Genesis 10:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The founder of Trachonitida and Damascus governed the area situated between Palestine and the Syrian Highlands. Consequently, the Seventy Interpreters translated the Hebrew phrase ‘the land of Us’ in the Book of Job to mean ‘the region of Ausit,’ which is closely related to Usitic. The Armenians originated from Ul, while the people from Hepher are from Acarnania or Caria. Following them is Mes, referred to as Mosoch by the Seventy interpreters, a nation now identified as the Meonians, or Lydians.

Utz refers not only to the firstborn son of Nahor (Genesis 22:21) but also to one of Esau’s descendants (Genesis 31:28). According to ancient tradition, the firstborn son of Aram is credited with founding Damascus and giving his name to the region known as Utz by the Jews and Gaut by the Aravites. Bochart connects this to Holobotena (חול בית, the house of Hul), which is a region in Armenia, while Michaelis identifies it with Tsele-Syria. The name Hepher is reflected in the river called Keitripa. In the context of the book of Chronicles, Mash is associated with Meshech (1 Chronicles 1:17). From these references, Bochart derives the name of Mount Masiah.