From the study of this interesting fragment of antiquity, the following observations have pre sented themselves: (1) Nations in Time of Moses. The enumer ation comprises only nations existing in the age of Moses, and probably of them only the most conspicuous, as more or less connected with the history of the Israelites. Many nations have been formed in subsequent times, and indeed are still forming, by separation and by combination; these can be considered only as included on the ground of long subsequent derivation. Such are the populations of Eastern .Asia. Medial and South Africa, America and Australasia.
(2) Partial Table of Nations. It cannot be affirmed with certainty that we are here presented with a complete Table of Nations, even as ex isting in the time of Moses. Of each of the sons of Noah, it gives the sons; but of their sons (Noah's great-grandsons) it is manifest that all are not mentioned, and we have no possible means of ascertaining how many are omitted. Thus, of the sons of Japheth, the lines of Gamer and Javan only are pursued: Magog, Madai, Tu ba], Meshech, and Tiras are' dropped without any mention of their issue; yet we have evidence that nations of great importance in the history of man ':ind have descended from them. Ham had four sons; of three of them the sons, or rather clannish or national descendants, are specified; but to Phut, the fourth, no posterity is assigned. Shem had five sons, but the descendants of only two of them are recorded. It cannot be supposed that those whose sequence is thus cut off, died without children ; for, as we shall presently see, nations of great historical interest may be traced up to t hem.
(3) Tribes or Countries. The immediate de scendants of Japheth, Ham, and Shem are, ex cept in the instance of Nimrod and a few more, some of which are doubtful, given by names not personal, but designative of tribes or nations, or their countries. Thus, all those terminating in the plural and those specified by the gentilitial adjective, the Jebusite, the Hivite, etc.
(4) Uncertainty of Names. In attaching the names of nations to those here given, there is sometimes a deep uncertainty. Resemblances in orthographical appearance, or in similarity of sound, are not to be relied on alone ; there must be accessory and confirmatory evidence.
(5) Reasons for Migration. We are not war ranted in supposing that the families, or clans, or tribes, or however the groups might have been formed, migrated immediately to their respective seats, by any sort of general breaking up. This would presuppose some kind of compulsory en forcement, which neither the nature of the case, nor any intimation in the narrative, warrants us to assume. We may rather conceive that a diversity
of movements took place, excited by general con viction of duty and utility,: guided in a great measure by patriarchal directions, and strength ened by circumstances which would inevitably occur ; such, on the one hand, as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, local inundations, landslips, proof of unwholesomeness in marshy districts, the annoyance of winged insects or other noxious animals—urging to depart from disagreeable or dangerous places; and, on the other hand, at tractive peculiarities, new and more convenient situations for pasturage, better soils for the vari ous kinds of agriculture, more pleasing sites for dwellings, the formation of towns, and the secur ity of their inhabitants.
(6) Various Results. The acts of separation and journeying would have specific differences of impulse and performance; they would affect one party and another, more or less, as to time, numbers and rapidity of movement.
3. Enumeration of Nations. The enumera tion of the nations is as follows: (1) Sons of Japheth, the Iapetus of the Greeks.
I. Gomes. This name is traced in the Kim mcrii of Homer and Herodotus ; the Gomares (ropapeis, Josephus, Antiq. i :6), whence Kelts, Gauls, Galatians; the Kymry; all the Celtic and Iberian tribes, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, Breton ; the Cimmerian Bosphorus, Crimea.
Sons of Gomer : (t) Ashkenaz, Axeni, inhabitants of the south ern coasts of the Euxine Sea, where we find a country Askania, and a river Askanius, and a large part of Armenia ; the Basques in the north of Spain ; the Saxons, as the Jews interprct Ash kenaz, in Jer. li :27, to be Germany.
(2) Riphath (Diphath. Chron. 1:6, a tation of D and R, not unexampled). Rifon. east of the Euxine; Tobata and other parts of Paph lagonia; Croatia ; the Riphz-ean mountains. a very obscure name in ancient geography (Strabo, Vir gil, Pliny, Mela), referring probably to the great chains of mountains from the north of Asia wcst wards ( I lyperborxans, Steph. Byzant.), and there fore including vague knowledge of the liralian, Hartz, and Alpine regions.
(3) Togarmalz. Peoples of Armcnia and other parts of the Caucasian region. The Armenian tra ditions assign as their ancestor Haik, the son of Tbrgon and grandson of Noah.
II. MAcon. In Ezekiel this secms to be used as the name of a country, and Gog that of its chieftain. The Alongoles, Moguls; the great Tar tar nation.