1 Chronicles 1:5

(Genesis 10:2-4). The Sons of Japheth

5. The sons of Japheth The writer begins with the Northern "zone."

Gomer to he identified with the Gimirraiof the Assyrian monuments who in the seventh century b.c. inhabited the district afterwards called Cappadocia. Probably they are also to be identified with the Κιμμέριοι of the Greeks, who migrated from South Russia into Asia Minor under the pressure of the Scythians (Hdt. I. 103; IV. 11, 12; cp. Ezekiel 38:6, R.V.; Sayce, Higher Criticism and the Monuments, p. 124).

Magog In Ezekiel 38 judgement is denounced on "Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal" (1 Chronicles 1:2, R.V.) who is represented as accompanied in his migration by the "hordes" of Gomer and Togarmah (1 Chronicles 1:6, R.V.), "all of them riding upon horses" (1 Chronicles 1:15). Magog represents therefore one of several tribes of Northern nomads (Scythians) known to Israel; see note below on Tubal and Meshech.

Madai first mentioned in an inscription of the Assyrian king Rammannirar (Rimmon-nirari III.), who reigned b.c. 812 783. They are probably the Medes who lived in small communities (κατὰ κώμας, Hdt. I. 96) without a central government in Azerbaijan and Irak Ajemi, i.e. in the N.W. provinces of modern Persia.

Javan the Ionians (Ἰάϝ ʹ ονες) who were already settled on the West coast of Asia Minor at the dawn of Greek history. Being a seafaring nation and having a slave-trade with Tyre (Ezekiel 27:13; Joel 3 [Hebrews 4:6 "Grecians"]), they became known to Israel at an early date. In the Book of Daniel the title "king of Javan" (1 Chronicles 8:21) is used of Alexander the Great; cp. "kingdom of Javan" (1 Chronicles 11:2) of the Macedonian Empire.

Tubal and Meshech mentioned together Ezekiel 27:13; Ezekiel 32:26; Ezekiel 38:2-3; Ezekiel 39:1; and to be identified with the "Tabal" and "Muski" of the monuments, who in the times of the later Assyrian Empire lived as neighbours in the country N.E. of Cilicia; see Kiepert's map in Schrader's Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek, vol. II. This Meshech is to be distinguished from the Meshech son of Shem mentioned in 1 Chronicles 1:17. At a later period the Τιβαρηνοί (Tubal) lived in Pontus, and the Μόσχοι (Meshech) further E. towards the Caspian. They were in the nineteenth nome of the Persian Empire (Hdt. iii. 94).

Tiras No probable identification has been proposed for this name.