Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 10:2/רמב"ן על בראשית י׳:ב׳
אבְּנֵי יֶפֶת גֹּמֶר הֵחֵל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי הוּא הַבְּכוֹר, וְנָתַן אַחֲרָיו חָם כִּי רָצָה לְאַחַר תּוֹלֶדֶת שֵׁם לְקָרֵב שְׁנֵי הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בְּתוֹלְדוֹתָיו, כִּי יֵשׁ לְהַאֲרִיךְ בְּתוֹלְדוֹת אַבְרָהָם:
1THE SONS OF JAPHETH: GOMER. Scripture begins with Japheth for he was the oldest. After him, it mentions Ham [even though he was the youngest]263 for Scripture wanted to delay the account of the generations of Shem in order to place side by side the two sections dealing with Shem’s children since it is important to dwell at length on the generations of Abraham.