Genesis 10:1-5 comments: immediate sons of Japheth

10:1 ¶  Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 2  The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 3  And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. 4  And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5  By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

And he died closed the last chapter and Noah’s life as it did the pre-Flood fathers. See chapter 5 of Genesis for a number of times this phrase is used. So shall we all if the Lord tarries.

Nineteenth century thought held that Gomer was the ancestor of the Celtic tribes of Europe while some did say he became the Germanic tribes but they will move to Europe after Babel. An Icelandic writer claimed that the gods of the Norse came to them from Asia Minor. Ezekiel’s prophecy in chapter 38 shows why God raised up the European, why he is enlarged, to one day turn against Israel and be destroyed in God’s judgment. All of their civilization, learning, arts, organization, and ability to unite and conquer in history leads to it. What has saved America as a nation is not its existence as a Christnation or a Redeemer-nation for the world, ridiculous ideas of our forebears, but that it has treated the Jews well and honored God, at least on the surface with our lips. As that changes so will judgment come on this country and is coming now. If there even is a United States of America at the end it will not be a significant player except, perhaps, as one of the nations being judged by God. It is not the Promised Land as our forebears often said and it is not God’s special envoy to bring Christ to the world. Even our conservative Christians hardly know Christ except as an idea. They certainly don’t believe Him or believe they even have His words. America is a wicked nation, a Babylon, so much the more so because we claim to be something else. The right wing worships the Constitution as originally written and a Christ they invented that is not of the Bible as an excuse for selfishness and greed while the left worships its own intellect and desires and revels in its moral bankruptcy; its murders and extortions.

Ezekiel 38:6  Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.

Read Matthew 25, starting in 31. Understand that nations in the Bible are ethnic groups, peoples, not nation-states as in the last few hundred years where many ethnic groups are bound together by force or even voluntary agreement behind imaginary lines drawn on a map.

See in the following that Abraham’s physical descendants through Isaac, referring specifically to the Jews who dwell in many countries or nation-states or kingdoms, are to be a great nation or people.

Genesis 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

Exodus 19:6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

See that Abraham’s descendants through Ishmael who live in many countries or kingdoms will also be a great nation or people.

Genesis 17:20  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Spiritually, when Peter was speaking to the predominantly Jewish early church he brought this idea up again of the Jews, now those who believed on Christ, being a separated unto God, an holy nation.

1Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

The places and people’s whose modern names we give to Gomer and his children are often matters of pure speculation but they are European tribes, although in the beginning, like Ham and Shem’s children, most likely dark skinned, dark haired, and brown eyed.

Commentators have said that Magog would become the horsemen of the steppes with the Latin church “father”, Jerome, reportedly calling them Scythians, whom others report are the ancestors of the Russians.

Colossians 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Magog will play a part in the rebellion of the kings of the earth under Satan’s influence at the end of the millennial reign of Christ, only to be destroyed and cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Madai is the name the Medes of the Medes and the Persians are known by from

Assyrian sources.

Javan was used as a generic name for the Greeks of mainland Greece and the colonists and mercenaries of the ancient world, the entire Greek race. See Daniel 8:21 for Javan used for Grecia.

Tubal, which will become residents of the Caucasus Mountains from which we get Caucasian, will be confederates of Magog, according to Ezekiel, and destroyed at the end.

Some commentators report the Meshech became to be called Muscov and mixed with the Scythians to become the Russians. We can go on and on with speculation, conflicting historical records, and the surmisings of Bible scholars but these descendants of Japheth are the ancestors of the ethnic groups “native” to Russia and westward through Europe. Their descendants, those who are not saved, will rise against God for their final destruction. Their warlike organization, wealth of killing technology, and desire to rule over the world, which helped them conquer the world, will do them no good against God.

Tongue here means language, as it does elsewhere in the Bible, and that a discernible language of families and nations.

Acts 2:5 ¶  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9  Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11  Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

The division of verse 5 will come at Babel.

Acts 17:26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;