Genesis 10:18

10:18 Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered

Genesis 10:2

10:2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, 10  and Tiras. 11 

Genesis 13:4

13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, 12  and there Abram worshiped the Lord. 13 


sn The Arvadites lived in the city Arvad, located on an island near the mainland close to the river El Kebir.

sn The Zemarites lived in the town Sumur, north of Arka.

sn The Hamathites lived in Hamath on the Orontes River.

sn The Greek form of the name Japheth, Iapetos, is used in Greek tradition for the ancestor of the Greeks.

sn Gomer was the ancestor of the Cimmerians. For a discussion of the Cimmerians see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 49-61.

sn For a discussion of various proposals concerning the descendants of Magog see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 22-24.

sn Madai was the ancestor of the Medes, who lived east of Assyria.

sn Javan was the father of the Hellenic race, the Ionians who lived in western Asia Minor.

sn Tubal was the ancestor of militaristic tribes that lived north of the Black Sea. For a discussion of ancient references to Tubal see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

10 sn Meshech was the ancestor of the people known in Assyrian records as the Musku. For a discussion of ancient references to them see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

11 sn Tiras was the ancestor of the Thracians, some of whom possibly became the Pelasgian pirates of the Aegean.

12 tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).

13 tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.