The Tents of Shem

God will extend Japheth; he will dwell in the tents of Shem; Canaan will be his slave. (Gen 9:27)

This verse is a prophetic declaration made by Noah to his two eldest sons. It carries the deeper spiritual message that Japheth (Soul of man) is meant to dwell in the tents of Shem (Spirit of God) so that Canaan (Body of man) will serve them both.

However, scripture reveals that Japheth did not take this to heart. After the flood, he separated from his brother Shem, choosing instead to dwell in the north country. As a result, Japheth’s wife would give birth to seven sons in succession. The names given to each are very revealing.

The firstborn son of Japheth was GOMER. His name means “failure”. This says to me the first fruit of a soul not living in submission to the Holy Spirit is failure.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (Joh 15:5)


The second son of Japheth was MAGOG who’s name means to “overshadow” or “dominate”.

When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. (Rev 20:7-8)

MADAI was the third son of Japheth. His name means to “judge” or “measure”. JAVAN which means “intoxication” was the fourth son of Japheth. He became the father of the Greek empire. TUBAL was the fifth son. His name means “confusion”. MESHECH was the sixth. His name means “forceful”. And TIRAS was the seventh son of Japheth. His name means “intimidation”.

As we can see, the names given to each of Japheth’s sons signify the state of the soul when it is not in submission to the Spirit of God (dwelling in the tents of Shem). This illustrates, as Christ implied in John 15, that apart from the Spirit, the soul can produce nothing but failure, ambition, bitterness, and discord.

In truth, each of these aptly named sons of Japheth would grow into nations that would oppress Israel (Shem) throughout his generations. And all because Japheth rejected his father’s blessing and instruction that he dwell in the tents of Shem.