Genesis 10
10
Nations Grow and Spread
1This is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They are Noah’s sons. These men had children after the flood.
Japheth’s Descendants
2Japheth’s sons were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
3Gomer’s sons were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4Javan’s sons were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.#10:4 Dodanim Or “Rodanim, the people of Rhodes.”
5All the people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea came from these sons of Japheth. The people separated and went to different countries according to languages, families, and nations.
Ham’s Descendants
6Ham’s sons were Cush,#10:6 Cush Another name for Ethiopia. Mizraim,#10:6 Mizraim Another name for Egypt. Also in verse 13. Put, and Canaan.
7Cush’s sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.
Raamah’s sons were Sheba and Dedan.
8Cush also had a son named Nimrod who became a very powerful man on earth. 9He was a great hunter before the Lord. That is why people compare other men to him and say, “That man is like Nimrod, a great hunter before the Lord.”
10Nimrod’s kingdom spread from Babylon to Erech, to Akkad, and then to Calneh in the land of Babylonia.#10:10 Babylonia Literally, “Shinar,” which may be a form of the name Sumer. Also in 11:2; 14:1. 11Nimrod also went into Assyria. In Assyria, Nimrod built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and 12Resen. (Resen is the city between Nineveh and Calah, the big city.)
13Mizraim was the father of the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, 14Pathrus, Casluh, and Caphtor. (The Philistine people came from Casluh.)
15Canaan was the father of Sidon. Sidon was Canaan’s first son. Canaan was also the father of the Hittites, 16Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17Hivites, Arkites, the Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
The families of Canaan spread to different parts of the world. 19The land where the Canaanites lived went from Sidon down along the coast to Gerar and from Gaza as far east as Sodom and Gomorrah and from Admah and Zeboiim as far north as Laish.
20All these people were descendants of Ham. They are arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.
Shem’s Descendants
21Shem was Japheth’s older brother. One of Shem’s descendants was Eber, the father of all the Hebrew people.#10:21 One … Hebrew people Literally, “To Shem was born the father of Eber’s sons.”
22Shem’s sons were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
23Aram’s sons were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah.
Shelah was the father of Eber.
25Eber was the father of two sons. One son was named Peleg.#10:25 Peleg This name means “division.” He was given this name because the earth was divided during his life. The other son was named Joktan.
26Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these people were Joktan’s sons. 30They lived in the area between Mesha and the hill country in the East.#10:30 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf. Also in 11:2. Mesha was toward the country of Sephar.
31These are the people from the family of Shem. They are arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.
32This is the list of the families from Noah’s sons. They are arranged according to their nations. From these families came all the people who spread across the earth after the flood.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 10
10
A List of Nations
1Here is the story of Shem, Ham and Japheth. They were Noah’s sons. After the flood, they also had sons.
The Sons of Japheth
2The sons of Japheth were
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.
3The sons of Gomer were
Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.
4The sons of Javan were
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites. 5From these people came the families who lived near the Mediterranean Sea. Each tribe and nation then spread out into its own territory and had its own language.
The Sons of Ham
6The sons of Ham were
Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.
7The sons of Cush were
Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.
The sons of Raamah were
Sheba and Dedan.
8Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod became a mighty hero on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter in the Lord’s eyes. That’s why people sometimes compare others with Nimrod. They say, “They are like Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter in the Lord’s eyes.” 10The first capital cities of Nimrod’s kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh. These cities were in the land of Babylon. 11From that land he went to Assyria. There he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir and Calah. 12He also built Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Nineveh is the most famous city.
13Egypt was the father of
the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14Pathrusites, Kasluhites and Caphtorites. The Philistines came from the Kasluhites.
15Canaan was the father of Sidon.
Sidon was his oldest son. Canaan was also the father of the Hittites, 16Jebusites, Amorites and Girgashites. 17And he was the father of the Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.
Later the Canaanite tribes scattered. 19The borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar all the way to Gaza. Then they continued toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim all the way to Lasha.
20These are the sons of Ham. They are listed by their tribes and languages in their territories and nations.
The Sons of Shem
21Sons were also born to Shem, Japheth’s younger brother. All the sons of Eber belonged to Shem’s family line.
22The sons of Shem were
Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.
23The sons of Aram were
Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek.
24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah.
Shelah was the father of Eber.
25Eber had two sons.
One was named Peleg. That’s because the earth was divided up in his time. His brother was named Joktan.
26Joktan was the father of
Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. They were all sons of Joktan.
30The area where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar. It was in the eastern hill country.
31These are the sons of Shem. They are listed by their tribes and languages in their territories and nations.
32These are the tribes of Noah’s sons. They are listed by their family lines within their nations. From them the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
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