Genesis 10:21

The children of Eber. After enumerating the descendants of Japheth and Ham, Moses next lists those of Shem. His first statement concerns the Hebrews, who as descendants of Eber (chapter 11:16-26), were Shemites (or Semites). Recent discoveries make it evident that the Habiru mentioned in Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite, Syrian, Canaanite, and Egyptian inscriptions were to be found among all of these nations during the second millennium B.C., and that they were apparently related to the Hebrews. There is reason to assume that the Habiru were descendants of Eber as the Hebrews were; also, ancient sources occasionally refer to the Hebrews as Habiru. But it is certain that not all the Habiru mentioned in non-Biblical documents were Hebrews. The exceptionally wide dispersion of the Habiru throughout many countries of the ancient world may have led Moses to make the unusual statement that Shem was “the father of all the children of Eber.”

The brother of Japheth the elder. In Hebrew this phrase permits a translation making Japheth the elder brother of Shem, as the KJV renders it, or Shem “the elder brother of Japheth,” as in the RSV. The KJV is correct (see on chapter 5:32).