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 people of] the coastlands of the nations were separated and spread into their lands, every one #Here and in vv 20 and 31, references are made to the different languages, in anticipation of God’s judgment of Babel (11:7-9), which resulted in a proliferation of languages.according to his own language, according to their constituent groups (families), and into their nations:

6the sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim [from whom descended the Egyptians], 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 became a mighty one 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 #Or Babylon.Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [in Babylonia]. 11From that land Nimrod went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah, 12and [Nimrod built] Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; all these [combined to form] the great city [Nineveh]. 13Mizraim [the ancestor of the Egyptians] became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim 14and Pathrusim and Casluhim—from whom came the Philistines—and Caphtorim.

15Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth 16and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite 17and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite 18and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad. 19The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as one goes to Gerar, as far as Gaza; and as one goes to #The fact that Genesis mentions the four cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim as still standing testifies to the antiquity of this account. These cities of the plain were completely destroyed in Abraham’s time (Gen 19:27-29; Deut 29:23).Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20These are the descendants of Ham according to their constituent groups, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

21Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber [including the Hebrews], the #Or the brother of Japheth the elder.older brother of Japheth, children were born. 22The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram; 23the sons of Aram [ancestor of the Syrians]: Uz, Hul, Gether and #Also known as Meshech (1 Chr 1:17).Mash. 24Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. 25Two sons were born to Eber; the name of one was Peleg (division), for [the inhabitants of] the earth were divided in his days; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27and Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28and #Also known as Ebal (1 Chr 1:22).Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29and Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30Now their territory extended from Mesha as one goes toward Sephar, to the hill country of the east. 31These are Shem’s descendants according to their constituent groups (families), according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations.

32These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their descendants, by their nations; and from these [people] the nations were separated and spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

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Genesis 10

Nations Grow and Spread

1This is the family history of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah. After the flood these three men had sons.

Japheth’s Sons

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

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

4The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. 5Those who lived in the lands around the Mediterranean Sea came from these sons of Japheth. All the families grew and became different nations, each nation with its own land and its own language.

Ham’s Sons

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

7The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.

The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush also had a descendant named Nimrod, who became a very powerful man on earth. 9He was a great hunter before the Lord, which is why people say someone is “like Nimrod, a great hunter before the Lord.” 10At first Nimrod’s kingdom covered Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Babylonia. 11From there he went to Assyria, where he built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, and Calah. 12He also built Resen, the great city between Nineveh and Calah.

13Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the people of Crete. (The Philistines came from the Casluhites.)

15Canaan was the father of Sidon, his first son, and of Heth. 16He was also the father of the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The families of the Canaanites scattered. 19Their land reached from Sidon to Gerar as far as Gaza, and then to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

20All these people were the sons of Ham, and all these families had their own languages, their own lands, and their own nations.

Shem’s Sons

21Shem, Japheth’s older brother, also had sons. One of his descendants was the father of all the sons of Eber.

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

23The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber. 25Eber was the father of two sons—one named Peleg, because the earth was divided during his life, and the other 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 the sons of Joktan. 30They lived in the area between Mesha and Sephar in the hill country in the East.

31These are the people from the family of Shem, arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.

32This is the list of the families from the sons of Noah, arranged according to their nations. From these families came all the nations who spread across the earth after the flood.

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Genesis 10

Genesis 10