Blessed be the Lord God of Shem] Though God be named, Shem is blessed; for blessed are the people whose God is Jehovah, Psalms 144:15. and so Shem is blessed, in that God is styled his God, and that before any other in particular; and though Japhet be joyned with him in that modest succour to his fathers credit, yet he rather then Japhet may be mentioned, as he is usually named before him, as being first in the course taken to cover their fathers shame, and as the progenitor of Abraham, and of Christ, who came from his Line, and not from Japhets; and yet God is blessed also; that is, praysed (for modestie and piety of Shem) as the Authour of every good thing whether in parents or in children. his servant] Or, servant to them. That is, to Shem and Japhet; the posteritie of Canaan was servant to Shem, when those that descended from him had dominion over them as over the Gibeonites, Joshua 9. And they were servants to Japhet, when the Christian Emperours of Europe had the soveraignty over the Nations among whom were the remnant of the Canaanites; and yet the prophecie might take effect before this time when Alexander the Great of the posteritie of Japhet overcame the Tyrians and Sidonians, who by their parentage were Canaanies.