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Japheth
biblical figure
Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah in the Bible. According to the tradition of the “Priestly” source of the Pentateuch, Japheth is Noah’s third son, but the older Yahwist tradition (Genesis 9:20–27) represents him as the second son. The oracle of blessing (Genesis 9:27), “God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave,” displays hostility against Canaan and looks favourably upon Japheth but is not easy to interpret clearly. “Dwell in the tents of” is usually understood to mean “have friendly intercourse with,” the passage thus indicating friendly relations between the descendants of Japheth and the Semites.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.
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