King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Their territory stretched from Mesha, as you go toward S’far, to the mountain in the east.
Berean Standard Bible:
Their territory extended from Mesha to Sephar, in the eastern hill country.
American Standard Version:
And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And their dwelling{H4186} was from Mesha{H4852}, as thou goest{H935} unto Sephar{H5611} a mount{H2022} of the east{H6924}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Numbers 23:7
- And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, [saying], Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 10:30
Genesis 10:30 is part of the "Table of Nations" in the Bible, which lists the descendants of Noah's sons and their dispersal after the Flood. This verse specifically refers to the descendants of Joktan, a descendant of Shem, one of Noah's sons. The verse mentions the geographical extent of their settlement, ranging from Mesha to Sephar, a mountain in the east.
Themes:
1. **Dispersion of Peoples**: The verse reflects the biblical theme of the dispersion of peoples across the earth following the Flood and the Tower of Babel incident, emphasizing the diversity of nations and languages.
2. **Genealogy**: It is part of a larger genealogical record that establishes the lineage of various peoples, important for understanding biblical ancestry and relationships between different groups.
3. **Geographical Knowledge**: The verse hints at the geographical knowledge of the time, indicating areas possibly in the Middle East or Arabia, which aligns with the biblical understanding of the post-Flood world.
Historical Context:
- **Post-Diluvian World**: The verse is set in the context of the repopulation of the earth after the Great Flood, as described in Genesis 6-9.
- **Pre-Abrahamic Period**: This passage predates the call of Abraham, which marks the beginning of God's covenant with the Israelites, and thus sets the stage for the patriarchal narratives.
- **Ancient Near Eastern Background**: The Table of Nations reflects knowledge of various peoples and places known to the ancient Hebrews or to the later editors of the text, possibly during or after the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE).
The exact locations of Mesha and Sephar are not definitively known, but they are thought to be in the region of modern-day Iraq, Iran, or the Arabian Peninsula. This verse, along with others in the Table of Nations, provides a snapshot of the biblical worldview concerning the origins and settlement of different nations.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H4186
There are 43 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוֹשָׁב
Transliteration: môwshâb
Pronunciation: mo-shawb'
Description: or מֹשָׁב; from יָשַׁב; a seat; figuratively, a site; abstractly, a session; by extension an abode (the place or the time); by implication, population; assembly, dwell in, dwelling(-place), wherein (that) dwelt (in), inhabited place, seat, sitting, situation, sojourning. - Strong's Number: H4852
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֵשָׁא
Transliteration: Mêshâʼ
Pronunciation: may-shaw'
Description: of foreign derivation; Mesha, a place in Arabia; Mesha. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H5611
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סְפָר
Transliteration: Çᵉphâr
Pronunciation: sef-awr'
Description: the same as סְפָר; Sephar, a place in Arabia; Sephar. - Strong's Number: H2022
There are 485 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הַר
Transliteration: har
Pronunciation: har
Description: a shortened form of הָרָר; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively); hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion. - Strong's Number: H6924
There are 83 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֶדֶם
Transliteration: qedem
Pronunciation: keh'-dem
Description: or קֵדְמָה; from קָדַם; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward); aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, [idiom] ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare קִדְמָה.