2 The sons H1121 of Japheth; H3315 Gomer, H1586 and Magog, H4031 and Madai, H4074 and Javan, H3120 and Tubal, H8422 and Meshech, H4902 and Tiras. H8494
3 And the sons H1121 of Gomer; H1586 Ashkenaz, H813 and Riphath, H7384 and Togarmah. H8425
4 And the sons H1121 of Javan; H3120 Elishah, H473 and Tarshish, H8659 Kittim, H3794 and Dodanim. H1721
5 By these were the isles H339 of the Gentiles H1471 divided in H6504 their lands; H776 every one H376 after his tongue, H3956 after their families, H4940 in their nations. H1471
6 And the sons H1121 of Ham; H2526 Cush, H3568 and Mizraim, H4714 and Phut, H6316 and Canaan. H3667
7 And the sons H1121 of Cush; H3568 Seba, H5434 and Havilah, H2341 and Sabtah, H5454 and Raamah, H7484 and Sabtecha: H5455 and the sons H1121 of Raamah; H7484 Sheba, H7614 and Dedan. H1719
8 And Cush H3568 begat H3205 Nimrod: H5248 he began H2490 to be H1961 a mighty one H1368 in the earth. H776
9 He was a mighty H1368 hunter H6718 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 wherefore H3651 it is said, H559 Even as Nimrod H5248 the mighty H1368 hunter H6718 before H6440 the LORD. H3068
10 And the beginning H7225 of his kingdom H4467 was Babel, H894 and Erech, H751 and Accad, H390 and Calneh, H3641 in the land H776 of Shinar. H8152
11 Out of that land H776 went forth H3318 Asshur, H804 and builded H1129 Nineveh, H5210 and the city H5892 Rehoboth, H7344 and Calah, H3625
12 And Resen H7449 between Nineveh H5210 and Calah: H3625 the same is a great H1419 city. H5892
13 And Mizraim H4714 begat H3205 Ludim, H3866 and Anamim, H6047 and Lehabim, H3853 and Naphtuhim, H5320
14 And Pathrusim, H6625 and Casluhim, H3695 (out of whom came H3318 Philistim,) H6430 and Caphtorim. H3732
15 And Canaan H3667 begat H3205 Sidon H6721 his firstborn, H1060 and Heth, H2845
16 And the Jebusite, H2983 and the Amorite, H567 and the Girgasite, H1622
17 And the Hivite, H2340 and the Arkite, H6208 and the Sinite, H5513
18 And the Arvadite, H721 and the Zemarite, H6786 and the Hamathite: H2577 and afterward H310 were the families H4940 of the Canaanites H3669 spread abroad. H6327
19 And the border H1366 of the Canaanites H3669 was from Sidon, H6721 as thou comest H935 to Gerar, H1642 unto Gaza; H5804 as thou goest, H935 unto Sodom, H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 and Admah, H126 and Zeboim, H6636 even unto Lasha. H3962
20 These are the sons H1121 of Ham, H2526 after their families, H4940 after their tongues, H3956 in their countries, H776 and in their nations. H1471
21 Unto Shem H8035 also, the father H1 of all the children H1121 of Eber, H5677 the brother H251 of Japheth H3315 the elder, H1419 even to him were children born. H3205
22 The children H1121 of Shem; H8035 Elam, H5867 and Asshur, H804 and Arphaxad, H775 and Lud, H3865 and Aram. H758
23 And the children H1121 of Aram; H758 Uz, H5780 and Hul, H2343 and Gether, H1666 and Mash. H4851
24 And Arphaxad H775 begat H3205 Salah; H7974 and Salah H7974 begat H3205 Eber. H5677
25 And unto Eber H5677 were born H3205 two H8147 sons: H1121 the name H8034 of one H259 was Peleg; H6389 for in his days H3117 was the earth H776 divided; H6385 and his brother's H251 name H8034 was Joktan. H3355
26 And Joktan H3355 begat H3205 Almodad, H486 and Sheleph, H8026 and Hazarmaveth, H2700 and Jerah, H3392
27 And Hadoram, H1913 and Uzal, H187 and Diklah, H1853
28 And Obal, H5745 and Abimael, H39 and Sheba, H7614
29 And Ophir, H211 and Havilah, H2341 and Jobab: H3103 all these were the sons H1121 of Joktan. H3355
30 And their dwelling H4186 was from Mesha, H4852 as thou goest H935 unto Sephar H5611 a mount H2022 of the east. H6924
31 These are the sons H1121 of Shem, H8035 after their families, H4940 after their tongues, H3956 in their lands, H776 after their nations. H1471
32 These are the families H4940 of the sons H1121 of Noah, H5146 after their generations, H8435 in their nations: H1471 and by these were the nations H1471 divided H6504 in the earth H776 after H310 the flood. H3999
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 10
Commentary on Genesis 10 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 10
This chapter shows more particularly what was said in general (ch. 9:19), concerning the three sons of Noah, that "of them was the whole earth overspread;' and the fruit of that blessing (ch. 9:1, 7), "replenish the earth.' Is is the only certain account extant of the origin of nations; and yet perhaps there is no nation but that of the Jews that can be confident from which of these seventy fountains (for so many there are here) it derives its streams. Through the want of early records, the mixtures of people, the revolutions of nations, and distance of time, the knowledge of the lineal descent of the present inhabitants of the earth is lost; nor were any genealogies preserved but those of the Jews, for the sake of the Messiah, only in this chapter we have a brief account,
Gen 10:1-5
Moses begins with Japheth's family, either because he was the eldest, or because his family lay remotest from Israel and had least concern with them at the time when Moses wrote, and therefore he mentions that race very briefly, hastening to give an account of the posterity of Ham, who were Israel's enemies and of Shem, who were Israel's ancestors; for it is the church that the scripture is designed to be the history of, and of the nations of the world only as they were some way or other related to Israel and interested in the affairs of Israel. Observe,
Gen 10:6-14
That which is observable and improvable in these verses is the account here given of Nimrod, v. 8-10. He is here represented as a great man in his day: He began to be a mighty one in the earth, that is, whereas those that went before him were content to stand upon the same level with their neighbours, and though every man bore rule in his own house yet no man pretended any further, Nimrod's aspiring mind could not rest here; he was resolved to tower above his neighbours, not only to be eminent among them, but to lord it over them. The same spirit that actuated the giants before the flood (who became mighty men, and men of renown, ch. 6:4), now revived in him, so soon was that tremendous judgment which the pride and tyranny of those mighty men brought upon the world forgotten. Note, There are some in whom ambition and affectation of dominion seem to be bred in the bone; such there have been and will be, notwithstanding the wrath of God often revealed from heaven against them. Nothing on this side hell will humble and break the proud spirits of some men, in this like Lucifer, Isa. 14:14, 15. Now,
Gen 10:15-20
Observe here,
Gen 10:21-32
Two things especially are observable in this account of the posterity of Shem:-