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This chapter is called the "Table of Nations". It contains the account list of the founders of 70 nations descended from Noah's three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The list includes 26 descendants of Shem, 30 descendants of Ham, and 14 descendants of Japheth. Each name and list represents important information that has significance in much of biblical history.
1 Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.
The names of Nations or tribes are often originated using the name of its founder. A person could not buy a partial of land without first proving that his ancestors came from the same tribe as those who were originally allotted the property. Tribal records were also used to determine military duties. A special type of tribal genealogy, called a priesthood genealogy, was exclusive to the tribe of Jacob's son Levi. Descendants of this tribe were uniquely qualified to serve in various capacities at the tabernacle, temple and in other religious functions.
Genealogical records in the Bible are usually related to one or more of the covenants which reveal much of God's will. Jesus' lineage is proven through the royal or kingly genealogies. In addition, the Bible's genealogies also prove many Bible prophecies.
2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
Japheth (means to expand, enlarge) populates most of the world. Descendants go north south and east. Become wealthy gentiles – Modern day Europe Indo-European language * Gentiles 14 Nations stem from Japheth.
Gomer: (means completion) Cimmerians settled along the Danube and Rhine.
South of the Black Sea – Russia or Iranian
Magog: Scythians - people north of the Black Sea, the origin and stem of the Irish nation Forefather of Russians, Slavs, Bulgarians, Bohemians, Polls and Croatians
Madai: (normal Hebrew word for the Medes, also Kurds – people without a country) Persia, India, Iran Median empire rose to great prominence during the seventh century BC and following
Javan: (is the original name of Ionia which is Greece) Greeks, Macedonians, Romans, Italians
Tubal: may correspond to Tibarēni—the modern Russian city of Tobolsk
Meshech: thought to preserve the name Muskovi—the former name of Russia and Moscow Tiras: the Thracians, Pelasgians of the Aegean; the Etruscans of Italy
Tiras: the Thracians, Pelasgians of the Aegean; the Etruscans of Italy.
3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
Ashkenaz: (complete, finish) Germany, Armenia Ashkenazi Jews (Settled in Germany) – Hitler hated Sephardic Jews (Portugal, Spain, others)
Riphath: (a crusher) Josephus Paphalagonians, "Europe" from Rapath)
Togarmah: Amerindians, Armenian or a Scythian race. A nation which traded in horses and mules at the fairs of Tyre
4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
Elishah: (the first, Elishah, is identified with Alashiyah on the island of Cyprus.)
Tarshish: Tartessos in Spain and with Carthage in North Africa.
Kittim: preserved in the name of Kition which is located on the island of Cyprus
Dodanim: (Leaders) Rhodian people Tubal: may correspond to Tibarēni—the modern Russian city of Tobolsk.
5 From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
Cush: Settled in Egypt - Ethiopia
Mizraim: the Hebrew and Aramaic name for the land of Egypt and its people. It is inscribed on the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
Put: a land or people from among whom came a portion of the mercenary troops of Egypt. It is believed to be in northern Africa.
Canaan: (Chinese) Sidon, Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. These are the lands dedicated to become Israel's lands Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. Canaanites become slaves by Rome and then they vanish. Canaan does not exist as a nation today.
7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
Sheba: (means Seven) settled on the Persian Gulf
Havilah: the territory watered by the Pishon River , which was noted for choice gold, bdellium, and lapis lazuli.
Sabtah: along the southern coast of Arabia. They founded the Sabathens—they are now called by the Greeks, Astaborans.
Raamah: colonized a large part of the interior of Africa, entering that great continent probably by the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb.
Sheba: was the home of Princess Tharbis, who is said to have been the wife of Moses before he married Zipporah.
Dedan: notable for his nasty temperament, and seems to be constantly enraged. He interacts with cruelty towards various beings, including his own working staff. Situated between Medina and Tabuk in central Saudi Arabia.
Sabtechah: His descendants apparently occupied regions near the Persian Gulf.
8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord." And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).
Nimrod's skill as a hunter of wild animals made him famous among the ancient people. He had plenty of ambition and some associate him with the Nephilim and considered him to be a giant. According to Jewish legends, Nimrod was the sworn enemy of Abraham and tried to murder him.
Josephus links Nimrod to the building of the Tower of Babel. He states that Nimrod wanted revenge on God for destroying their forefathers and so he built a tower too high for the flood waters to be able to reach.
13 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim).
Ludim: their land was in Libya which was west of Egypt near the tribes of Phut in the land of the Moors towards the extreme west of Africa and the Atlantic Ocean.
Anamim: a people in North Africa, probably in the surrounding area of Egypt. Identified with the indigenous people of Alexandria, in Egypt.
Lehabim: perhaps first settled on the borders of the Nile, among or beside the Mizraim; but, as they increased in number, migrated to the wide regions south-west, and occupied the vast territory known to classical geographers as Libya.
Naphtuhim: settled in the desert between Egypt and Asia, near the Sirbonian lake, which the Egyptians call the exhalations of Typhon.
Pathrusim: from whom the Philistines came, settled in Lower Egypt, or the more northern part of Upper Egypt.
Casluhim: Their original seat was probably somewhere in Lower Egypt, along the sea-coast to the south border of Palestine.They are reported to have eradicated the Avvim prior to settling in Gaza.
15 Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
Sidon: Sidonians - shares his name with the Phoenician city of Sidon in present-day Lebanon. The city of Sidon is one of the oldest in the region of Canaan.
Heth: Hittites - dwelt in the vicinity of Hebron showing their descent through their children, called "Children of Heth"
Jebus: Jebusites - identical with the Hittites, derived their name from the city of Jebus, the ancient Jerusalem, which they inhabited.
Emer, the fourth son of Canaan: Amorites - also known as Amurra or Amurri. The "land of the Amorites" included Syria and Israel. Some of the southern mountains of Judea were also called the hill country of the Amorites
Girash: Girgashites - At times, they are not listed along with the other Canaanite tribes inhabiting the Holy Land; according to some, this is because they left the Land of Israel before the Israelites returned from Egypt.
Hivites: lived in the northern section of Canaan below Mount Hermon. They also inhabited Shechem during the time of Jacob.
Ark: Arkites - settled a town, called Arka, at the northwest foot of Mount Lebanon. Their city is known today as Tell-Arqa, a place that Thutmose III of Egypt refers to as Arkantu. The city was later known to the Romans as Cæsari Libani.
Sin: Sinites - may be connected in ethnology with the wilderness of Sin and Mount Sinai in the south, and with the Assyrian god "Sin," and even with Sinim and the people of secular history called "Sinae," or Chinese.
Avarad: Arvadites - settled on the island known today as Arwad. Named in the old world for their skillful seamanship. Part of the Arvadite tribe may have founded the kingdom of Arva or Ava in Southeast Asia.
Zemar: Zemarites - inhabited the area north of Lebanon between Arvad and Tripolis. The Zemarites possibly gave their name to the town Sumra in this region.
Hamath: Hamathites - the capital of one of the kingdoms of Upper Syria of the same name, on the Orontes river, in the valley of Lebanon, at the northern boundary of Israel, at the foot of Mount Hermon towards Damascus.
20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.
21 And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
Shem: Shem's descendants are called Semites. The true God was Shem's God and Abraham would come from his line. Shem is the second born although often mentioned first in the bible since his five sons would become the heads of the Semitic nations and out of his line would eventually come the nation of Israel and, one day, Jesus Christ.
Elam: an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of southern Iraq.
Asshur: the original capital of Assyria, a city represented by mounds of the later Kalah Sherghat, on the west bank of the Tigris River in modern Iraq. Asshur was used as part of a compound name for various Assyrian kings.
Arphaxad: lived in Mesopotamia, and became the progenitor of the Khaldis, which is identified as the Chaldeans. Some believe his region is Babylon.
Lud: seems to refer to the entire Anatolian peninsula, west of Mesopotamia. The descendants of Lud are said by some to have spread to areas of the far-east beyond Elam.
Aram: According to the Book of Jubilees, the inheritance of the Earth to be bequeathed to the descendants of Aram included all of the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as far north as the mountains; although historically, the Aramaeans never at any time occupied the whole of this territory, which would include all of Babylonia.
23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
Uz: generally thought to be the founder of Damascus. Job lived in the land of Uz, meaning he was probably descended from Shem.
Hul: The strongest evidence is in favor of the district about the roots of Lebanon. The sons of Hul founded Armenia near Kir or Kur.
Gether: a lesser-known figure, who is primarily known for his lineage. Josephus claims he is ancestor of the Bactrians, but Jerome and Isidore of Seville make him ancestor of the Acarnanians or Carians.
Mash: founded the Mesaneans. A branch of Mash, Mesa or Mœsa settled in Asia Minor at one time, occupying the land of Mashi near Moschi
24 Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
Salah: was the father of the Hebrew people, and his descendants were the Hebrews. He is also credited with introducing the practice of circumcision to the Hebrews.
Eber: Tradition states that Eber and his descendants refused to help with the building the Tower of Babel, and thus preserved the original human language (Hebrew).
Peleg: In Peleg's time, the families of the earth were divided according to their languages (and alphabets) into nations bordered by rivers and bodies of water.
Joktan: was first made prince over the children of Shem, just as Nimrod and Phenech were princes over the children of Ham and Japheth, respectively.
Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
Almodad: considered to be the founder of an Arabian tribe in "Arabia Felix"
Sheleph: the district of the Yemen was named after him
Hazarmaveth: moved to southern Arabia located in present-day Hadramaut on the southern coast east of Yemen
Jerah: apparently the founder of an Arab tribe, who probably had their settlement near Hazarmaveth and Hadoram, in the general location extending from Mesha eastward to Mount Sephar.
Hadoram: descendants became Arabian. The modern city Dauraum near Sanʿa, capital of Yemen is associated with Hadoram.
Uzal: became a tribal leader and founded the city Uzal, replacing the old name of Sanaa, a capital of Yemen in pre-Islamic times in northeast Syria.
Diklah: settled in a southern Arabian oasis in Mina, modern Yemen. His name in Hebrew means "Palm grove."
Obal: settled in southwest Arabia, present-day Yemen. ʿAbil is a common place name in Yemen.
Abimael: was a son of Joktan. His name in Hebrew means "my father is El (God)." His descendants became the Sabaeans.
Sheba: settled in southern Arabia. There was a tradition of Sabean richness and close association with Israel, especially in the days of Solomon.
Ophir: founded the city of Ophir, which was known for its fine gold, in southwest Arabia between Sheba and Havilah. It was most likely located somewhere on the shores of the Red Sea and reached by ships sailing from the southern port of Ezion-Geber
Havilah: became a leader of clans in Arabia.
Jobab: settled in southern Arabia. He was possibly an Edomite king. He may have connections to Arabia, such as the Sabean tribe Yuhaybab.
These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.
A single family head developed a clan or tribe that descends from him, and that tribe took on his name. Once that tribe made a permanent settlement, that land took on the name of the tribe.
32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.
God can used messed up people and messed up circumstances to accomplish His purposes. These genealogical records bear witness to this.
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