The Table of Nations: Japheth

In the last post, we looked at typology in the number of listed nations and three main divisions of the descendents of Noah from Genesis 10. Let’s take a closer look now at Japheth, the elder brother – where his seven sons and seven grandsons eventually migrated, and the meaning of their names. 

Japheth means Expansion, or Enlarge.

1. Gomer means Perfect or Complete. His people became the Celts, Galls (Gaelic), Scotts, Germans, French, English, Swiss, Belgian, Dutch, and Spanish peoples of Northern and Western Europe, in addition to the Galatians (also Galls) of Asia Minor from the New Testament. There was considerable migration of Gomerites between Asia Minor and Europe in both directions, as the distant family groups remained in contact with one another
2. Magog means Agent of Gog, or Rooftop. His people became the Slavs, Poles, Fins, Turks, and they mingled with Celts to form the Irish
3. Madai means Measured by Yah, or My Measurement. They became the Medes (Kurds), Indians, and all the “istan” peoples of Central Asia
4. Javan means Mire, Mudman, or Man of Earth. He became the Greeks and Latins (Italians)
5. Tubal means Flowing Forth. They became Cossacks and Siberians. Siberian genetic markers are also found in the Native American remains of North and South America, suggesting migration across the Bearing Straits
6. Meshech means Departed or Drawn Out. They became Russians, Romanians, and Latvians
7. Tiras means Moisten, Dew Drop, sounding like a word that means a consecrated tithe or portion. His people stayed near the Gomerites becoming Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes

Of Gomer (grandsons of Japheth)

1. Ashkenaz means either Fire Like Sprinkles, or a Fire Offering. They were the Phrygians of North Central Turkey (Anatolia) but moved later to Europe along the Rhine River to become the Germans, Goths, Saxons, and Teutons. Jews who settled in this part of Europe are still called Ashkenazi Jews – not by lineage, but by association with the region of Ashkenaz
2. Riphath means Crush or Crusher. They also settled North Central Turkey but moved to the British Isles, mingling with the Celts and Scotts
3. Togarmah means Bone Breaker. They became Armenians and settled the Caucasus Mountains, the original “Caucasians”

Of Javan (grandsons of Japheth)

1. Elishah means God Supports, or God My Salvation. They were called Lydians and went to the region surrounding modern Istanbul
2. Tarshish means either His Excellency, or Circular, White, Dove, or Alabaster. They became the Phrygians settling the Mediterranean coast of Turkey
3. Kittim (Chittim) means Bruisers. They became the Phonecians and migrated to Cypress
4. Dodanim means Beloved, Loved, or Fondled. They were Macedonians and settled Greece

If there is a message in their names, it might go something like this:

Enlarge the perfect agent

Measured by Yah 

The Man of earth

The flowing forth of His blood

Drawn out like drops of dew

I will sprinkle His offering

When He is crushed

Without breaking a bone

God will save when His Excellency

Bruises His Beloved

As often as I have looked at name lists in the Bible, I am still astonished each time we translate them and list them in the given order. Only God could have written a book like this.