Togarmah
Son of Gomer, brother of Ashkenaz and Riphath (Gen 10:8). Corresponding to Armenia. From toka, Sanskrit for "tribe" or "race," and Armah (Armenia). The Armenians represent Haik to be their founder and son of Thorgau (Moses Choren. 1:4; 9-11). The Phrygians, the race that overspread Asia Minor, probably migrated from Armenia, their language resembled the Armenian (Eudoxus, in Steph. Byz. on Armenia). The Phrygian is Indo-Germanic, as inscriptions prove, and resembled Greek (Plato, Cratyl.)
In Eze 27:14 Togarmah appears trading with Tyre for horses and mules; so Strabo (xi. 13, section 9) makes Armenia famous for breeding horses. In Eze 38:6, Togarmah comes with Comer from the N. against Palestine; this and Gen 10:3 imply Togarmah's connection with the Japhetic races, which modern research confirms as to Armenia. The Armenian connection with the Celts (Comer, i.e. the Cimbri, Cimmerians, Crimea, Cymry), implied in Togarmah being Gomer's son, is not unlikely.
The Imperial Dictionary makes Togarmah to mean the Turkomans who have always joined the Turks, i.e. Gog (Eze 38:1-6) or the king of the N. (Dan 11:40); Bochart makes Goghasan the original form, among the Colchians, Armenians, and Chaldaeans, for which the Greeks gave Caucasus.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Togarmah
Togarmah to-gar'-ma (~togharmah]; Thorgama, Thergama, Thurgama, Thurgaba; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Thorgoma): ⇒See a list of verses on TOGARMAH in the Bible. 1. Its Forms: A Suggested Identification: The 3rd son of Gomer, and grandson of Japheth, his brothers being Ashkenaz and Riphath (Ge 10:3). The meaning of the name is doubtful. Grimm (Gesch. deutsch. Sprache, II, 325) suggests Sanskr. toka, "tribe," and arma = Armenia. Etymological and other difficulties stand in the way of French Delitzsch's identification of Togarmah with the Assyrian Til-garimmu, "hill of Garimmu," or, possibly, "of the bone-heap," a fortress of Melitene, on the borders of Tabal (Tubal). ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. 2. Probably Armenia or a Tract Connected Therewith: In Eze 27:14 Togarmah is mentioned after Tubal, Javan and Mesech as supplying horses and mules to the Tyrians, and in Eze 38:6 it is said to have supplied soldiers to the army of Gog (Gyges of Lydia). In the Assyrian inscriptions horses came from Kusu (neighborhoed of Cappadocia), Andia and Mannu, t…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Togarmah
Son of Goiiier and brother of Ashkenaz and liiphath (Gn lO*). If Ashkenaz is the Asguza of the Aasyr. 790 TOHU TONGUES, COXFUSIOX OF inscriptions which is associated with the Minni by Esarhaddon, we shall have to look for Togarmah to the east of Assyria. In 1881 Fr. Delitzsch suggested that it might be Til-garimmu, a fortress of Kummukh or Comaggn6 ; but it iiuist have been a country, since horses and raulos wore ex- ported from it (Ezk 27"), and not a mere fortress. Most modem authorities decide for Western Armenia. A. H. Sayce.
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Togarmah
a son of Gomer, of the family of Japheth, and brother of Ashkenaz and Riphath. (Genesis 10:3) His descendants became a people engaged in agriculture, breeding horses and mules to be sold in Tyre. (Ezekiel 27:14) They were also a military people, well skilled in the use of arms. Togarmah was probably the ancient name of Armenia.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia