Japheth
“Enlargement or fair”
Summary
One of the three sons of Noah, whose descendants populated Europe and much of Asia, and who received the prophetic blessing that he would be 'enlarged' and would 'dwell in the tents of Shem.'
☩Identity and Position
Japheth was one of the three sons of Noah, born about one hundred years before the flood. Though usually listed last after Shem and Ham, Japheth appears to have been the eldest, as Genesis 10:21 indicates Shem was the younger brother of Japheth. His name likely derives from a Hebrew root meaning 'to extend' or 'to make wide,' though some connect it with a root meaning 'fair,' referring to the lighter complexion of his descendants. He and his wife were among the eight persons preserved in the ark during the great flood. Together with Shem, he showed filial reverence when he covered his father's nakedness by walking backward with a garment, in contrast to Ham's disrespect.
☩The Prophetic Blessing
After the episode of Noah's drunkenness, Noah pronounced prophetic blessings and curses upon his sons. Concerning Japheth, he declared: 'God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.' The Hebrew wordplay (yapht, 'enlarge,' and Yapheth) emphasized the promise of territorial expansion. This prophecy has been remarkably fulfilled as Japhethic peoples have spread across Europe, into Asia, and to the Americas and Australia. The phrase 'dwell in the tents of Shem' has a dual interpretation: Japheth's political dominance over Semitic territories through Greek, Roman, and European empires, and more significantly, Japheth's spiritual participation in the blessings given to Shem's descendants through the gospel of Christ.
☩Descendants and Nations
Genesis 10:2-5 records seven sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. These became the ancestors of numerous peoples: Gomer's descendants include the Cimmerians and Celtic peoples; Magog the Scythians and possibly Slavic peoples; Madai the Medes and Indo-Aryans; Javan the Ionians (Greeks) and related peoples; Tubal the Tibarenians; Meshech the Moschians; and Tiras possibly the Thracians or Teutons. The sons of Gomer and Javan are also listed, showing further expansion into Anatolia and the Mediterranean coastlands. The 'isles of the Gentiles' in Genesis 10:5 refers to these coastal lands and islands, indicating the maritime and exploratory character of Japhethic peoples. Modern ethnography largely confirms this ancient account of the dispersion of peoples.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Japheth," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Japheth (1)," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Japheth," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Japheth," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).