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Text -- Genesis 10:3 (NET)

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10:3 The sons of Gomer were Askenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:
 · Ashkenaz son of Gomer son of Japheth son of Noah,a people of the northern shore of the Black Sea
 · Gomer son of Japheth son of Noah,son of Japheth; father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, & Togarmah clans,a nation; probably the Cimmerians of eastern Asia Minor (OS),daughter of Diblaim; wife of Hosea
 · Riphath son of Gomer son of Japheth son of Noah
 · Togarmah son of Gomer son of Japheth son of Noah


Dictionary Themes and Topics: Togarmah | Riphath | Noah | Japheth | Ham | Greece | Gomer | GENESIS, 4 | GENESIS, 3 | GENEALOGY, 8 part 2 | GENEALOGY, 1-7 | Dodanim | DIPHATH | Canaanites | Ashkenaz | Arabia | ARMENIA | ANTEDILUVIAN PATRIARCHS | AMALEK; AMALEKITE | ADAM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT | more
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Clarke , Defender

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Haydock , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Keil-Delitzsch , Constable , Guzik

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Clarke: Gen 10:3 - -- Ashkenaz - Probably gave his name to Sacagena, a very excellent province of Armenia. Pliny mentions a people called Ascanitici, who dwelt about the ...

Ashkenaz - Probably gave his name to Sacagena, a very excellent province of Armenia. Pliny mentions a people called Ascanitici, who dwelt about the Tanais and the Palus Maeotis; and some suppose that from Ashkenaz the Euxine Sea derived its name, but others suppose that from him the Germans derived their origin

Clarke: Gen 10:3 - -- Riphath - Or Diphath, the founder of the Paphlagonians, which were anciently called Riphataei

Riphath - Or Diphath, the founder of the Paphlagonians, which were anciently called Riphataei

Clarke: Gen 10:3 - -- Togarmah - The Sauromates, or inhabitants of Turcomania. See the reasons in Calmet.

Togarmah - The Sauromates, or inhabitants of Turcomania. See the reasons in Calmet.

Defender: Gen 10:3 - -- Ashkenaz has long been associated with the German Jews, known still as the Ashkenazi. The name is also possibly preserved in the names Scandia and Sax...

Ashkenaz has long been associated with the German Jews, known still as the Ashkenazi. The name is also possibly preserved in the names Scandia and Saxon, as well as a region of Armenia once known as Sakasene.

Defender: Gen 10:3 - -- Josephus associates Riphath with the Paphlagonians. There is a possibility that the name Carpathia, and even Europe, come from Riphath.

Josephus associates Riphath with the Paphlagonians. There is a possibility that the name Carpathia, and even Europe, come from Riphath.

Defender: Gen 10:3 - -- Togarmah is probably the ancestor of the Armenians. The Jewish Targums say that Germany was derived from Togarmah. The name may also have a connection...

Togarmah is probably the ancestor of the Armenians. The Jewish Targums say that Germany was derived from Togarmah. The name may also have a connection with Turkey and Turkestan."

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Gen 10:1-5 - -- - Section VIII - The Nations - Japheth 2. גמר gomer , "Gomer, completion; related: complete;" Κιμμέριοι Kimmerioi . מ...

- Section VIII - The Nations

- Japheth

2. 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 'ashke naz , "Ashkenaz," Ἀσκάνιος Askanios . ריפת rı̂ypat , "Riphath," ὄρη Ῥίπαια oree Ripaia , תגרמה togarmâh "Togarmah, Thorgom, ancestor of the Armenians."

4. אלישׁה 'elı̂yshâh , "Elishah;" Ἧλις Eelis , Ἑλλὰς Hellas , Αἰολεῖς Aioleis . תדשׁישׁ tarshı̂ysh , "Tarshish, breaking, fastness: Tartessus, Tarsus, Tyrseni." כתים kı̂tı̂ym , "Kittim, smiters; Citienses;" Κᾶρες Kares ; דדנים dodānı̂ym , "Dodanim, Dodona, Dardani."

5. אי 'ı̂y , "meadow, land reached by water, island; related: be marked off or bounded (by a water line)." גוי gôy , "nation; related: be born;" γεγάασι gegaasi .

The fifth document relates to the generations of the sons of Noah. It presents first a genealogy of the nations, and then an account of the distribution of mankind into nations, and their dispersion over the earth. This is the last section which treats historically of the whole human race. Only in incidental, didactic, or prophetic passages do we again meet with mankind as a whole in the Old Testament.

The present chapter signalizes a new step in the development of the human race. They pass from the one family to the seventy nations. This great process covers the space of time from Noah to Abraham. During this period the race was rapidly increasing under the covenant made with Noah. From Shem to Abraham were ten generations inclusive; and, therefore, if we suppose the same rate of increase after as we have supposed before, there would be about fifteen million inhabitants when Abraham was thirty years of age. If, however, we take eight as the average of a family, and suppose eleven generations after Shem at the one hundredth year of Abraham’ s life, we have about thirty million people on the earth. The average of the three sons of Noah is higher than this; for they had sixteen sons, and we may suppose as many daughters, making in all thirty-two, and, therefore, giving ten children to each household. The present chapter does not touch on the religious aspect of human affairs: it merely presents a table of the primary nations, from which all subsequent nationalities have been derived.

Gen 10:1-2

The sons of Japheth. - Japheth is placed first, because he was, most probably, the oldest brother Gen 9:24; Gen 10:21, and his descendants were the most numerous and most widely spread from the birthplace of mankind. The general description of their territory is "the isles of the nations."These were evidently maritime countries, or such as were reached by sea. These coastlands were pre-eminently, but not exclusively, the countries bordering on the north side of the Mediterranean and its connected waters. They are said to belong to the nations, because the national form of association was more early and fully developed among them than among the other branches of the race. There is, probably, a relic of Japheth in the, Ιαπετὸς Iapetos , Japetus of the Greeks, said to be the son of Uranus (heaven), and Gaea (earth), and father of Prometheus, and thus in some way connected with the origin or preservation of the human race.

Fourteen of the primitive nations spring from Japheth. Seven of these are of immediate descent.

(1) Gomer is mentioned again, in Ezekiel Eze 38:6, as the ally of Gog, by which the known existence of the nation at that period is indicated. Traces of this name are perhaps found in the Κιμμέριοι Kimmerioi , (Homer, Odyssey Eze 11:14; Herodotus Eze 1:15; Eze 4:12), who lay in the dark north, in the Krimea, the Kimbri who dwelt in north Germany, the Kymry, Cambri, and Cumbri who occupied Britain. These all belong to the race now called Keltic, the first wave of population that reached the Atlantic. Thus, the Γομαρεῖς Gomareis , of Josephus (Ant. 1:6.1) may even be identified with the Galatae. This nation seems to have lain to the north of the Euxine, and to have spread out along the southern coasts of the Baltic into France, Spain, and the British Isles.

(2) Magog is mentioned, by Ezekiel Eze 38:6, as the people of which Gog was the prince. It is introduced in the Apocalypse Rev 20:8, as a designation of the remote nations who had penetrated to the ends or corners of the earth. This indicates a continually progressing people, occupying the north of Europe and Asia, and crossing, it may be, over into America. They seem to have been settled north of the Caspian, and to have wandered north and east from that point. They are accordingly identified by Josephus (Ant. 1:6.1) with the Skyths, and include the Mongols among other Skythic tribes.

(3) Madai has given name to the Medes, who occupied the southern shore of the Caspian. From this region they penetrated southward to Hindostan.

(4) Javan is traced in the Ιάονες Iaones , Iones, who settled in the coasts of the Aegean, in Peloponnesus, Attica, and subsequently on the coast of Asia Minor, and accordingly denotes the Greeks in the language of the Old Testament Isa 66:19; Eze 27:13; Dan 8:21. The name Yunau is found in the cuneiform inscriptions of the times of Sargon, referring to a western people.

(5) Tubal and (6) Meshek are generally associated. (Eze 27:13; 38; 39) connects them, on the one hand, with Magog, and on the other, with Javan. Josephus (Ant. 1:6.1) finds Tubal in Iberia, and Meshek in Cappadocia, tracing the name in Mazaca. Their names are seemingly detected in the Tibareni and Moschi, and their seat was probably between the Euxine and the Caspian, whence they spread themselves northward and westward. The names of the rivers Tobal and Mosqua bear a strong resemblance to these patriarchal names.

(7) Tiras is referred by Josephus to Thrace. The name is perhaps discernible in the Tyras or Dniester. The seat of the nation was east of the Euxine, whence it spread to the north. Thus, we have the original starting-points of these seven nations about the Caspian, the Euxine, and the Aegean Seas.

Gen 10:3

Gomer has three sons, who are the founders of as many nations.

(8) Ashkenaz is supposed to have lain south of the Euxine, and to be traceable in its original name ἄξενος axenos , and in the Ascanius and Ascania of Bithynia, perhaps in Scandinavia. Part of the nation may have migrated to Germany, which is called Ashkenaz by the Jews, and where the word Sachsen (Saxon) occurs. It perhaps contains the root of the name Asia.

(9) Riphath seems to have travelled north, and left his name in the Rhipaean mountains. Josephus, however, places him in Paphlagonia, where the name Tobata occurs (Diphath) 1Ch 1:6.

(10) Togarmah is said to have been settled in Armenia. By a tradition in Moses Chorenensis, Haik, the ancestor of the Armenians, is the son of Thorgom, the son of Gomer. At all events, the Black Sea might convey colonies from Gomer to Asia Minor and Armenia.

Gen 10:4

Javan has four sons, who are the heads of nations.

(11) Elishah is noted by Ezekiel Eze 27:7 as a nation whose maritime country produced purple, which agrees with the coast of Laconia or the Corinthian Gulf. The name has been variously sought in Elis, Hellas, and Aeolis. The last is due to Josephus. It is possible that Elea or Velia, in the south of Italy, may contain some reference to the name.

(12) Tarshish is conjectured by Josephus to be the people of Cilicia; which, he affirms, was anciently called Tharsus, and the capital of which was Tarsus. But whether this be the primitive seat of Tarshish or not, it is almost certain that Spain retains the name, if not in Tarraco, at least in Tartessus.

(13) Kittim is discovered, by Josephus, in Cyprus, where we meet with the town of Citium Κίτιον Kition . He adds, however, that all the islands and the greater part of the seacoasts are called Χεδίμ Chedim by the Hebrews. We may therefore presume that the Kittim spread into northern Greece, where we have a Κίτιον Kition in Macedonia, and ultimately into Italy, which is designated as "the isles of Kittim"Num 24:24; Isa 23:1; Jer 2:10; Eze 27:6; Dan 11:30.

(14) Dodanim leaves a trace, perhaps, in Dodona, an ancient site of the Hellenes in Epirus, and perhaps in Dardania, a district of Illyricum.

Gen 10:5

Thus, we have discovered the ancient seats of Japheth, Iapetos - , around the Caspian, the Euxine, the Aegean, and the north of the Mediterranean. From these coastlands they seem to have spread over Europe, northern, western, and southern Asia, and, both by Behring’ s Straits and the Atlantic, they at length poured into America. So true is it that Japheth was enlarged, and that by them were "the isles of the nations divided."

In their nations. - We here note the characteristics of a nation. First. It is descended from one head. Others may be occasionally grafted on the original stock by intermarriage. But there is a vital union subsisting between all the members and the head, in consequence of which the name of the head is applied to the whole body of the nation. In the case of Kittim and Dodanim we seem to have the national name thrown back upon the patriarchs, who may have themselves been called Keth and Dodan. Similar instances occur in the subsequent parts of the genealogy. Second. A nation has a country or "land"which it calls its own. In the necessary migrations of ancient tribes, the new territories appropriated by the tribe, or any part of it, were naturally called by the old name, or some name belonging to the old country. This is well illustrated by the name of Gomer, which seems to reappear in the Cimmerii, the Cimbri, the Cymri, the Cambri, and the Cumbri. Third. A nation has its own "tongue."This constitutes at once its unity in itself and its separation from others. Many of the nations in the table may have spoken cognate tongues, or even originally the same tongue. Thus, the Kenaanite, Phoenician, and Punic nations had the same stock of languages with the Shemites. But it is a uniform law, that one nation has only one speech within itself. Fourth. A nation is composed of many "families,"clans, or tribes. These branch off from the nation in the same manner as it did from the parent stock of the race.

Poole: Gen 10:3 - -- Ashkenaz whose seed possessed Pontus and Bithynia, and the neighbouring parts, from whom they took the names of the lake and haven called Ascanius, a...

Ashkenaz whose seed possessed Pontus and Bithynia, and the neighbouring parts, from whom they took the names of the lake and haven called Ascanius, and the sea called Axenus, or Euxinus.

Riphath is called Diphath, 1Ch 1:6 ; the letters Daleth and Resh being oft interchanged, as we shall see in other instances. His posterity dwelled in or near Pontus and Bithynia, where Mela and Pliny and Solinus place the Riphaei, or Riphaces, and the Paphlagonians, who were anciently called Piphataei.

Togarmah whose posterity are joined with Gomer’ s; see Eze 27:14 38:6 ; and were, as some think, the Phrygians and Galatians, and of them the Gauls and Germans; or, as others, the Armenians, and of them the Turks.

Haydock: Gen 10:3 - -- Ascenez father of the Germans, Thogorma father of the Turks. (Menochius)

Ascenez father of the Germans, Thogorma father of the Turks. (Menochius)

Gill: Gen 10:3 - -- And the sons of Gomer,.... Who was the first of the sons of Japheth, three of whose sons are mentioned, and they are as follow: Ashkenaz, and Ripha...

And the sons of Gomer,.... Who was the first of the sons of Japheth, three of whose sons are mentioned, and they are as follow:

Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah; the first of these seated himself in the lesser Asia, in Pontus and Bithynia, where were some traces of his name in the river Ascanius, and in the Ascanian lake or bay; and also in the lesser Phrygia or Troas, where was a city called Ascania, and where were the Ascanian isles x, and the Euxine Pontus, or Axeine y, as it was first called, which is the sea that separates Asia and Europe, and is no other than a corruption of the sea of Ashkenaz. It seems to have been near Armenia, by its being mentioned along with Minni or Armenia, in Jer 51:27. Germany is by the Jews commonly called Ashkenaz; perhaps some of the posterity of Ashkenaz in Asia might pass into Europe, and Germany might be a colony of them; so Mr. Broughton z observes of the sons of Gomer, that they first took their seat in Asia, and then came north and west into Muscovy and Germany. The next son of Gomer was Riphath. Josephus a says, that the Riphathaeans which came from him are the Paphlagonians, a people of Asia Minor, near Pontus, so that he settled near his brother Ashkenaz; perhaps his posterity are the Arimphaei of Pliny b, and the Riphaeans of Mela c, who inhabited near the Riphaean mountains, which might have their name from this son of Gomer, who in 1Ch 1:6 is called Diphath, the letters ר and ד being very similar. His third son is called Togarmah, who had his seat in the north of Judea, see Eze 38:6 his posterity are the Phrygians, according to Josephus d; but some place them in Galatia and Cappadocia; and Strabo e makes mention of a people called Trocmi, on the borders of Pontus and Cappadocia; and Cicero f of the Trogmi or Trogini, who may have their name from hence; for the Greek interpreters always call him Torgama or Thorgana. The Jews make the Turks to be the posterity of Togarmah. Elias Levita says g, there are some that say that Togarmah is the land of Turkey; and Benjamin of Tudela h calls a Turkish sultan king of the Togarmans, that is, the Turks; and among the ten families of Togarmah, which Josephus ben Gorion i speaks of, the Turks are one; and perhaps this notion may not be amiss, since the company of Togarmah is mentioned with Gog, or the Turk; see Gill on Eze 38:6. The Armenians pretend to be the descendants of Togarmah, who, with them, is the son of Tiras, the son of Gomer, by his son Haik, from whom they and their country, from all antiquity, have bore the name of Haik k.

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Gen 10:3 Togarmah is also mentioned in Ezek 38:6, where it refers to Til-garimmu, the capital of Kammanu, which bordered Tabal in eastern Turkey. See E. M. Yam...

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Gen 10:1-32 - --1 The generations of Noah.2 Japheth.6 Ham.8 Nimrod the first monarch, and the descendants of Canaan.21 The sons of Shem.

MHCC: Gen 10:1-7 - --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 whi...

Matthew Henry: Gen 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...

Keil-Delitzsch: Gen 10:1-5 - -- Descendants of Japhet. - In Gen 10:1 the names of the three sons are introduced according to their relative ages, to give completeness and finish to...

Constable: Gen 1:1--11:27 - --I. PRIMEVAL EVENTS 1:1--11:26 Chapters 1-11 provide an introduction to the Book of Genesis, the Pentateuch, and ...

Constable: Gen 10:1--11:10 - --E. What became of Noah's sons 10:1-11:9 This chapter gives in some detail the distribution of Noah's des...

Constable: Gen 10:1-32 - --1. The table of nations ch. 10 This table shows that Yahweh created all peoples (cf. Deut. 32:8;...

Guzik: Gen 10:1-32 - --Genesis 10 - The Table of Nations The tenth chapter of Genesis . . . stands absolutely alone in ancient literature, without a remote parallel, even am...

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Introduction / Outline

JFB: Genesis (Book Introduction) GENESIS, the book of the origin or production of all things, consists of two parts: the first, comprehended in the first through eleventh chapters, gi...

JFB: Genesis (Outline) THE CREATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. (Gen 1:1-2) THE FIRST DAY. (Gen 1:3-5) SECOND DAY. (Gen 1:6-8) THIRD DAY. (Gen 1:9-13) FOURTH DAY. (Gen 1:14-19) FI...

TSK: Genesis (Book Introduction) The Book of Genesis is the most ancient record in the world; including the History of two grand and stupendous subjects, Creation and Providence; of e...

TSK: Genesis 10 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Gen 10:1, The generations of Noah; Gen 10:2, Japheth; Gen 10:6, Ham; Gen 10:8, Nimrod the first monarch, and the descendants of Canaan; G...

Poole: Genesis 10 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 10 Noah’ s posterity, Gen 10:1 . Sons of Japheth, Gen 10:2-5 . Of Ham, Gen 10:2-14 ; among whom Nimrod the first monarch and tyrant; h...

MHCC: Genesis (Book Introduction) Genesis is a name taken from the Greek, and signifies " the book of generation or production;" it is properly so called, as containing an account of ...

MHCC: Genesis 10 (Chapter Introduction) (Gen 10:1-7) The sons of Noah, of Japheth, of Ham. (Gen 10:8-14) Nimrod the first monarch. (v. 15-32) The descendants of Canaan, The sons of Shem.

Matthew Henry: Genesis (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis We have now before us the holy Bible, or book, for so bible ...

Matthew Henry: Genesis 10 (Chapter Introduction) This chapter shows more particularly what was said in general (Gen 9:19), concerning the three sons of Noah, that " of them was the whole earth ove...

Constable: Genesis (Book Introduction) Introduction Title Each book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testam...

Constable: Genesis (Outline) Outline The structure of Genesis is very clear. The phrase "the generations of" (toledot in Hebrew, from yalad m...

Constable: Genesis Bibliography Aalders, Gerhard Charles. Genesis. The Bible Student's Commentary series. 2 vols. Translated by William Hey...

Haydock: Genesis (Book Introduction) THE BOOK OF GENESIS. INTRODUCTION. The Hebrews now entitle all the Five Books of Moses, from the initial words, which originally were written li...

Gill: Genesis (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS This book, in the Hebrew copies of the Bible, and by the Jewish writers, is generally called Bereshith, which signifies "in...

Gill: Genesis 10 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 10 This chapter gives an account of the posterity of the three sons of Noah, by whom the world was peopled after the flood,...

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