Genesis 10 · Verse 4

Genesis 10:4

And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
Genesis 10:4, King James Version

Genesis 10:4 in other translations

BSBAnd the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.
WEBThe sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
ASVAnd the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
YLTAnd sons of Javan are Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
DARBYAnd the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
BBEAnd the sons of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish, the Kittim and the Dodanim.
WebsterAnd the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

What does Genesis 10:4 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Elishah - As Javan peopled a considerable part of Greece, it is in that region that we must seek for the settlements of his descendants; Elishah probably was the first who settled at Elis, in Peloponnesus. Tarshish - He first inhabited Cilicia, whose capital anciently was the city of Tarsus, where the Apostle Paul was born. Kittim - We have already seen that this name was rather the name of a people than of an individual: some think by Kittim Cyprus is meant: others, the isle of Chios; and others, the Romans; and others, the Macedonians. Dodanim - Or Rodanim, for the ד and ר may be easily mistaken for each other, because of their great similarity. Some suppose that this family settled at Dodona in Epirus; others at the isle of Rhodes; others, at the Rhone, in France, the ancient name of which was Rhodanus, from the Scripture Rodanim.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 10:1-7

This chapter shows concerning the three sons of Noah, that of them was the whole earth overspread. No nation but that of the Jews can be sure from which of these seventy it has come. The lists of names of fathers and sons were preserved of the Jews alone, for the sake of the Messiah. Many learned men, however, have, with some probability, shown which of the nations of the earth descended from each of the sons of…

Read the full comment on Genesis 10:1-7 →

Genesis 10:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבְנֵ֥יu.ve.Neiand [the] sons ofH1121
יָוָ֖ןya.VanJavanH3120
אֱלִישָׁ֣ה'e.li.Shah[were] ElishahH473
וְתַרְשִׁ֑ישׁve.tar.Shishand TarshishH8659
כִּתִּ֖יםki.TimKittimH3794
וְדֹדָנִֽים\׃ve.do.da.Nimand DodanimH1721

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 10:4

  • Daniel 11:30

    For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

  • Numbers 24:24

    And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

  • Isaiah 23:12

    And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

  • Isaiah 23:1

    The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

  • Ezekiel 27:25

    The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.

  • Ezekiel 27:12

    Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 1666. B.C. 2338. Kittim.
Nu 24:24; Isa 23:1,12; Da 11:30
Chittim. Dodanim. or, Rodanim.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 10:3

    And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

  • Genesis 10:4

    And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

  • Genesis 10:5

    By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

Read all of Genesis 10

Genesis 10:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y los hijos de Javán: Elisa, y Tarsis, Kittim, y Dodanim.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		– Et les fils de Javan: Élisha, et Tarsis, Kittim, et Dodanim.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Söhne Jawans: Elisa und Tarsis, die Kittim und die Dodanim.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Filii autem Javan: Elisa et Tharsis, Cetthim et Dodanim.