Japheth’s line and the coastlands
Says Seven sons of Japheth are named in 10:2, from גֹּמֶר (gomer) to וְתִירָס (tiras), among them וּמָגוֹג (magog), וְיָוָן (yavan, “Javan”), וְתֻבָל (tuval) and וּמֶשֶׁךְ (meshekh). Javan’s line in 10:4 ends with two plurals, כִּתִּים (kittim) and וְדֹדָנִים (vedodanim, “and Dodanim”). The plural ending marks peoples rather than single persons. BSB has “the Kittites, and the Rodanites”, following another spelling of the last name.
Says Verse 5 summarizes the line with מֵאֵלֶּה נִפְרְדוּ אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם (me’elleh nifredu ’iyye haggoyim, “from these the coastlands of the nations were separated”). BSB has “the maritime peoples separated.” The verb is passive, “were separated,” and the same form returns in 10:32. Then come four terms: בְּאַרְצֹתָם (“in their lands”), אִישׁ לִלְשֹׁנוֹ (“each by his language”), לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם (“by their clans”) and בְּגוֹיֵהֶם (“in their nations”). The lexicon gives goy as “nation, people” and cites 10:5, 20, 31 and 32.
Uncertain How the list is arranged is debated: by descent, geography, language, political ties, or a mix. The formula names clans, languages, lands and nations together, so no one principle is stated. Proposed identifications, such as Javan with the Ionians and Kittim with Cyprus, rest on later uses of the names, not on this verse. No lean is taken here.
Claims
- SaysSeven sons of Japheth are named in 10:2, from גֹּמֶר (gomer) to וְתִירָס (tiras), among them וּמָגוֹג (magog), וְיָוָן (yavan, “Javan”), וְתֻבָל (tuval) and וּמֶשֶׁךְ (meshekh). Javan’s line in 10:4 ends with two plurals, כִּתִּים (kittim) and וְדֹדָנִים (vedodanim, “and Dodanim”). The plural ending marks peoples rather than single persons. BSB has “the Kittites, and the Rodanites”, following another spelling of the last name.
- SaysVerse 5 summarizes the line with מֵאֵלֶּה נִפְרְדוּ אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם (me’elleh nifredu ’iyye haggoyim, “from these the coastlands of the nations were separated”). BSB has “the maritime peoples separated.” The verb is passive, “were separated,” and the same form returns in 10:32. Then come four terms: בְּאַרְצֹתָם (“in their lands”), אִישׁ לִלְשֹׁנוֹ (“each by his language”), לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם (“by their clans”) and בְּגוֹיֵהֶם (“in their nations”). The lexicon gives goy as “nation, people” and cites 10:5, 20, 31 and 32.
- UncertainHow the list is arranged is debated: by descent, geography, language, political ties, or a mix. The formula names clans, languages, lands and nations together, so no one principle is stated. Proposed identifications, such as Javan with the Ionians and Kittim with Cyprus, rest on later uses of the names, not on this verse. No lean is taken here.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 10:2–5 (WLC/OSHB; morph HVNp3cp HNcmpc HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms)
- BSB public domain Gen 10:4–5 (BSB)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 156 (leaf n179, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft), s.v. H1471 “nation, people”; checked against the printed page (scan)
2026-11-11
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