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Genesis 10

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The Descendants of Japheth 1–5

1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, namely, of Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. ​
2
The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. ​
3
And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
4
And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5
Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. ​

The Descendants of Ham 6–20

6
And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan. ​
7
And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan.
8
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. ​
9
He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah: wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Jehovah. ​
10
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ​
11
Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and builded Nineveh, and Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah, ​
12
and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).
13
And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14
and Pathrusim, and Casluhim (whence went forth the Philistines), and Caphtorim. ​
15
And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth,
16
and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,
17
and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
18
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanite spread abroad.
19
And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou goest toward Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, unto Lasha. ​
20
These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.

The Descendants of Shem 21–32

21
And unto Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born. ​
22
The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram. ​
23
And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
24
And Arpachshad begat Shelah; and Shelah begat Eber.
25
And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. ​
26
And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
27
and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
28
and Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
29
and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
30
And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
31
These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32
These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Genesis 10

Verse 1

the generations of the sons of Noah — Toledoth, 'generations', heads the sections of Genesis (Gen 6:9; 11:10; 11:27). The three sons are those of Gen 6:10, of whom 'was the whole earth overspread' (Gen 9:19). The chapter follows each line, Japheth, Ham, then Shem, 'after the flood'.

Verse 2

Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan — Later Scripture uses these names of peoples: Madai are the Medes (Isa 13:17), Javan is 'Grecia' (Dan 8:21), and Magog, Meshech and Tubal appear together in Ezek 38:2. Tubal and Javan are among 'the isles afar off' of Isa 66:19. Japheth has seven sons here.

Verse 5

the isles of the Gentiles divided — The line of Japheth ends with three marks of division: 'after his tongue, after their families, in their nations'. 'Gentiles' and 'nations' are one Hebrew word, goyim. 'Divided' is parad, to separate, the verb of v.32 and of Deut 32:8: 'when he separated the sons of Adam'.

Verse 6

Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan — Scripture's later names show where they went: Cush is 'Ethiopia' (Isa 18:1), Mizraim is Egypt, called 'the land of Ham' (Ps 105:23), and Phut is the 'Libyans' (Jer 46:9). Ham is 'the father of Canaan' (Gen 9:18), whose families fill vv.15–19.

Verse 8

a mighty one in the earth — Gibbor, a strong man or warrior, is the word for 'mighty men' in Gen 6:4. Nimrod, a son of Cush, 'began to be' one. Mic 5:6 names 'the land of Nimrod' beside 'the land of Assyria'. The sentence says what he became; it gives no verdict on how he used it.

Verse 9

a mighty hunter before the LORD — Tsayid, 'hunter', is the word used of Esau, 'a cunning hunter' (Gen 25:27). The phrase became a saying: 'wherefore it is said'. 'Before the LORD' means in his sight; the text does not say whether it is praise. The next verse places his kingdom at Babel.

Verse 10

Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh — 'Beginning' is reshith, the first of his kingdom: four cities in 'the land of Shinar'. Shinar is where men 'found a plain' (Gen 11:2) and built the city of which Gen 11:9 says, 'Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth'.

Verse 11

went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh — The KJV reads Asshur as the builder, the same Hebrew name as Shem's son in v.22. Nineveh is the 'great city' of Jonah, 'an exceeding great city' (Jonah 3:3). Mic 5:6 pairs 'the land of Assyria' with 'the land of Nimrod'.

Verse 14

Philistim… and Caphtorim — The Philistines come 'out of' the Casluhim, and Jer 47:4 calls them 'the remnant of the country of Caphtor' and Amos 9:7 says the LORD brought up 'the Philistines from Caphtor'. Deut 2:23 adds that the Caphtorims 'came forth out of Caphtor' and dwelt in the place of the Avims.

Verse 19

unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim — The Canaanite border runs from Sidon, the firstborn (v.15), to Gaza and east to the four cities that 'the LORD overthrew in his anger' (Deut 29:23). Lasha occurs only here. The peoples of this land include the Canaanites whose land is promised to Abram's seed (Gen 15:18–21).

Verse 21

the father of all the children of Eber — Eber gives his name to the Hebrews (Ibri, a descendant of Eber), and Abram is 'the Hebrew' (Gen 14:13). The line of Shem narrows through Arphaxad and Eber (Gen 11:10–16) and reaches Abram; Luke 3:35–36 lists Heber and Arphaxad in the line of Christ.

Verse 22

Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram — Shem has five sons. Elam is the realm of Chedorlaomer in Gen 14:1; Asshur is named in v.11 as a builder of cities; Arphaxad carries the line to Eber and Abram (Gen 11:10–26). The chapter returns to Eber's line in vv.24–30.

Verse 25

Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided — The name is explained by the verb palag, 'divided', a different word from parad in vv.5 and 32; in Genesis it occurs only here. The division is often read of the scattering at Babel (Gen 11:8–9). Joktan, his brother, has thirteen sons in vv.26–29.

Verse 32

by these were the nations divided — The closing verse repeats v.1's 'after the flood' and v.5's parad. Moses sings the same: 'when the most High divided to the nations their inheritance … he set the bounds of the people' (Deut 32:8), and Paul says God 'hath made of one blood all nations of men' (Acts 17:26).