ולשם ילד גם הוא אבי כל בני עבר אחי יפת הגדול׃
Gen 10:21 [Samaritan]
ולשם ילד גם הוא אבי כל בני עבר אחי יפת הגדול׃
Gen 10:21 [Masoretic]
וּלְשֵׁם יֻלַּד גַּם־הוּא אֲבִי כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵבֶר אֲחִי יֶפֶת הַגָּדֹֽול׃
Gen 10:21 [Targum Onkelos]
וּלשֵׁם אִיתִילִיד אַף הוּא אֲבוּהוֹן דְּכָל בְּנֵי עֵבֶר אֲחוּהִי דְיֶפֶת רַבָּא׃
Gen 10:21 [Peshitta]
ܘܫܝܡ ܐܘܠܕ ܐܦ ܗܼܘ܂ ܐܒܘܗܘܢ ܕܟܠ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܥܒܿܪ܂ ܐܚܘܗܝ ܕܝܦܬ ܪܒܐ܂
Gen 10:21 [Septuagint]
καὶ τῷ Σημ ἐγενήθη καὶ αὐτῷ πατρὶ πάντων τῶν υἱῶν Εβερ ἀδελφῷ Ιαφεθ τοῦ μείζονος
Gen 10:21 [Vulgate]
de Sem quoque nati sunt patre omnium filiorum Eber fratre Iafeth maiore
וּלְשֵׁ֥ם יֻלַּ֖ד גַּם־ה֑וּא אֲבִי֙ כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵ֔בֶר אֲחִ֖י יֶ֥פֶת הַגָּדֹֽול׃
And to Shem, also to him were born sons; he is the father of all the sons of ʿEver, the brother of Yefet the elder.
Morphology
- וּלְשֵׁ֥ם (ūlĕšēm) – Root: שם (š-m); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “And to Shem”; Notes: Introduces Shem as the recipient of the action.
- יֻלַּ֖ד (yullad) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Hofal perfect, third masculine singular; Translation: “were born”; Notes: Indicates a passive action of begetting.
- גַּם־ה֑וּא (gam-hūʾ) – Root: גם (g-m) + הוא (h-wʾ); Form: Adverb + independent pronoun, third masculine singular; Translation: “also to him”; Notes: Stresses inclusion.
- אֲבִי֙ (ʾăḇî) – Root: אב (ʾ-b); Form: Construct noun, singular masculine; Translation: “father of”; Notes: Indicates patriarchal lineage.
- כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵ֔בֶר (kol-bĕnē-ʿeḇer) – Root: בן (b-n) + עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Construct noun, singular masculine + noun, plural masculine construct; Translation: “all the sons of ʿEver”; Notes: Refers to a specific genealogical branch.
- אֲחִ֖י (ʾăḥî) – Root: אח (ʾ-ḥ); Form: Construct noun, singular masculine; Translation: “the brother of”; Notes: Relates Shem to Yepheth.
- יֶ֥פֶת (yepheth) – Root: יפת (y-p-t); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yepheth”; Notes: A personal name.
- הַגָּדֹֽול (haggāḏōl) – Root: גדל (g-d-l); Form: Definite article ה + adjective, singular masculine; Translation: “the Great”; Notes: Denotes prominence or stature.
Textual Commentary on Genesis 10:21
Genesis 10:21 is a significant verse within the Table of Nations, detailing the genealogy of Shem and presenting interpretative challenges. The main difficulty lies in identifying the elder brother and understanding the final word, הַגָּדֹֽול (haggādōl, “the great” or “the elder”).
Text and Translation
The Hebrew text of Genesis 10:21 reads:
וּלְשֵׁ֥ם יֻלַּ֖ד גַּם־ה֑וּא אֲבִי֙ כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵ֔בֶר אֲחִ֖י יֶ֥פֶת הַגָּדֹֽול
A literal translation is:
“And to Shem also, children were born, he (was) the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.”
Interpretative Challenges
Who Is the Elder Brother?
The primary textual issue is whether הַגָּדֹֽול (“the elder” or “the great”) refers to Shem or Japheth. The phrase אֲחִ֖י יֶ֥פֶת הַגָּדֹֽול can be understood in two ways:
- “The brother of Japheth, the elder” – This would mean Japheth is the elder brother.
- “The elder brother of Japheth” – This would mean Shem is the elder.
The traditional Masoretic punctuation suggests that הַגָּדֹֽול modifies Japheth, making Japheth the elder. This reading aligns with Genesis 5:32, which lists Noah’s sons as “Shem, Ham, and Japheth” but does not explicitly state birth order.
Comparative Textual Evidence
- Septuagint (LXX): The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible does not clarify the elder brother’s identity but generally follows the Masoretic structure.
- Samaritan Pentateuch and Targums: These versions also retain ambiguity.
- Chronological Considerations: Genesis 11:10 states that Shem had a son two years after the Flood when he was 100 years old. Since Noah was 500 years old when he had sons (Gen 5:32) and the Flood occurred when Noah was 600, this suggests Shem was born when Noah was around 502, meaning Japheth could have been born first.
Interpretations
- Many interpretations, particularly within rabbinic tradition, hold that Japheth was the eldest.
- However, the order in which the sons are listed in Genesis (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) has led some to conclude that Shem was the eldest.
- Genesis 9:24 provides additional clarity: it refers to Ham as “the youngest son.” When this is combined with Genesis 10:21, it strengthens the interpretation that Japheth was the eldest, since Shem is consistently mentioned before him but not explicitly called the eldest.
Meaning of הַגָּדֹֽול
The Hebrew word הַגָּדֹֽול derives from גָּדוֹל (gādōl), meaning “great” or “elder.” In genealogical contexts, it typically refers to seniority in age. If it refers to Japheth, it confirms that Japheth was the firstborn, and Shem was his younger brother. If it refers to Shem, it would mean Shem was the elder brother. However, based on textual and chronological considerations, most scholars and translators favor the reading “Japheth the elder.”
Summary
- The placement of names in Genesis can cause some confusion, as Shem is often listed first due to his significance in biblical history.
- Based on interpretations of Genesis 10:21, Japheth is generally considered to be the elder brother of Shem.
- In rabbinic literature, Japheth is considered the eldest son of Noah. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 69b) and Genesis Rabbah 26:3 note that while Shem’s name appears first in the biblical text, this ordering reflects the sons’ wisdom rather than their birth order, with Shem excelling in wisdom.
- It is very clear from Genesis 9:24 that Ham is the youngest of Noah’s sons.
- Therefore, based on the evidence, Japheth is best understood as the elder brother of Shem.