And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
The sons of Javan; Elishah. Since the descendants of Javan populated Greece, we must seek "Elishah" in some part of that country. Josephus, followed by Knobel, identifies the name with the Aeolians, a race who, addicted to maritime pursuits, settled in various parts of Greece. But since the fabrics of purple and scarlet formed a principal part of their exports to the Tyrian market (Ezekiel 27:27), it is probable that their headquarters was the Peloponnesus.
Tarshish. This is perhaps the ancient Aramaic form of Tartessus, a city and emporium in the south of Spain, situated between the two mouths of the Boetis or Guadalquiver; or it may be applied to the whole Spanish peninsula, or in general to the countries of Western Europe (Psalms 72:10; Isaiah 23:1; Isaiah 23:6; Isaiah 60:19; Jeremiah 10:9; John 2:3; John 4:2), whence the Phoenicians obtained silver, iron, lead, and tin (Ezekiel 28:2).
Kittim - or (1 Chronicles 1:7) Chittim. The plural termination denotes a people who, according to Josephus, were a colony that migrated from Phoenicia to Cyprus and founded the town of Citium, the modern Chitti. At all events, this island was in close relations with Tyre, as appears not only from the books of the prophets (Isaiah 23:1; Isaiah 23:12; Ezekiel 27:6), but from Phoenician inscriptions still extant, of which Gesenius has given an explanation ('Monuments of Phoenicia').
Dodanim - or Rodanim (Septuagint, Rodioi, here and 1 Chronicles 1:7). This branch of Javan's family is identified by Kalisch with the Daunians in Apulia, Italy; while others, influenced by the apparent simularity of the name Dodona, suppose the Dodanim to have established themselves in Epirus.