What does Genesis 10:4 mean?

Chapter 10 lists the names of the descendants of Noah's sons. Rather than tracing a long line of fathers and sons, it shows the wide spread of Noah's descendants into various tribes. Accordingly, this passage explains the origins of the nations of the ancient world. The previous verse listed the sons of Japheth's son Gomer.

This verse lists the sons of Japheth's son Javan. These four sons are apparently connected to the peoples who would later become the Greeks. Though Israel would not have many dealings in the Old Testament with the northern peoples who came from Japheth, these names and people do seem to be included in Bible prophecies. Some of these can be found in Ezekiel chapters 27 and 37—39. Culturally, the Greeks would become profoundly influential and would even conquer the territories of Israel under Alexander the Great.