Genesis 9:27
in Genesis 9May God expand the territory of Japheth; may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.
KJV
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
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This verse in Genesis 9
Commentary
10 notes on this verseAnd again, many dwell in large tents that do not dwell in God's tents, as Japheth did. Secondly, Shem has the blessing of heaven above: He shall (that is, God shall) dwell in the tents of Shem, that is "From his loins Christ shall come, and in his seed the church shall be continued. " The birth-right was now to be divided between Shem and Japheth, Ham being utterly discarded.
This site's exposition
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem
on Genesis 9:26-27
The blessing goes to the LORD, the God of Shem. The line runs from Shem through the genealogy of 11:10 to 26 to Abram, and out of Abram comes the promise of 12:3, that all the families of the earth will be blessed through him. Japheth is given room and a place in Shem's tents, and Canaan is servant to both. Matthew Henry reads that as the nations coming in under a blessing given to another.
This site's exposition
expand the territory of Japheth
The verb expand, yapht, plays on the name Japheth. The words may he dwell can be read of God or of Japheth. Matthew Henry reads them both ways, God dwelling in Shem's tents with Christ to come from his loins, and Japheth dwelling in God's tents.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
After Ham had been cursed through his one son, Noah blessed Shem and Japheth and said, "May God increase Japheth, and may he dwell in the tent of Shem, and let Canaan be their slave."
A commentator
IrenaeusThe Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, Sections 19-21 · Written before 202.
proposed
Now the three sons of Noah were Shem, Ham and Japheth, from whom again the race was multiplied: for these were the beginning of mankind after the flood. Now of these one fell under a curse, and the two (others) inherited a blessing by reason of their works.
First of all, let us show great reverence to our parents, as we read in Genesis 9:25-27, that whoever was blessed by their father, was blessed, and whoever was cursed by their father, was cursed! Therefore, God has granted this grace to parents, so that the piety of their children may be provoked. Therefore, it is the duty of children to obey their parents. Honor your father, so that he may bless you.
The Medieval Church2 voices
God also expanded Japheth, so that he dwelt in the tents of Shem, and that Canaan was his servant, when the Greeks or Romans, certainly descended from the line of Japheth, possessed the kingdoms of Asia, in which the descendants of Shem lived, and among …
May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Indeed, Japheth dwells in the tents of Shem because in the faith of the patriarchs and prophets, in the prophetic Scriptures, in the spiritually understood legal sacraments, the Church sojourns on earth.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
God shall enlarge Japheth,....
Note, It is God only that can bring those again into the church who have separated themselves from it. It is the power of God that makes the gospel of Christ effectual to salvation, Rom. i. And again, Souls are brought into the church, not by force, but by persuasion, Ps. cx.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יַ֤פְתְּ | yaft | may he make spacious | H6601 → | |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְיֶ֔פֶת | leyefet | <to> Japheth | H3315 → | 11 times |
| וְיִשְׁכֹּ֖ן | veyishkon | and let him dwell | H7931 → | 129 times |
| בְּאָֽהֳלֵי־ | beoholei- | in [the] tents of | H168 → | 345 times |
| שֵׁ֑ם | shem | Shem | H8035 → | 17 times |
| וִיהִ֥י | vihi | and let him be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְנַ֖עַן | khenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
| עֶ֥בֶד | ʾeved | a slave | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לָֽמוֹ׃ | lamo | to <the> them |
יַ֤פְתְּmay he make spacious
yaftH6601 →
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
לְיֶ֔פֶת<to> Japheth
leyefetH3315 →11 times
וְיִשְׁכֹּ֖ןand let him dwell
veyishkonH7931 →129 times
בְּאָֽהֳלֵי־in [the] tents of
beoholei-H168 →345 times
שֵׁ֑םShem
shemH8035 →17 times
וִיהִ֥יand let him be
vihiH1961 →3559 times
כְנַ֖עַןCanaan
khenaanH3667 →94 times
עֶ֥בֶדa slave
ʾevedH5650 →799 times
לָֽמוֹ׃to <the> them
lamo
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 15:12And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:10
On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.
- Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
- Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
- Matthew 12:21
In His name the nations will put their hope.”
- Isaiah 11:10
Through
Ephesians 3:6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:26–29
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
- 1 John 2:25
And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
- 1 John 1:3
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
- Galatians 3:26–29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Ambrose of Milan, On the Blessings of the Patriarchs, 1.1; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 7.4.1; Irenaeus, The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, Sections 19-21; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.