“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; / and let Canaan be his servant. / May God enlarge Japheth, / and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, / and let Canaan be his servant.” - Genesis 9:26-27
The father of the coastland peoples. (Genesis 10:5) His descendants settled on the coastal lands of the Mediterranean spreading north into Europe and parts of Asia. (Literal Word app)
- Name Meaning: "Opened" (Literal Word app)
- Father: Noah (Genesis 5:32)
- Siblings: Shem, Ham (Genesis 5:32)
- Sons: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras (Genesis 10:2)
Japheth was born to Noah
After Noah was 500 years old, he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Genesis 5:32)
Japheth was preserved in the ark because of his father's righteousness
In a wicked generation, Noah found favor in the Lord's eyes, so God preserved Noah and his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives in the ark. (Genesis 6:18)
Japheth leaves the ark
On the 27nd day of the 2nd month of Noah's 601st year, God told Noah, "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”
So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.
(Genesis 8)
God establishes a covenant with Noah and his sons
God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to be fruitful and multiply and that the fear of them shall be upon every beast, bird, and fish. Every moving thing shall be food for them, but they shall not eat flesh with its blood. For their lifeblood, God will require a reckoning, be it from beast or man.
God also established his covenant with Noah and his offspring, as well as with every living thing from the ark. "I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
(Genesis 9)
Noah curses Canaan and blesses Shem and Japheth
From Noah's sons, Shem, Ham (father of Canaan), and Japheth, the people of the whole earth were dispersed.
Noah became a man of the soil and planted a vineyard. He became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham saw his father's nakedness and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backwards to cover the nakedness of their father without looking upon him.
When Noah awoke and knew what his youngest son did, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; / a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; / and let Canaan be his servant. / May God enlarge Japheth, / and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, / and let Canaan be his servant.”
(Genesis 9)
Japheth fathers nations
Japheth fathered Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Gomer fathered Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. Javan fathered Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these, the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with their own language, clans, and nations.