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Genesis Chapter 10

Old Testament Law (Torah) 32 Verses

What is Genesis 10 about?

The book of beginnings — creation, the Fall, Noah's flood, and the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, [namely], of 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.
5Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
6And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.
7And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; 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 Jehovah: wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Jehovah.
10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and builded Nineveh, and Rehoboth-ir, and Calah,
12and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).
13And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14and Pathrusim, and Casluhim (whence went forth the Philistines), and Caphtorim.
15And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, 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: and afterward were the families of the Canaanite spread abroad.
19And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou goest toward Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, unto Lasha.
20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.
21And unto Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
22The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram.
23And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
24And Arpachshad begat Shelah; and Shelah begat Eber.
25And unto Eber were born two sons: The name of the 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 toward Sephar, the mountain 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 of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
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What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, etc.] The genealogy of them, and which is of great use to show the original of the several nations of the world, from whence they sprung, and by whom they were founded; and to confute the pretended antiquity of some nations, as the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Chinese, and others; and to point out the particular people, which were to be the seat of the church of God for many ages, and from whom the Messiah was to spring; which seems to be the principal view of the history of Moses, and of this genealogy, with which should be compared (<130101>1 Chronicles 1:1-25) Shem,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“GENEALOGIES. (Gen. 10:1-32) sons of Noah--The historian has not arranged this catalogue according to seniority of birth; for the account begins with the descendants of Japheth, and the line of Ham is given before that of Shem though he is expressly said to be the youngest or younger son of Noah; and Shem was the elder brother of Japheth (Gen 10:21), the true rendering of that passage. generations, &c.--the narrative of the settlement of nations existing in the time of Moses, perhaps only the principal ones; for though the list comprises the sons of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, all their descendants are not enumerated.…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“- Section VIII - The Nations - Japheth 2. גמר gomer, “Gomer, completion; related: complete;” Κιμμέριοι Kimmerioi. מגוג māgôg, “Magog, Caucasian, Skyth.” מדי māday, “Madai, middle: Mede.” יון yāvān, “Javan”; Ἰάων Iaōn; “Sanskrit, Javana; Old Persian, Juna.” תבל tubāl, “Tubal”; Τιβαρηνοὶ Tibareenoi. משׁך meshek, “Meshek, drawing possession, valor”; Μόσχοι Moschoi, תירס tı̂yrās, “Tiras;” Θρᾷξ Thrax. 3. אשׁכנו 'ashkenaz, “Ashkenaz,” Ἀσκάνιος Askanios. ריפת rı̂ypat, “Riphath,” ὄρη Ῥίπαια oree Ripaia, תגרמה togarmâh “Togarmah, Thorgom, ancestor of the Armenians.” 4. אלישׁה 'elı̂yshâh, “Elishah;”…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“10:1–11:9 The fifth account (10:1) in Genesis (see study note on 2:4) unites the Table of Nations (10:2-32) and the Babel story (11:1-9) around the theme of scattering the nations (10:5, 18; 11:4, 8-9). The Table of Nations precedes the Babel story even though the Babel incident caused the geopolitical situation reflected in the Table of Nations. By reversing the order, Genesis links the repopulation of the earth with the blessing conferred upon Noah and his sons (see 9:1 and study note) and shows that Abram’s call (12:1-3) was God’s solution to the problem of human estrangement from God as reflected in the Babel…”
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