A brief summary:
- 1. First, the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 is a historic document indicating how the present population of the world has been derived from Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
- 2. Secondly, this threefold division is more than merely a genetic variation of certain "racial" types: there is evidence that it is intended to indicate that the three branches of the race were divinely apportioned a characteristic capacity which has been reflected in the unique contribution each branch has rendered in the service of mankind as a whole.
- And thirdly, the contribution of Shem has been a spiritual one, of Ham a technological one, and of Japheth an intellectual one: in the process of history, these contributions were made effective in this order.
Genesis 10 (Amplified Bible)
Genesis 10
1THIS IS the history of the generations (descendants) of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The sons born to them after the flood were: 2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.3The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5From these the coastland peoples spread. [These are the sons of Japheth] in their lands, each with his own language, by their families within their nations.
6The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt [Mizraim], Put, and Canaan.
7The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
8Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first to be a mighty man on the earth.
9He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.
10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [in Babylonia].
11Out of the land he [Nimrod] went forth into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
12And Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; all these [suburbs combined to form] the great city.
13And Egypt [Mizraim] became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
14Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines), and Caphtorim.
15Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth [the Hittites],
16The Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,
17The Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,
18The Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites spread abroad
19And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon as one goes to Gerar as far as Gaza, and as one goes to [a]Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
20These are the sons of Ham by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
21To Shem also, the younger brother of Japheth and the ancestor of all the children of Eber [including the Hebrews], children were born.
22The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
23The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber.
25To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg [division], because [the inhabitants of] the earth were divided up in his days; and his brother's name was Joktan.
26Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
28Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.
30The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha as one goes toward Sephar to the hill country of the east.
31These are Shem's descendants by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
32These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, within their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.(A)
Footnotes:
- Genesis 10:19 Surely no greater proof is needed of the great antiquity of this portion of Genesis than the fact that it mentions as still standing these four cities of the plain, which were utterly destroyed in Abraham's time (Gen. 19:27-29; Deut. 29:23).
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