1. Gomer, the eldest son of Japheth, is the father of the ancient Cimmerians, who settled on the northern shore of the Black Sea. The modern and familiar name "Crimea," and the "Cimbri" of olden times, are derived from the Cimmerians, the immediate descendants of Gomer. The Gauls and Celts of ancient times, and of more modern date the Germans, French, and English, or British rather, are descended from Gomer.
2. Magog evidently refers to the Scythians or Mongolian tribes who settled on the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
3. Madai is readily identified as the well-known Medes, who were allied to the Persians in after years (Isa. 13:17).
4. Javan is the ancient name of Greece (Dan. 8:21).
5. Tubal we identify as the modern Tobolsk, capital of Asiatic Russia. The peoples descended from Tubal were located between the Black Sea and the Caspian.
6. Meshech, from its association with Tubal and connection with Gog, or Russia, in Ezek. 38, 39, we identify as Moscow, not only a large and populous province, but the city of that name, forming, till the beginning of this century, the metropolis of the whole Russian Empire.
7. Tiras is in all probability the progenitor of the Thracians.
8. Ashkenaz, whose descendants settled in the northern and southern side of the Black Sea.
9. Riphath, the father of the tribes who located themselves on the Rhipean or Carpathian mountains, pretty far north of Tiras or Thrace.
10. Togarmah, better known as Armenia, the people of which assert that they are descended from "Targom," or the Togarmah of Scripture.
11. Elishah, a portion of the Greek race inhabiting the isles of the ֶgean Sea (Ezek. 27:7).
12. Tarshish is identified by many as Tuscany, in Italy; it may be so, but the proof is not so satisfactory as we would wish. There was an eastern city and a western one both of that name.
13. Kittim or Chittim is the ancient name for the now noted island of Cyprus, but we regard it as denoting the islands and sea coast of the Mediterranean under the yoke of Rome (Dan. 11:30).
14. Dodanim. believed by many to signify an ancient Greek race.
"By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands, everyone after his tongue, after their familes in their nations." It will be observed from the foregoing brief geographical notes, that the "seas round which the descendants of Japheth located, were the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Black Seas; this will help us to understand what is meant by the "isles of the Gentiles." A similar expression occurs in Zeph. 2:11, etc.