Noah's sons, according to our translation, and those of the [[Septuagint]] and Symmachus. [[Abraham]] was named the first of Terah's sons, "not from primogeniture, but from preeminence," as the father of the faithful, and the illustrious ancestor of the Israelites, and of the Jews, whose "seed was Christ," according to the flesh; with whose history the Old [[Testament]] properly commences: "Now these are the generations of Terah," &c, Genesis 11:27; all the preceding parts of Genesis being only introductory to this. By the same analogy, Shem, the second son of Noah, is placed first of his three sons, Genesis 5:32 , and Japheth, "the eldest," last. Compare Genesis 10:21; Genesis 11:20 . Thus [[Isaac]] is put before Ishmael, though fourteen years younger, 1 Chronicles 1:28 . And Solomon, the eldest, is reckoned the last of Bathsheba's children, 1 Chronicles 3:5 . </p> <p> [[Japheth]] signifies <em> enlargement; </em> and how wonderfully did [[Providence]] enlarge the boundaries of Japheth! His posterity diverged eastward and westward; from the original settlement in Armenia, through the whole extent of Asia, north of the great range of Taurus, distinguished by the general names of Tartary and Siberia, as far as the Eastern Ocean: and in process of time, by an easy passage across Behring's straits, the entire continent of America; and they spread in the opposite direction, throughout the whole of Europe, to the Atlantic Ocean; thus literally encompassing the earth, within the precincts of the northern temperate zone, while the enterprising and warlike genius of this hardy hunter race frequently led them to encroach on the settlements, and to dwell in "the tents of Shem," whose pastoral occupations rendered them more inactive, peaceable, and unwarlike; as when the [[Scythians]] invaded Media, and overran western Asia southwards, as far as Egypt, in the days of Cyaxares; and when the Greeks, and afterward the Romans, subdued the Assyrians, Medes, and Persians, in the east, and the Scythians and [[Jews]] in the south, as foretold by the [[Assyrian]] [[Prophet]] Balaam: </p> <p> <strong> <em> "And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, And shall afflict the Assyrians, and afflict the Hebrews; </em> </strong> </p> <p> <strong> <em> But he [the invader] shall perish himself at last." </em> </strong> </p> <p> Numbers 24:24 <strong> <em> . </em> </strong> </p> <p> And by Moses: "And the Lord shall bring thee [the Jews] into [[Egypt]] [or bondage] again with ships," &c, Deuteronomy 28:28 . And by Daniel: "For the ships of [[Chittim]] shall come against him," [Antiochus, king of Syria,] Daniel 11:30 . </p> <p> In these passages Chittim denotes the southern coasts of Europe, bordering on the [[Mediterranean]] Sea, called the "isles of the Gentiles," Genesis 10:5 . And, in later times, the [[Tartars]] in the east have repeatedly invaded and subdued the Hindoos and Chinese; while the warlike and enterprising genius of the British isles has spread their colonies, their arms, their arts, and their language, and, in some measure, their religion, from the rising to the setting sun. </p> <p> The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The [[Scripture]] says, that they peopled the isles of the Gentiles, and settled in different countries, each according to his language, family, and people, Genesis 10:5 . It is supposed that [[Gomer]] peopled Galatia, and that from him the Cimmerians, or Cimbrians, and also the Phrygians, derived their origin; that [[Magog]] was the father of the Scythians, and Tartars, or Tatars; that [[Madai]] was the progenitor of the Medes, though some make him the founder of a people in Macedonia, called Macdi; that from [[Javan]] sprung the Ionians and Greeks; that [[Tubal]] was the father of the Iberians, and that at least a part of [[Spain]] was peopled by him and his descendants; that [[Meshech]] was the founder of the Cappadocians, from whom proceeded the Muscovites, or Russians; and that from [[Tiras]] the Thracians derived their origin. Japheth was known, by profane authors, under the name of Japetus. The poets make him father of heaven and earth. The [[Greeks]] believed that Japheth was the father of their race, and acknowledged nothing more ancient than him. </p>

<p> ("enlargement".) From pathah "to extend" (Genesis 9:27); [[Gesenius]] from yaphah "to be fair," from the fair complexion of James and his descendants. Probably the second son of Noah, from the youngest (Genesis 9:24; [[Genesis]] 10:2; Genesis 10:6; Genesis 10:21, where the Syriac, the Arabic, and the [[Vulgate]] translate as Gesenius "the elder brother of Japheth"; but [[Septuagint]] as KJV). If "younger son" in Genesis 9:24 is [[Canaan]] not Ham, the invariable order of the names represents also the order of their ages," Shem, Ham, and Japheth" Shem's genealogy is put last, being traced from Genesis 10:21 onwards uninterruptedly as the line of Messiah. These three are persons, the names of their descendants are ethnic. [[Written]] more than 3,000 years ago the genealogical account in Genesis 10 is the oldest and most. trustworthy history of the dispersion of mankind. It states from James came: </p> <p> (1) Gomer, i.e. the Cymri or Celts; </p> <p> (2) Magog, the [[Scythians]] and [[Sarmatians]] (Slavonians); </p> <p> (3) Madai, the [[Medes]] or Aryans; </p> <p> (4) Javan, the Ionians (Greeks); </p> <p> (5) Tubal, the Tibareni; </p> <p> (6) Meshech, the [[Moschi]] (these two declined between 1100 and 400 B.C., leaving no literature, so that modern ethnology does not notice them); and </p> <p> (7) Tiras, the Thracians (Tentons). [[Moses]] thus, under the Spirit, anticipates the discoveries of ethnology, which comprises one great family of mankind under five heads: </p> <p> 1, Indo-Persians or Aryans; </p> <p> 2, Celts; </p> <p> 3, Teutons; </p> <p> 4, Graeco-Italians; </p> <p> 5, Slaves. </p> <p> Moses rightly makes the nations N. and W. of [[Mesopotamia]] and [[Syria]] Japhetic, comprising seven principal races within the geographical limits known to him. They occupied "the isles of the Gentiles," i.e. all the coast lands in Europe and Asia Minor, and islands of the Mediterranean, whence they spread northwards over Europe and much of Asia, from India and [[Persia]] in the E. to the extreme W. of Europe, and now to [[America]] and Australia. Genesis 9:27, "He (God, John 1:14, or Japheth) shall dwell in the tents of Shem." James by expansive energy and enlargement overpasses his own hounds and dwells in the tents of Shem, as the Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, and modern European and American empires exemplify. </p> <p> But mainly James dwells in Shem's tents spiritually. [[Superior]] in secular enterprise and capacity for rule, yet in spiritual concerns James is inferior to Shem, through whose posterity alone all revelations from heaven have come, culminating in "God manifest in the flesh" (Romans 9:5). James's descendants, as converts to "the Lord God of Shem" (Genesis 9:26), dwell in spirit in Shem's tents (Isaiah 60:3; Isaiah 60:5). The full consummation of the prophecy will be when Israel, sprung from Shem, shall be spiritual head of the nations, and they shall flock to [[Jerusalem]] where Israel's king shall reign (Jeremiah 3:17). </p>

<p> The son of Noah; not, as some have supposed, the younger of his sons, because placed last, (see [[Genesis]] 9:18-19) for [[Moses]] expressly calls [[Ham]] the younger. (Genesis 9:24) The prophecy of his father [[Noah]] concerning [[Japheth]] is very striking: "God shall enlarge Japheth, and shall dwell in the tents of Shem." (Genesis 9:27) Yes! it is none but God that can enlarge or persuade. And as from Shem, after the flesh, sprung Christ; so Japheth, who is supposed to be the father of the Gentiles, and as such, in this prophecy, may be supposed to represent the whole body of the [[Gentile]] church given to the Lord Jesus Christ, could only be brought into Christ's fold by Christ's power. (See Isaiah 49:6; Psalms 110:3) </p>

<p> One of three sons of Noah. He was the father of Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. From these names it has been gathered that the descendants of [[Japheth]] spread over the whole of Europe and a great part of northern Asia. [[Noah]] prophesied of him, "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and [[Canaan]] shall be his servant." He is not here brought into relationship with God, as [[Shem]] is: enlargement on the earth is what is predicted, and this has been manifestly fulfilled. [[Genesis]] 5:32; Genesis 6:10; Genesis 7:13; Genesis 9:18,23,27; Genesis 10:1,2,21; 1 Chronicles 1:4,5 . </p>

<p> <strong> JAPHETH </strong> (Heb. <em> Yepheth </em> ). <strong> 1. </strong> One of the sons of Noah. The meaning of the name is quite uncertain. In [[Genesis]] 9:27 there is a play on the name ‘May God make wide ( <em> yapht </em> ) for <em> Yepheth </em> [ <em> i.e. </em> make room for him], that he may dwell in the tents of Shem.’ The peoples connected with [[Japheth]] ( Genesis 10:1-4 ) occupy the northern portion of the known world, and include the [[Madai]] (Medes) on the E. of Assyria, [[Javan]] (Ionians, <em> i.e. </em> Greeks) on the W. coast and islands of Asia Minor, and [[Tarshish]] (Tartessus) on the W. coast of Spain. On the two traditions respecting the sons of [[Noah]] see Ham. <strong> 2 </strong> . An unknown locality mentioned in Jdt 2:25 . </p> <p> A. H. M’Neile. </p>

<p> Enlargement, the eldest of Noah's three sons, [[Genesis]] 9:24 10:21 , born one hundred years before the flood. He was perhaps the Iapetos, whom Greek legends represent as the progenitor of the Greek race. His seven sons, Genesis 10:2-5 1 Chronicles 1:5 , occupied with their posterity the north of Asia and most of Europe. The probable location of each of the seven is described in its place. In later years the [[Greeks]] and Romans subdued large portions of Southern and [[Western]] Asia, in accordance with the prediction of Noah, Genesis 9:27 . The "enlargement" of [[Japheth]] now extends over [[America]] also. </p>

<p> [[Japheth]] (jâ'pheth), enlargement. One of the three sons of Noah. The descendants of Japheth occupied the "isles of the Gentiles," R. V. "isles of the nations," [[Genesis]] 10:5—i.e., the coast lands of the [[Mediterranean]] sea in Europe and Asia Minor—whence they spread northward over the whole continent of Europe and a considerable portion of Asia. </p>

<p> Ja'pheth. (enlargement). One of the three sons of Noah. The descendants of Japheth, occupied the "isles of the Gentiles," [[Genesis]] 10:5, - that is, the coast lands of the [[Mediterranean]] Sea, in Europe and Asia Minor - whence, they spread northward over the whole continent of Europe, and a considerable portion of Asia. </p>

<p> (Heb. Ye'pheth, יֶפֶת, in pause YaIpheth, י פֶת, wide-spreading [comp. [[Genesis]] 9:27], although some make it signify fair, referring to the light complexion of the Japhethites; Sept. Ι᾿άφεθ; Josephus. Ι᾿αφέθας, Ant. 1:4, 1), one of the three sons of Noah, mentioned last in order (Genesis 5:32; Genesis 6:10; Genesis 7:13; Genesis 9:18; Genesis 10:1; 1 Chronicles 1:4), although it appears from Genesis 10:21 (Genesis 9:24) that he was the eldest of Noah's sons, born one hundred years before the flood (Michaelis, Spicil. 2, 66). B.C. 2616. He and his wife were two of the eight persons (1 Peter 3:20) preserved in the ark (Genesis 7:7). In Genesis 10:2 sq. he is called the progenitor of the extensive tribes in the west (of Europe) and north (of Asia)of the Armenians, Medes, Greeks, Thracians, etc. (comp. Syncellus, Chronicles p. 49; Mala, Chronogr. p. 16; see Tuch on Genesis 10:27). (See Ethnography). </p> <p> De Wette (Kritik, p. 72) justly repudiates the opinion of the Targumim, both [[Jonathan]] and Hieros., who make [[Japheth]] the progenitor of the African tribes also. The [[Arabian]] traditions (D'Herbelot, Biblioth. Orient.) attribute to Japheth wonderful powers (Weil, Biblische Legenden, 8, 46), and enumerate eleven of his sons, the progenitors of as many Asiatic nations, viz. [[Gin]] or Dshin (Chinese), Seklah (Slavonians), Manshuge, Gomari, Turk (Turks), Khalage, Khozar, Ros (Russians), Sussan, Gaz, and Torage. In these traditions he is called Aboultierk (Hottinger, Hist. Orient. p. 37). To the seven sons of Japheth mentioned in Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5, the Sept. and Eusebins add an eighth, Elisha, though not found in the text. Some (Buttmann, Mytholog. 1, 222; Bochart, Phal. 3:1; and Hasse, Entdeckung, 2, 131) identify Japheth with the Irenrog of Greek fable, the depository of many ethnographical traditions (see Smith's Dict. of Classic. Biogr. s.v. Japletus), while others, again, connect him with Hereus, mentioned by the ancient historian Sanchoniathon. His act of filial piety, in conjunction with Shem, as related in Genesis 9:20-27 (where some understand the clause, "He shall dwell in the tents of Shem," to refer to God, and not to Japheth), became the occasion of the prophecy of the extension of his posterity (see Iengstenberg's Christology, i, 42). (See [[Shem]]). </p>