Genesis 10

The table of nations

1This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites

2The sons#10:2 Sons may mean descendants or successors or nations; also in verses 3, 4, 6, 7, 20-23, 29 and 31. of Japheth:

Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.

3The sons of Gomer:

Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

4The sons of Javan:

Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites.#10:4 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:7); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Dodanites 5(From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)

The Hamites

6The sons of Ham:

Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

7The sons of Cush:

Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah:

Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush was the father#10:8 Father may mean ancestor or predecessor or founder; also in verses 13, 15, 24 and 26. of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, ‘Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ 10The first centres of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in#10:10 Or Uruk and Akkad – all of them in Shinar.#10:10 That is, Babylonia 11From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir,#10:11 Or Nineveh with its city squares Calah 12and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah – which is the great city.

13Egypt was the father of

the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites.

15Canaan was the father of

Sidon his firstborn,#10:15 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost and of the Hittites, 16Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

(Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon towards Gerar as far as Gaza, and then towards Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.)

20These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The Semites

21Sons were also born to Shem, whose elder brother was#10:21 Or Shem, the elder brother of Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.

22The sons of Shem:

Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

23The sons of Aram:

Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek.#10:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:17; Hebrew Mash.

24Arphaxad was the father of#10:24 Hebrew; Septuagint father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of Shelah,

and Shelah the father of Eber.

25Two sons were born to Eber:

One was named Peleg,#10:25 Peleg means division. because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

26Joktan was the father of

Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

30(The region where they lived stretched from Mesha towards Sephar, in the eastern hill country.)

31These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

32These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

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Genesis 10

1This is the account of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood.

Descendants of Japheth

2The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.#10:4 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version (see also 1 Chr 1:7); most Hebrew manuscripts read Dodanim. 5Their descendants became the seafaring peoples that spread out to various lands, each identified by its own language, clan, and national identity.

Descendants of Ham

6The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

7The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth. 9Since he was the greatest hunter in the world,#10:9 Hebrew a great hunter before the Lord; also in 10:9b. his name became proverbial. People would say, “This man is like Nimrod, the greatest hunter in the world.” 10He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia,#10:10 Hebrew Shinar. with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. 11From there he expanded his territory to Assyria,#10:11 Or From that land Assyria went out. building the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, 12and Resen (the great city located between Nineveh and Calah).

13Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came.#10:14 Hebrew Casluhites, from whom the Philistines came, and Caphtorites. Compare Jer 47:4; Amos 9:7.

15Canaan’s oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Hittites,#10:15 Hebrew ancestor of Heth. 16Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The Canaanite clans eventually spread out, 19and the territory of Canaan extended from Sidon in the north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha.

20These were the descendants of Ham, identified by clan, language, territory, and national identity.

Descendants of Shem

21Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth.#10:21 Or Shem, whose older brother was Japheth. Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber.

22The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

23The descendants of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,#10:24 Greek version reads Arphaxad was the father of Cainan, Cainan was the father of Shelah. Compare Luke 3:36. and Shelah was the father of Eber.

25Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg (which means “division”), for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups. His brother’s name was Joktan.

26Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were descendants of Joktan. 30The territory they occupied extended from Mesha all the way to Sephar in the eastern mountains.

31These were the descendants of Shem, identified by clan, language, territory, and national identity.

Conclusion

32These are the clans that descended from Noah’s sons, arranged by nation according to their lines of descent. All the nations of the earth descended from these clans after the great flood.

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