Japheth

The son of Noah; not, as some have supposed, the younger of his sons, because placed last, (see Gen. ix. 18, 19.) for Moses expressly calls Ham the younger. (Gen. ix. 24.) The prophecy of his father Noah concerning Japheth is very striking: God shall enlarge Japheth, and shall dwell in the tents of Shem." (Gen. ix. 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 besupposed 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 Isa. xlix. 6. Ps. cx.3.)

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, Gen 5:32; but Moses, Gen 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, Gen 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, Gen 5:32, and Japheth, “the eldest,” last. Compare Gen 10:21; Gen 11:20. Thus Isaac is put before Ishmael, though fourteen years younger, 1Ch 1:28. And Solomon, the eldest, is reckoned the last of Bathsheba’s children, 1Ch 3:5.

Japheth signifies enlargement; 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:

“And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, And shall afflict the Assyrians, and afflict the Hebrews;

But he [the invader] shall perish himself at last.”

Num 24:24.

And by Moses: “And the Lord shall bring thee [the Jews] into Egypt [or bondage] again with ships,” &c, Deu 28:28. And by Daniel: “For the ships of Chittim shall come against him,” [Antiochus, king of Syria,] Dan 11:30.

In these passages Chittim denotes the southern coasts of Europe, bordering on the Mediterranean Sea, called the “isles of the Gentiles,” Gen 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.

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, Gen 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.

Ja´pheth, a son of Noah. In Gen 5:32 he is mentioned third in order; but some think, from Gen 10:21 (comp. Gen 9:23), that he was the eldest of Noah’s sons, begotten one hundred years before the flood. In Gen 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. 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.

Enlargement, the eldest of Noah’s three sons, Gen 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, Gen 10:2-5 1Ch 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, Gen 9:27 . The "enlargement" of Japheth now extends over America also.\par

Ja’pheth. (enlargement). One of the three sons of Noah. The descendants of Japheth, occupied the "isles of the Gentiles," Gen 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.

("enlargement".) From pathah "to extend" (Gen 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 (Gen 9:24; Gen 10:2; Gen 10:6; Gen 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 Gen 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 Gen 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:

(1) Gomer, i.e. the Cymri or Celts;

(2) Magog, the Scythians and Sarmatians (Slavonians);

(3) Madai, the Medes or Aryans;

(4) Javan, the Ionians (Greeks);

(5) Tubal, the Tibareni;

(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

(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:

1, Indo-Persians or Aryans;

2, Celts;

3, Teutons;

4, Graeco-Italians;

5, Slaves.

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. Gen 9:27, "He (God, Joh 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.

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" (Rom 9:5). James’s descendants, as converts to "the Lord God of Shem" (Gen 9:26), dwell in spirit in Shem’s tents (Isa 60:3; Isa 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 (Jer 3:17).

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," Gen 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.

[Japh’eth]

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. Gen 5:32; Gen 6:10; Gen 7:13; Gen 9:18; Gen 9:23; Gen 9:27; Gen 10:1-2; Gen 10:21; 1Ch 1:4-5.

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By: Emil G. Hirsch, M. Seligsohn, Solomon Schechter

—Biblical Data:

One of the sons of Noah, and the ancestor of a branch of the human race called "Japhetites." Japheth and his two brothers, Shem and Ham, were born when Noah had attained his five hundredth year (Gen. v. 32). It is not clearly indicated which of the three brothers was the eldest. Japheth usually comes third in order (ib. vi. 10, vii. 12, ix. 18, x. 1), but in the genealogy of their descendants the order is inverted (ib. x. 2-22). The words "the elder" (ib. x. 21) are more probably applied to Shem. Still, it seems, from a comparison of Gen. v. 32, vii. 6, and xi. 10, that Japheth was by two years Shem's senior. Japheth with his brother Shem covered the nakedness of their father when he lay drunken in his tent, for which deed he received from his father the blessing that his descendants might extend over the surface of the earth and that Canaan should be his as well as Shem's servant (ix. 23, 27). Japheth was married before the Flood, and had his wife with him in the ark (vii. 13); but his seven sons were born after the Deluge (x. 1).

The name "Japheth" is derived, according to Gen. ix. 27, from the Aramaic root = "to extend," in allusion to the expansion of the Japhetites. Saadia and the modern lexicographers, as Gesenius and others, derive it from = "fair"; but this interpretation had already been rejected by Ibn Ezra.

As to the identification of Japheth with the Iapetos of the Greek mythology, see D. S. Margoliouth in Hastings, "Dict. Bible"; comp. also Sayce in "Tr. Soc. Bibl. Arch." 1883, p. 154. See Biblical Ethnology.

Sel.—In Rabbinical Literature:

Japheth is considered by the Talmudists to have been the eldest son of Noah (Sanh. 69b; Gen. R. xxvi.). The reason why Shem's name always appears first is that the sons of Noah are named in the order of their ability (i.e., as wise men, among whom Shem excelled; Sanh. l.c.). According to the Midrash, the prosperity of Japheth is alluded to in Ps. i. 3: "and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Gen. R. l.c.). In the act of covering Noah's nakedness it was Shem who first took "the cover"; but Japheth came afterward to help him and was repaid therefor in that his descendants Gog and Magog were granted burial (Ezek. xxxix. 11 et seq.; Gen. R. xxxvi.).

The words "yaft elohim le-Yefet" (Gen. ix. 27) are interpreted as alluding to the construction of the Second Temple by Cyrus, who was descended from Japheth (Yoma 10a). Bar Ḳappara interpreted the passage as meaning that the Law will be explained in the language of Japheth (Gen. R. xxxvi.; Deut. R. i.); R. Ḥiyya b. Abba, interpreting "yaft" as derived from the root , meaning "beauty" (see Japheth, Biblical Data), explains it more clearly thus: "The Law will be explained in the beautiful language of the Greeks, descendants of Japheth" (Meg. 9b). According to the Targum pseudo-Jonathan (ad loc.), the passage means that the descendants of Japheth will become proselytes and will study the Law in the schools of Shem.

When God blessed Noah and his sons (Gen. ix. 1), He in blessing Japheth promised that all of his sons should be white; and He gave them as their portion deserts and fields (Pirḳe R. El. xxiv.).

JAPHETH (Heb. Yepheth).—1. One of the sons of Noah. The meaning of the name is quite uncertain. In Gen 9:27 there is a play on the name—‘May God make wide (yapht) for Yepheth [i.e. make room for him], that he may dwell in the tents of Shem.’ The peoples connected with Japheth (Gen 10:1-4) occupy the northern portion of the known world, and include the Madai (Medes) on the E. of Assyria, Javan (Ionians, i.e. 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. 2. An unknown locality mentioned in Jdt 2:25.

A. H. M’Neile.

jā´feth (יפת, yepheth; יפת, yāpheth; Ἰάφεθ, Iápheth):

1. Etymologies of Japheth

This name, in Gen 9:27, seems to be explained by the phrase “may God make wide (yapht, the American Standard Revised Version “enlarge”) for Japheth,” where yapht and Japheth are represented by the same consonants, but with different vowel-points. The root of yapht is pāthāh, “to make wide.” This etymology, however, is not universally accepted, as the word-play is so obvious, and the association of Japheth with Shem (“dark”) and Ham (“black”) suggests a name on similar lines - either gentilic, or descriptive of race. Japheth has therefore been explained as meaning “fair,” from yāphāh, the non-Sem and non-Hamitic races known to the Jews being all more or less whiteskinned. The Targum of Onkelos agrees with the English Versions of the Bible, but that of Jonathan has “God shall beautify Japheth,” as though from yāphāȟ.

2. His Descendants

The immediate descendants of Japheth were seven in number, and are represented by the nations designated Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Mesech, and Tiras; or, roughly, the Armenians, Lydians, Medes, Greeks, Tibarenians, and Moschians, the last, Tiras, remaining still obscure. The sons of Gomer (Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah) were all settled in the West Asian tract; while the sons of Javan (Elisah, Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim or Rodanim) occupied the Mediterranean coast and the adjacent islands.

3. His Place Among the Sons of Noah

In Gen 9:27, as in other passages, Japheth occupies the 3rd place in the enumeration of the sons of Noah, but he is really regarded as the 2nd son, Ham being the youngest. In the genealogical table, however (Gen 10:1), the descendants of Japheth are given first, and those of Shem last, in order to set forth Semitic affinities at greater length. Though this would seem to indicate that the fair races were the least known to the Jews, it implies that the latter were well disposed toward them, for Japheth was (ultimately) to dwell in the tents of Shem, and therefore to take part in Shem’s spiritual privileges.

4. Japheth and Iapetos

It seems unlikely that the Greek giant-hero, Iapetos, father of Prometheus, who was regarded by the Greeks as the father of the human race, has any connection with the Hebrew Japheth. The original of the Hebrew record probably belongs to a date too early to admit borrowing from the Greek, and if the name had been borrowed by the Greeks from the Hebrews, a nearer form might be expected. See SHEM; HAM; TABLE OF NATIONS.