22 The children H1121 of Shem; H8035 Elam, H5867 and Asshur, H804 and Arphaxad, H775 and Lud, H3865 and Aram. H758
And it came to pass in the days H3117 of Amraphel H569 king H4428 of Shinar, H8152 Arioch H746 king H4428 of Ellasar, H495 Chedorlaomer H3540 king H4428 of Elam, H5867 and Tidal H8413 king H4428 of nations; H1471 That these made H6213 war H4421 with H854 Bera H1298 king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 and with Birsha H1306 king H4428 of Gomorrah, H6017 Shinab H8134 king H4428 of Admah, H126 and Shemeber H8038 king H4428 of Zeboiim, H6636 and the king H4428 of Bela, H1106 which is H1931 Zoar. H6820 All these were joined together H2266 in the vale H6010 of Siddim, H7708 which H1931 is the salt H4417 sea. H3220 Twelve H6240 H8147 years H8141 they served H5647 H853 Chedorlaomer, H3540 and in the thirteenth H7969 H6240 year H8141 they rebelled. H4775 And in the fourteenth H6240 H702 year H8141 came H935 Chedorlaomer, H3540 and the kings H4428 that were with him, and smote H5221 the Rephaims H7497 in Ashteroth Karnaim, H6255 and the Zuzims H2104 in Ham, H1990 and the Emims H368 in Shaveh Kiriathaim, H7741 And the Horites H2752 in their mount H2042 Seir, H8165 unto Elparan, H364 which is by H5921 the wilderness. H4057 And they returned, H7725 and came H935 to H413 Enmishpat, H5880 which is Kadesh, H6946 and smote H5221 all the country H7704 of the Amalekites, H6003 and also the Amorites, H567 that dwelt H3427 in Hazezontamar. H2688 And there went out H3318 the king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 and the king H4428 of Gomorrah, H6017 and the king H4428 of Admah, H126 and the king H4428 of Zeboiim, H6636 and the king H4428 of Bela H1106 (the same H1931 is Zoar;) H6820 and they joined H6186 battle H4421 with them in the vale H6010 of Siddim; H7708 With Chedorlaomer H3540 the king H4428 of Elam, H5867 and with Tidal H8413 king H4428 of nations, H1471 and Amraphel H569 king H4428 of Shinar, H8152 and Arioch H746 king H4428 of Ellasar; H495 four H702 kings H4428 with five. H2568
The sons H1121 of Shem; H8035 Elam, H5867 and Asshur, H804 and Arphaxad, H775 and Lud, H3865 and Aram, H758 and Uz, H5780 and Hul, H2343 and Gether, H1666 and Meshech. H4902 And Arphaxad H775 begat H3205 Shelah, H7974 and Shelah H7974 begat H3205 Eber. H5677 And unto Eber H5677 were born H3205 two H8147 sons: H1121 the name H8034 of the one H259 was Peleg; H6389 because in his days H3117 the earth H776 was divided: H6385 and his brother's H251 name H8034 was Joktan. H3355 And Joktan H3355 begat H3205 Almodad, H486 and Sheleph, H8026 and Hazarmaveth, H2700 and Jerah, H3392 Hadoram H1913 also, and Uzal, H187 and Diklah, H1853 And Ebal, H5858 and Abimael, H39 and Sheba, H7614 And Ophir, H211 and Havilah, H2341 and Jobab. H3103 All these were the sons H1121 of Joktan. H3355 Shem, H8035 Arphaxad, H775 Shelah, H7974 Eber, H5677 Peleg, H6389 Reu, H7466 Serug, H8286 Nahor, H5152 Terah, H8646 Abram; H87 the same is Abraham. H85
The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 that came to Jeremiah H3414 the prophet H5030 against Elam H5867 in the beginning H7225 of the reign H4438 of Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 Behold, I will break H7665 the bow H7198 of Elam, H5867 the chief H7225 of their might. H1369 And upon Elam H5867 will I bring H935 the four H702 winds H7307 from the four H702 quarters H7098 of heaven, H8064 and will scatter H2219 them toward all those winds; H7307 and there shall be no nation H1471 whither the outcasts H5080 of Elam H5867 H5769 shall not come. H935 For I will cause Elam H5867 to be dismayed H2865 before H6440 their enemies, H341 and before H6440 them that seek H1245 their life: H5315 and I will bring H935 evil H7451 upon them, even my fierce H2740 anger, H639 saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 and I will send H7971 the sword H2719 after H310 them, till I have consumed H3615 them: And I will set H7760 my throne H3678 in Elam, H5867 and will destroy H6 from thence the king H4428 and the princes, H8269 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 But it shall come to pass in the latter H319 days, H3117 that I will bring again H7725 H7725 the captivity H7622 H7622 of Elam, H5867 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 10
Commentary on Genesis 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Ge 10:1-32. Genealogies.
1. 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 (Ge 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. Those descendants, with one or two exceptions, are described by names indicative of tribes and nations and ending in the Hebrew im, or the English "-ite."
5. the isles of the Gentiles—a phrase by which the Hebrews described all countries which were accessible by sea (Isa 11:11; 20:6; Jer 25:22). Such in relation to them were the countries of Europe, the peninsula of Lesser Asia, and the region lying on the east of the Euxine. Accordingly, it was in these quarters the early descendants of Japheth had their settlements.
6. sons of Ham—emigrated southward, and their settlements were: Cush in Arabia, Canaan in the country known by his name, and Mizraim in Egypt, Upper and Lower. It is generally thought that his father accompanied him and personally superintended the formation of the settlement, whence Egypt was called "the land of Ham" [Ps 105:23, 27; 106:22].
8. Nimrod—mentioned as eclipsing all his family in renown. He early distinguished himself by his daring and successful prowess in hunting wild beasts. By those useful services he earned a title to public gratitude; and, having established a permanent ascendancy over the people, he founded the first kingdom in the world [Ge 10:10].
10. the beginning of his kingdom—This kingdom, of course, though then considered great, would be comparatively limited in extent, and the towns but small forts.
11. Out of that land went forth Asshur—or, as the Margin has it, "He [Nimrod] at the head of his army went forth into Assyria," that is, he pushed his conquests into that country.
and builded Nineveh—opposite the town of Mosul, on the Tigris, and the other towns near it. This raid into Assyria was an invasion of the territories of Shem, and hence the name "Nimrod," signifying "rebel," is supposed to have been conferred on him from his daring revolt against the divine distribution.
21. Unto Shem—The historian introduces him with marked distinction as "the father of Eber," the ancestor of the Hebrews.
23. Aram—In the general division of the earth, the countries of Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Syria, fell to his descendants.
24. Arphaxad—The settlement of his posterity was in the extensive valley of Shinar, on the Tigris, towards the southern extremity of Mesopotamia, including the country of Eden and the region on the east side of the river.
25. Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided—After the flood (Ge 11:10-16) the descendants of Noah settled at pleasure and enjoyed the produce of the undivided soil. But according to divine instruction, made probably through Eber, who seems to have been distinguished for piety or a prophetic character, the earth was divided and his son's name, "Peleg," was given in memory of that event (see De 32:8; Ac 17:26).
32. These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations, &c.—This division was made in the most orderly manner; and the inspired historian evidently intimates that the sons of Noah were ranged according to their nations, and every nation ranked by its families, so that every nation had its assigned territory, and in every nation the tribes, and in every tribe the families, were located by themselves.