ent has no reference to the personal relation of Shem and Ham,
but that they come into view solely as the heads of families.

Ver. 27. "_May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of
Shem; and Canaan shall be a servant to them._"--These words, in the
first instance, contain the blessing pronounced upon Japheth; but they
entitle us to infer from them, at the same time, a glorious blessing
destined for Shem, which is the source of blessing to Japheth also.
They thus complete the promise of the preceding verse, which directly
refers to Shem.

The first clause of this verse has received a great variety of
interpretations. The word [Hebrew: ipt], which refers to, and is
explanatory of, the name [Hebrew: ipt] (_i.e._ Japheth), is the future
apoc. _Hiphil_ of [Hebrew: pth]. The _Piel_ of this verb has in Hebrew
commonly the signification: "to persuade, or prevail upon any one to do
anything." Hence many interpreters translate with _Calvin_: "May God
allure Japheth that he may dwell in the tents of Shem." _Luther_ also,
in his Commentary, thus explains it: "God will kindly speak to
Japheth;" while, in his translation, he has: "May God enlarge
Japheth."--But to this interpretation it has been rightly objected,
that the verb [Hebrew: pth] is found only in Piel, not in Hiphil, with
the signification "to persuade;" that, commonly, it signifies "to
persuade" only in a bad sense; and that, in this sense, it is never
construed with [Hebrew: l], but always with the accusative.--All
interpreters now agree that (in conformity with the LXX. [Greek:
platunai ho Theos to Iapheth], the _Vulgate_ [_dilatet Deus Japhet_],
and _Onkelos_) [Hebrew: ipt] must be derived from [Hebrew: pth] in its
primary signification, "to be wide, large," in which it is found in
Prov. xx. 19 (where [Hebrew: wptiv] [Pg 39] is accusative denoting the
place), and which signification is the common one in Aramaic. But they
then again disagree, inasmuch as some think of a local extension: God
shall give to Japheth a numerous posterity, which shall take possession
of extended territories; while others find here expressed the idea of
general prosperity: God shall prosper Japheth, shall bring him into a
free and unstraitened position.

Both of these views partake of alike mistake from regarding the words
_per se_, and as disconnected from the following announcement of
Japheth's dwelling in the tents of Shem. It must also be objected to
them, that in the case