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The Descendants of the Sons of Noah

10 These are the generations[a] of the sons of Noah—Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Children[b] were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread out through their lands, each according to his own language by their own families, in their nations.

And the sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. And Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty warrior.[c] He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it was said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Yahweh.” 10 Now,[d] the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went out to Assyria, and he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 And Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

15 Canaan fathered 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. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites was from Sidon in the direction of[e] Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of[f] Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the descendants[g] of Ham, according to their families and their languages, in their lands, and in their nations.

21 And to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the older brother of Japheth, children were also born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23 And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 And Arphaxad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 And to Eber two sons were born. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Joktan. 26 And Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling place extended from[h] Mesha in the direction of[i] Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, and according to their nations.

32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations[j] and in their nations. And from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 10:1 Or “family records”
  2. Genesis 10:1 Or “sons”
  3. Genesis 10:8 Literally “He began to be a mighty warrior on the earth”
  4. Genesis 10:10 Or “And”
  5. Genesis 10:19 Literally “in your going”
  6. Genesis 10:19 Literally “in your going”
  7. Genesis 10:20 Or “sons” (“descendants” was chosen since the proper names in this section are gentilic in form—that is, they indicate one’s place of origin—and have the definite article)
  8. Genesis 10:30 Literally “was from”
  9. Genesis 10:30 Literally “in your going”
  10. Genesis 10:32 Or “family records”

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.