By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Ver. 5. By these were the isles of the Gentiles.] That is, the countries of Europe and Asia the Less, inhabited by Japheth's posterity. Europe hath its name, in Greek, a from the latitude and large surface of it, which answers well to the name of Japheth (signifying enlargement), who, together with his offspring, was, by God's appointment, to rule there far and wide toward the west and north. Asia hath its name from two Hebrew words that signify the fire of the Lord, b which, in Persia and other parts thereof, they superstitiously deified. Asia the Less, was so called first by Attalus, king of Pergamus, who, being the last of that name and race, made the Romans his heirs by will. They turned his country into a province, and called it Asia, by the name of the continent - as devouring, doubtless in hope, that whole part of the world by this small beginning. Hence, likely, came that first distinction of the Lesser Asia.
a Eυρωπη, ex ευρεια et ωψ quasi dilatatio .
b אשׁיה Ignis Domini Q. Curtius saith of Darius, that he called upon the sacred and eternal fire.