Genesis 10:7

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 10:7 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan.
Genesis 10:7 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 10

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
7And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the sons of Cush, etc.] The first born of Ham, who had five sons, next mentioned, besides Nimrod, spoken of afterwards by himself: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha; the first of these is Seba, the founder of the Sabaeans, according to Josephus f581, a people seated in Arabia Deserta, which seem to be the Sabaeans brought from the wilderness, (<262342>Ezekiel 23:42) and very probably the same that plundered Job of his cattle, (<180114>Job 1:14,15). The second son is Havilah, who, as Josephus f582 says, was the father of the Evilaeans, now called Getuli; but the posterity of Havilah seem to be the same whom Strabo f583 calls Chaulotaeans, and whom he speaks of along…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“- XXXII. Ham 6. מצרים mı̂tsrayı̂m, “Mitsraim.” מצר mētser, “straitness, limit, pressure.” מצור mātsôr, “distress, siege, mound, bulwark; Egypt.” מצרים mı̂tsrayı̂m, “perhaps double Egypt, lower and upper.” פוּט pûṭ, “Put, troubled.” 7. סבא sebā', “Seba, drinking (man, Ethiopian).” סבתה sabtâh, “Sabtah.” רעמה ra‛mâh, “Ra‘mah, shaking, trembling.” סבתכא sabtekā', “Sabtekha.” שׁבא shēbā', “Sheba, captive?” דדן dedān, “Dedan, going slowly?” 8. נמרד nı̂mrod, “Nimrod, strong, rebel.” 10. בבל bābel, “Babel; related: pour, mingle, confound.” ארך 'erek, “Erek, length.” אכד 'akad, “Akkad, fortress.” כלנה kalneh, “Kalneh.” שׁנער shı̂n‛ār, “Shin‘ar.” 11. נינוה nı̂ynevēh, “Nineveh,…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“10:7 The sons of Cush and Raamah together total seven. • Seba was in northern Africa (see Isa 43:3; 45:14). • Havilah was in southwest Arabia. • Sabtah was in southern Arabia, in ancient Hadramaut, near the Persian Gulf. • Raamah was in southwest Arabia near Najran. • Sabteca was in ancient Samudake near the Persian Gulf. • Sheba was a kingdom in southwest Arabia with commercial colonies (see 1 Kgs 10:1-29). • Dedan was in northern Arabia.”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification