Genesis 10 -- Old Testament -- Gospel Daily

Genesis

Chapter 10

Table of Nations After the Flood

Genesis 10 records the genealogical "table of nations," tracing the descendants of Noah's three sons—Japheth, Ham, and Shem—who spread across the earth after the flood. The sons of Japheth gave rise to the peoples of the coastlands and isles, divided by their languages, families, and nations. Among Ham's descendants, Nimrod is singled out as a mighty hunter before the LORD and the founder of a kingdom beginning at Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in Shinar, while the Canaanite peoples and their territorial borders are also carefully delineated. The line of Shem, identified as the ancestor of all the children of Eber, runs through Arphaxad, Salah, and Eber, whose son Peleg lived at the time the earth was divided; the chapter closes by affirming that all the nations of the earth were dispersed from Noah's sons after the flood.

Origins of nationsPost-flood dispersionGenealogy and lineageNimrod's kingdomLanguage and family division

¹Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

²The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

³And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

⁴And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

⁵By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

⁶And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

⁷And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

⁸And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

⁹He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

¹⁰And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

¹¹Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

¹²And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

¹³And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

¹⁴And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

¹⁵And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,

¹⁶And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,

¹⁷And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

¹⁸And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

¹⁹And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

²⁰These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.

²¹Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

²²The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

²³And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

²⁴And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.

²⁵And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

²⁶And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

²⁷And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,

²⁸And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

²⁹And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.

³⁰And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

³¹These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

³²These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.