Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:15-18

15-18. Eleven Canaanitish nations are here enumerated . The first two names are probably personal, the last nine are certainly national . The descendants of Canaan, it is observable, are given with unusual fulness, they being the foreign tribes with whom the Hebrews came into most immediate contact, and, therefore, the sources of information were in this case unusually complete . The descendants of Canaan were, first, the Phenicians; second, the Canaanites proper . Sidon Sidonians,... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:19

19. The territory of the Canaanites is now described, in general terms, as commencing at the Phenician city of Sidon and running southward to Gerer and Gaza, cities of the Philistines, then spreading eastward to the great plain of Siddim, which is now covered by the southern portion of the Dead Sea, but which, at the time this narrative was written, was occupied by the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim . This statement shows that this chapter must have been written at least as... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:21

THE SHEMITIC FAMILY, Genesis 10:21-31. 21. Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born That is, older than Ham, though younger than Japheth . Comp . note on Genesis 5:32. This expression, “elder brother,” seems to be inserted here to remind the reader that, although Shem was mentioned after Ham, he was really older than he. Shem’s posterity is mentioned last, to form a more immediate and natural connexion with... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:22

22. Elam The Elymaeans who originally peopled the country west of Persia, between it and Mesopotamia, Elymais, stretching from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf; called Susiana by the old geographers, the Cissia of Herodotus . It had become important and powerful in the time of Abraham, (Genesis 14:1, etc . ,) although before that time, having been overrun by a Cushite race, it had lost its Shemitish language . Asshur Assyria; probably the word signifies plain, originally applied to... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:23

23. Uz Who gave name to the country of Job, in the north of Arabia Deserta . The manners and habits of this people may, to a considerable extent, be learned from this ancient poem . Hul, Gether, and Mash are not identified to any degree of certainty, although some think that the last may be traced in Mysia of Asia Minor, and the Mount Masius, or Masion, and the Masei Arabs of Mesopotamia. The Arabic geographers call two districts of Syria by the name of Hul, (Chul,) and also trace to ... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:24

24. The line of Arphaxad is now specially taken up, as that with which the narrative is mainly concerned . Salah, or Shelah, from שׁלח , to send forth, one sent; hence Shiloah, or Siloah, sent . John 9:7. Eber, or Heber, from עבר , beyond, that is, beyond the river, (Euphrates,) an emigrant . Both of these names seem to point to the migration of the Hebrew people from Aram westward . The name Hebrew, עברי , first occurs in Genesis 14:13, in the phrase Abram the... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:25

25. Peleg Division, relating, it is generally thought, to the division of tongues which the narrator immediately proceeds to describe in the next chapter, but Knobel makes it refer to the division in the family of Eber between the brothers Peleg and Joktan . He presents reasons for the view which seem to have weight. It is doubtful if the matter can be decisively settled, but we follow the current opinion. Smith’s Dictionary follows Knobel. His brother’s name was Joktan Called in the... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:26

26. Almodad This name seems to be preserved in the Arabic El-Mudad, or Al-Modhadh, a famous Arab prince. The name was borne by several Arab chiefs in a tribe that lived first in Yemen, (South-west Arabia,) and then in Hedjaz, (along the upper Red Sea.) Sheleph Probably Salif, or Sulaf, the Salapani of Ptolemy, an Arab people of Yemen. Hazarmaveth Court of death. The modern Hadhramant, or Hadramant, east of Yemen, in south Arabia, on the Indian Ocean; so named for its unhealthy... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:27

27. Hadoram The Adramites of Pliny and Ptolemy, in the eastern part of Hadhramant . Uzal The modern Sanaa, the chief city of Yemen, a walled town; said to be the finest in Arabia. Diklah Palm-tree. Probably some place abounding in palms, but not identified. read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 10:28

28. Obal Not identified . Abimael Father of Mael. An Arabic style of naming. Among the Arabs a man is sometimes named from his son, as among the Hebrews from his father. Sheba A kingdom in Yemen, or Arabia Felix, often mentioned by the classic and Arabic writers. Its chief cities were Uzal and Sepher. It was the queen of this country who visited Solomon. There are ancient buildings in this region, evidently of Cushite origin, showing a very ancient connexion between this and the... read more

Grupo de marcas