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1 Chronicles 1:5-23

King James Version (KJV)

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— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

5. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 6. And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. 7. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 8. The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 10. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth. 11. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 12. And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim. 13. And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth, 14. The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, 15. And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 16. And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. 17. The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. 18. And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. 19. And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one [was] Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother’s name [was] Joktan. 20. And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, 21. Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah, 22. And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba, 23. And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these [were] the sons of Joktan.

1 Chronicles 1:5-23 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on 1 Chronicles 1:5

Theological / Devotional

The sons of Japheth. Verses 5-23 are an abbreviation of the genealogical information of Gen. 10. The account is compressed within narrower limits, chiefly by omitting the opening and closing notes, and passing over the remarks on the kingdom of Nimrod at Babel, and the spread of the Shemites and Hamites in their countries (see Gen. 10:5,8-12, 18-20).

Gomer. See on Gen. 10:2; Eze. 38:6. The descendants of Gomer are probably to be identified with the Cimmerians known to the Greeks, mentioned by Homer (Odyssey xi. 12—19) as inhabiting the far north; mentioned also by Herodotus (iv. 11-13) as the early inhabitants of what is now south Russia, who were driven out by the Scythians. The Cimmerians made their way into Asia Minor, and for a time threatened the Assyrian Empire, but were defeated by Esarhaddon. According to Ashurbanipal, Guggu (Gyges), king of Lydia, defeated the Cimmerians, who had been harassing his land, but was later overthrown by the Cimmerians. Alyattes, the great-grandson of Gyges, who had waged war with Cyaxares the Mede, later drove the Cimmerians out of the district of Asia (Herodotus i. 15, 16).

Magog. See also on Gen. 10:2. The progenitor of a people who came from the north (Eze. 38:15). Josephus identified Magog with the Scythians (Antiquities i. 6. 1). But see Vol. IV, pp. 704, 705.

Madai. The progenitor of the Medes (see on Gen. 10:2).

Javan. The progenitor of the Ionians or Greeks (see on Gen. 10:2; see also Isa. 66:19; Eze. 27:13; cf. Dan. 8:21; 10:20; 11:2; Zech. 9:13).

Tubal, and Meshech. See also on Gen. 10:2. The two names are mentioned together in Gen. 10:2; Eze. 27:13; 32:26; 38:2, 3; 39:1. Tubal is mentioned with Tarshish, Pul, Lud, and Javan (Isa. 66:19). Tubal is listed with Tarshish, Javan, and Meshech (Eze. 27:12, 13) as trading with Tyre. Tubal and Meshech are most probably to be identified with Tabal and Mushki frequently named in the Assyrian inscriptions, and with the Moschoi (Moshians) and Tibarenoi of Herodotus (iii. 94; vii. 78).

Tiras. See also on Gen. 10:2. Probably the progenitor of the Tyrsenians, who occupied the coast of the Aegean Sea (Herodotus i. 57, 94).

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