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Nations Descended from Noah

10 These are the descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; children were born to them after the flood.

The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The descendants of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.[a] From these the coastland peoples spread. These are the descendants of Japheth[b] in their lands, with their own language, by their families, in their nations.

The descendants of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The descendants of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, from which the Philistines come.[c]

15 Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterwards the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the descendants of Ham, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The descendants of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The descendants of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg,[d] for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the descendants of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country of the east. 31 These are the descendants of Shem, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

32 These are the families of Noah’s sons, according to their genealogies, in their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 10:4 Heb Mss Sam Gk See 1 Chr 1.7: MT Dodanim
  2. Genesis 10:5 Compare verses 20, 31. Heb lacks These are the descendants of Japheth
  3. Genesis 10:14 Cn: Heb Casluhim, from which the Philistines come, and Caphtorim
  4. Genesis 10:25 That is Division

The Table of Nations

10 This is the account(A) of Shem, Ham and Japheth,(B) Noah’s sons,(C) who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites(D)

The sons[a] of Japheth:

Gomer,(E) Magog,(F) Madai, Javan,(G) Tubal,(H) Meshek(I) and Tiras.

The sons of Gomer:

Ashkenaz,(J) Riphath and Togarmah.(K)

The sons of Javan:

Elishah,(L) Tarshish,(M) the Kittites(N) and the Rodanites.[b] (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)(O)

The Hamites(P)

The sons of Ham:

Cush,(Q) Egypt, Put(R) and Canaan.(S)

The sons of Cush:

Seba,(T) Havilah,(U) Sabtah, Raamah(V) and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah:

Sheba(W) and Dedan.(X)

Cush was the father[c] of Nimrod,(Y) who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty(Z) hunter(AA) before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon,(AB) Uruk,(AC) Akkad and Kalneh,(AD) in[d] Shinar.[e](AE) 11 From that land he went to Assyria,(AF) where he built Nineveh,(AG) Rehoboth Ir,[f] Calah 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

13 Egypt was the father of

the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines(AH) came) and Caphtorites.(AI)

15 Canaan(AJ) was the father of

Sidon(AK) his firstborn,[g](AL) and of the Hittites,(AM) 16 Jebusites,(AN) Amorites,(AO) Girgashites,(AP) 17 Hivites,(AQ) Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites,(AR) Zemarites and Hamathites.(AS)

Later the Canaanite(AT) clans scattered 19 and the borders of Canaan(AU) reached from Sidon(AV) toward Gerar(AW) as far as Gaza,(AX) and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim,(AY) as far as Lasha.

20 These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The Semites(AZ)

21 Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was[h] Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.(BA)

22 The sons of Shem:

Elam,(BB) Ashur,(BC) Arphaxad,(BD) Lud and Aram.(BE)

23 The sons of Aram:

Uz,(BF) Hul, Gether and Meshek.[i]

24 Arphaxad was the father of[j] Shelah,

and Shelah the father of Eber.(BG)

25 Two sons were born to Eber:

One was named Peleg,[k] because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

26 Joktan was the father of

Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal,(BH) Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,(BI) 29 Ophir,(BJ) Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

30 The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.

31 These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

32 These are the clans of Noah’s sons,(BK) according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth(BL) after the flood.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 10:2 Sons may mean descendants or successors or nations; also in verses 3, 4, 6, 7, 20-23, 29 and 31.
  2. Genesis 10:4 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:7); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Dodanites
  3. Genesis 10:8 Father may mean ancestor or predecessor or founder; also in verses 13, 15, 24 and 26.
  4. Genesis 10:10 Or Uruk and Akkad—all of them in
  5. Genesis 10:10 That is, Babylonia
  6. Genesis 10:11 Or Nineveh with its city squares
  7. Genesis 10:15 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost
  8. Genesis 10:21 Or Shem, the older brother of
  9. Genesis 10:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:17; Hebrew Mash.
  10. Genesis 10:24 Hebrew; Septuagint father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of
  11. Genesis 10:25 Peleg means division.

Nations Grow and Spread

10 ·This is the family history [L These are the generations; 2:4] of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah. After the flood ·these three men had sons [L sons were born to them].

Japheth’s Sons

The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai [C ancestor of the Medes], Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

The sons of Gomer [C ancestor of the Cimmerians] were Ashkenaz [C ancestor of the Scythians], Riphath, and Togarmah.

The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim [C ancestor of the people of Cyprus], and ·Rodanim [L Dodanim; see 1 Chr. 1:7]. ·Those who lived in the lands around the Mediterranean Sea [L The people of the coastlands] ·came [spread] from these sons of Japheth. All the ·families [clans] grew and became different nations, each nation with its own land and its own language.

Ham’s Sons

The sons of Ham [C ancestors of near neighbors and rivals of Israel] were Cush [C ancestor of the Ethiopians], Mizraim [C ancestor of the Egyptians], Put [C perhaps ancestor of the Libyans], and Canaan.

The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.

The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan [C some of their descendants were the people around the Red Sea and southern Arabia].

Cush also had a descendant named Nimrod, who became a very powerful man on earth. He was a ·great [mighty] hunter before the Lord, which is why people say someone is “like Nimrod, a ·great [mighty] hunter before the Lord.” 10 ·At first Nimrod’s kingdom covered [L The beginning of his kingdom was] Babylon, ·Erech [or Uruk], Akkad, and Calneh [C well-known cities in southern Mesopotamia] in the land of ·Babylonia [L Shinar]. 11 From there he went to Assyria [C in northern Mesopotamia], where he built the cities of Nineveh, ·Rehoboth Ir [or that is a great city], and Calah. 12 He also built Resen, the great city between Nineveh and Calah.

13 Mizraim [10:6] was the father of the ·Ludites [C probably the Lydians], Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the ·people of Crete [L Caphtorites]. (The Philistines came from the ·Casluhites [or Caphtorites].)

15 Canaan [C the son of Ham whom Noah cursed; 9:25–27] was the father of Sidon [C name of a famous coastal city in Syria], his first son, and of Heth [C ancestor of the Hittites, important inhabitants of Asia Minor]. 16 He was also the father of the Jebusites [C pre-Israelite inhabitants of Jerusalem], Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites [C peoples who lived in Syria-Palestine before the Israelites]. The ·families [clans] of the Canaanites scattered. 19 Their land reached from Sidon to Gerar as far as Gaza, and then to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

20 All these people were the sons of Ham, and all these ·families [clans] had their own languages, their own lands, and their own nations.

Shem’s Sons

21 Shem, Japheth’s older brother, also had sons. One of his descendants was the father of all the sons of Eber [C the Israelites were descended from Shem through Eber].

22 The sons of Shem were Elam [C a country east of Mesopotamia], Asshur [C in northern Mesopotamia], Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram [C north of Israel in Syria].

23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber. 25 Eber was the father of two sons—one named Peleg [C related to the Hebrew word for “divided”], because the earth was divided during his life, and the other was named Joktan.

26 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these people were the sons of Joktan. 30 They lived in the area between Mesha and Sephar in the hill country in the East.

31 These are the people from the ·family [clans] of Shem, arranged by ·families [clans], languages, countries, and nations.

32 This is the list of the ·families [clans] from the sons of Noah, arranged according to their nations. From these ·families [clans] came all the nations who ·spread [branched out] across the earth after the flood.