The son of Noah; not, as some have supposed, the younger of his sons, because placed last, (see Genesis 9:18-19) for Moses expressly calls Ham the younger. (Genesis 9:24) The prophecy of his father Noah concerning Japheth is very striking: "God shall enlarge Japheth, and shall dwell in the tents of Shem." (Genesis 9:27) Yes! it is none but God that can enlarge or persuade. And as from Shem, after the flesh, sprung Christ; so Japheth, who is supposed to be the father of the Gentiles, and as such, in this prophecy, may be supposed to represent the whole body of the Gentile church given to the Lord Jesus Christ, could only be brought into Christ's fold by Christ's power. (See Isaiah 49:6; Psalms 110:3)