Difference between revisions of "Japheth"

<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>

Genesis 9:27 <i> Yaphah </i> Genesis 5:326:107:131 Peter 3:20Genesis 10:2-5 <p> After the [[Flood]] the earth was re-peopled by the descendants of Noah, "the sons of Japheth" (Genesis 10:2 ), "the sons of Ham" (6), and "the sons of Shem" (22). It is important to notice that modern ethnological science, reasoning from a careful analysis of facts, has arrived at the conclusion that there is a three-fold division of the human family, corresponding in a remarkable way with the great ethnological chapter of the book of Genesis (10). The three great races thus distinguished are called the Semitic, Aryan, and Turanian (Allophylian). "Setting aside the cases where the ethnic names employed are of doubtful application, it cannot reasonably be questioned that the author [of Genesis 10 ] has in his account of the sons of Japheth classed together the Cymry or [[Celts]] (Gomer), the Medes (Madai), and the Ionians or Greeks (Javan), thereby anticipating what has become known in modern times as the 'Indo-European Theory,' or the essential unity of the Aryan (Asiatic) race with the principal races of Europe, indicated by the Celts and the Ionians. Nor can it be doubted that he has thrown together under the one head of 'children of Shem' the [[Assyrians]] (Asshur), the [[Syrians]] (Aram), the Hebrews (Eber), and the Joktanian Arabs (Joktan), four of the principal races which modern ethnology recognizes under the heading of 'Semitic.' Again, under the heading of 'sons of Ham,' the author has arranged 'Cush', i.e., the Ethiopians; 'Mizraim,' the people of Egypt; 'Sheba and Dedan,' or certain of the Southern Arabs; and 'Nimrod,' or the ancient people of Babylon, four races between which the latest linguistic researches have established a close affinity" (Rawlinson's Hist. Illustrations). </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>

Genesis 5:32Genesis 10:2 Genesis 9:27[[Noah]][[Table Of Nations]]

<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>

<p> Ja´pheth, a son of Noah. In he is mentioned third in order; but some think, from (comp. ), that he was the eldest of Noah's sons, begotten one hundred years before the flood. In , 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. The Arabian traditions rank Japheth among the prophets, and enumerate eleven of his sons, the progenitors of as many Asiatic nations. In these traditions he is therefore simply called progenitor of the Turks and Barbarians. </p>

<p> One of the three sons of Noah and the ancestor of the Gentiles, as distinct from the descendants of Shem, or the Semites, and of Ham, or the Hamites. See [[Iapetos]] . </p>