ch. 5:32, notes. Others think that Shem was the eldest.

22. Elam. Five of the nations issuing from Shem are here given as immediate descendants. Elymais retains the name, and is a large district, whose capital was Shushan, or Susa, (Dan. 8: 2,) in the vicinity of Assyria, and Media, and Babylonia, comprising the more modern Persia, and now included in Khusistan. In the time of the Persian Empire the whole country was called Elam. It was a very powerful nation, (See Isa. 22:6; Jer. 49: 34; Ezek. 32:24,) Asshur. This is here included among the Shemites though its chief towns were peopled by Hamites, (see vs. 11, notes.) ¶ And Arphaxad. This name points to the northern district of Assyria, called Arrhapachitis, adjoining Media. From vs. 24 we learn that from this stem came forth" the children of Eber." And here is the only instance given of a genealogical descent to the fourth generation. "The nations descended from Arphaxad are noted at the close (vs. 24,) on account of their late origin, as well as their import for the subsequent narrative." ¶ Lud. This name points to the Lydians, who migrated to Asia Minor, and gave the name to a part of the west coast. This is a region more removed than the previous geographical connexions would lead us to expect. But the history of Asia Minor is such as to relieve this difficulty. The people who originally occupied this region were called the Mæonians. But they were invaded by the Lydians from the east and subdued. The ancient Lydians were exceedingly brave and warlike, renowned for their cavalry. ¶ Aram.

| This name points to Aramea, and designates the parts of Syria north of Palestine, as well as the upper parts of Mesopotamia. It was understood to comprise the territories between the Tigris and the Syrian coast of the Mediterranean. We read of "Aram of the two rivers,” (Naharaim,) and the Aram of Damascus, (Dammesek,) etc. The Aramaic dialects (Syriac and Chaldee,) are of the Semitic stock, slightly varying from the Hebrew, which itself, in later time, became strongly impregnated with the Aramaic. The Arameans extended from the Taurus range on the north, to the Arabian tribes on the south. The descendants of Aram are now given. ¶ Uz. This was the land of Job, the patriarch. It was located in Arabia Deserta, and between the territories of the Idumeans and the Euphrates. Their government was monarchical. See Jer. 25:20. The habits of the people are referred to in the early chapters of the Book of Job. ¶ Hul. This is uncertain, though Huleh, near the sources of the Jordan is supposed by some to be a trace of the name. In this vicinity is a fertile district called Dshaulan. ¶ Gether. This is taken, by some, to be the kingdom of Geshur, whither Absalom fled, belonging as it did to Aramea, and located on the right of the Orontes. T Mash. This name is identified with the Mysians, who probably migrated to Asia Minor from the northern border of Mesopotamia, where is a chain of mountains called Ma sius, extending from the Tigris to the Euphrates.

24. Here follow the descendants of Arphaxad. Salah. The Salahites spread along the east side of the

Tigris and in the mountains of the Median highlands. ¶ Eber. Here we have the progenitor of the Hebrews. The name " Eber," however, was originally applied to all who crossed the rivers of Mesopotamia to the west or south. The Israelites were called "Hebrews" originally, as designating those who came over from beyond the Euphrates-though this was their distinctive name as a nation-and only afterwards were they called "Israelites" as their theocratic name. But the name "Hebrews " is in the Old Testament applied to no other nation than this people of God.

25. Eber's two sons are here named. Of the one it is simply mentioned that a great event occurred in his day. Of the other, the list of descendants is given, with particularity, to vs. 29. ¶ Peleg. "With Peleg and his descendants the order of families breaks off, since a point is now reached where, in the history of the kingdom of God a new era commences through the confusion of tongues. Only after the narration of this important event is the genealogy of Peleg's family continued," (ch. 11:18.)-Gerlach. "Some have fixed the date of the dispersion of nations at the year 101 after the flood, because in this year Peleg was born. But the expression, 'in his days,' seems to indicate a later period, when Peleg was already a man of note. He lived two hundred and thirty-nine years, and we may, therefore, place this event towards the close of the third, or the beginning of the fourth century after the flood." -See Kurtz. The want of definiteness in the Biblical statement is to be accounted for from the fact that

the narrator purposely follows the chronological thread only in and for the race to whom the promise belongs. The name Peleg signifies "division." The kindred verb occurs only three times elsewhere in the Old Testament, (1 Chron. 1:19; Job 38:25; Ps. 55:9.) In the latter passage it is found in the sentence," Divide their tongues," which may rather confirm its reference here, to the event of the confusion of tongues, and the consequent dispersion of mankind. Supposing that this event may have occurred at, or soon after the birth of Peleg; it is estimated that there were five hundred families of men at that time. This question, however, is of small importance. Some have understood this division of the earth to refer to a severance of the continents.

Dr. Candlish understands it that when men were about to burst the bounds of their former habitation, led on by Nimrod, and inspired by him with a new spirit of enterprise, God was not willing that they should go forth in disorder. Eber, then, he supposes, received a commission from God to divide the earth among them-to announce to the several tribes and families their appointed homes, and to lay down as on a map, their different routes and destinations. It is of this work of settling the earth that Moses speaks in his song, referring to the days of old when the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, separating the sons of Adam, and setting the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel, Deut. 32: 7, 8; Acts 17:26. But against this plan of God they rebel and aim to consolidate at Babel.

God's plan, however, is not frustrated.

26. Joktan. We have the progenitor of the thirteen Arabian tribes here designated. A province and town of Kachtan, (the Arab name for Joktan,) is found three days' journey north of Nedsheran. Almodad. This is commonly traced to Yemen, but it is not certain. The Arab article Al, with Mudad, a name in Arab story as the step-father of Ishmael, is thought by some to explain this term. The Allumaiotai of Ptolemy belonged to the interior of Arabia Felix. Sheleph. The Salapheni also belonged to the interior of Arabia Felix. Hazarmaveth. A district on the Indian Ocean called Hadramant, abounds in spices.¶Jerah, near Hadramant. The term signifies moon, and designates here the coast and Mountain of the Moon.

27, 28. Hadoram. This points to the Adramite, who occupied a part of the same province with Hazarmaveth. Uzal. This name was, perhaps, Azal, that of the capital of Yemen, and is, perhaps, still traceable in its present suburb Oseir. It was one of the oldest commercial districts of Arabia. ¶ Diklah-and the next two, Obal and Abimael, are not any longer to be traced with certainty. "The frequently shifting tribes of Arabia defy our identification, the more as they seldom leave lasting monuments of their stay, and their earliest written documents which have reached us are considerably older than the beginning of the Christian era." Sheba. See vs. 7, notes. A queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon, was the mistress of a rich realm.

29. Ophir. It would seem from the connexion here that Ophir must be located in Arabia-for the tribes of Joktan are Arabians, and for their localities see vs. 30. It is here named between Sheba and Havilah, which are beyond question in Arabia. The goods which Solomon imported from Ophir were native products of eastern Arabia, or were transported thither from India, to be carried thence to Syria. As to the precious metals the testimony of antiquity is that they abounded in Arabia, though now the mines may be exbausted. The name Ophir is Arabic, and means " an opulent land." That the ships of Solomon went every three years to Ophir, may refer to the slowness of navigation, and not to any great distance of the port. And the three years' voyage was probably to Tarshish, (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chron. 9:21.) Besides the idea is not that they were three years in making the trip, but only that this was as often as they went, regularly or commonly. ¶ Havilah. See vs. 7. Jobab. This is a district in Arabia Deserta.

30. The boundaries of these tribes are now given. ¶ Mesha. Gesenius finds this in Mesene, an island at the head of the Persian Gulf. Their dwelling was from the extreme northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf towards Sephar. This is Tsafar, or Isfar, a group of villages between the port of Mirbah and Sadgir, along the coast of the Indian Ocean, where are found the stately ruins of Sephar, once the seat of Himyaritic kings. The boundary runs from north to south, and southwest to the mountains of the east, which intersects Central Arabia from the vicinity of Mecca and Medina to

speech.

the Persian Gulf. These lines are ample enough in their extent to embrace all the Joktanites, and we infer that they all, Ophir among the rest, were first to be found in Arabia, though they wandered thence afterwards.

"In this table there are seventy names, exclusive of Nimrod, of heads of families, tribes, or nations, descended from the three sons of Noah: fourteen from Japheth, thirty from Ham, and twenty-six from Shem. Among the heads of tribes descended from Japheth are seven grandsons. Among those from Ham are twenty-three grandsons, and three great grandsons. Among those of Shem are five grandsons, one great grandson, two of the fourth generation, and thirteen of the fifth. Whence it appears that the subdivisions are traced farther in Ham, and much farther in Shem than in Japhet, and that they are pursued only in those lines which are important for the coming events in the history of Shem."-Murphy, p. 266.

CHAPTER XI.

29. HEATHENISM-TOWER OF BABEL-CONFUSION OF TONGUESDISPERSION. Ch. 11:1-9.

"The families of the sons of Noah" having now been given, "after their generations, in the nations," to show by whom the nations were divided (or distributed) in the earth after the flood, the historian proceeds to relate

the Divine interposition by which these families and people became scattered, in order to the settlement of the earth. Mount Ararat is the starting point and centre of civilization, languages, and races. There was as yet but one language spoken among men. This would furnish every facility for oneness of purpose and execution. They agreed upon a project for building a lofty tower, whose top should "reach to heaven." The object is stated-"let us make us a name (vs. 4.) These words indicated the hour of the birth of hea thenism.-Kurtz. Lest we be scattered abroad, etc. This plan involved some antagonism to God-perhaps a hostility to the race of Shem, and to the salvation which was predicted as to come through that line. This may be expressed in the words, * "Let us make us a name." Shem means name, fame. They rejected God's command, to "replenish the earth," and sought to concentrate there. God interposed, and by a miraculous dividing and confusion of their speech, broke up their plans, and scattered them over the earth. Here follows the narrative, explaining the nature of that marvellous change, by which mankind passed from being one family, with a mutually intelligible speech, into many nations of diverse tongues and lands. The sacred historian goes back in the record just given to the time of Peleg, and here explains the table of nations, and the future history of the race.

1. The whole earth. The whole