The Table of Nations begins a new section of Genesis, this time tracing the descendants of Noah. As the new start of humanity, all of the people of the earth are descended from Noah, and this chapter explains the relationships between his descendants and their locations.
In the structure of the first eleven chapters of the book, this chapter serves as a transition from the history of the whole human race to a focus on God’s involvement with Israel.
This chapter, after the genealogy says this: “These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood” (Genesis 10:32).
Excerpt: SDA International Bible Commentary, Genesis. By: Jacques B. Doukhan
Mr. Doukhan does an excellent work of detailing the peoples and nations that arose from his three sons and daughter-in-laws. Click here for the information and resources: https://www.southern.edu/administration/archaeology/doc/michael_hasel_articles/Michael_G_Hasel_The_Table_of_Nations_Geo.pdf.
Listed below are excerpts (very brief summaries) from Mr. Doukhan’s work.
Japheth (Noah’s oldest son (Genesis 10:21), comment added)
Japheth is not associated with a nation but is considered to be a person. The descendants of Japheth form those entities north of Israel, in the territories of Anatolia, the Russian steppes, and Europe surrounding the Mediterranean basin. The Table of Nations begins with Japheth because he represents the most distant entities from the territory of Canaan or Israel.
The sons of Japheth – Genesis 10:1-5
Gomer Magog Madai Javan Tubal Mesheck Tiras
Ashkenas Elishah
Riphat Tarshish
Togarmah Kittim
Dodanim
Ham (Noah’s youngest son (Genesis 9:24), comment added)
Ham is a person, the son of Noah, and is not associated with a nation, country, territory, or people group. The four sons of Ham – Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan – are discussed below with their descendants who develop into entities within the territories of Africa, Arabia, and Canaan. Click on the link above to get the details mentioned in this paragraph.
The Sons of Ham – Genesis 10:6-20
Cush Mizraim Put Canaan
Seba Ludim Sidon
Havilah Anamim Hittites
Sabtah Lehabites Jebusites
Raamah Naphtuhites Amorites
Sheba Pathrusites Girgashites
Dedan Casluhites Hivites
Sabtechah Philistines Arkites
Nimrod Caphtorites Sinites
Arvadites
Aemarites
Hamathites
Shem (Noah’s middle son (Genesis 10:21), comment added)
Shem is not associated with a nation and is considered a person. The descendants of Shem are more complex than the previous lists (his two brothers, comment added). They extend beyond the sons and grandson – tracing the lineage down to the fifth generation after Noah. Shem has five sons that form the nations of Mesopotamia and Iran, but many of the later descendants seem to be names of individuals and not as yet identifiable as nations, countries, territories, cities, or people groups. At this juncture, following the listing of the non-elect families, the author of Genesis focuses on the chosen lineage of the Semites, from whom will come Abraham, the ancestor of the Hebrews, who are alluded to in the phrase all the children of Eber. The Hebrew word ‘ibri “Hebrew” is the gentilic form of the name “Eber”. This special note anticipates the future nation of Israel from the line of Shem. The verb yalad “beget” is used again (cf. 10:8,13,15); but here the form is passive, were born, suggesting the implicit divine subject.
Shem’s sons – Genesis 10:22
Elam Asshur Arphaxad Lud Aram
Salah Uz
Eber Hul
Peleg Gether
Joktan Mash
Almodad
Sheleph
Hazarmaveth
Jerah
Hadoram
Uzal
Diklah
Obal
Abimael
Sheba
Ophir
Havilah
Jobab
This closes the whole Table of Nations, referring to all the sons of Noah. The conclusion echoes the language of its introduction in inclusion (cf. 10:1) and anticipates the forthcoming event of the tower of Babel, which will report on the origin and the circumstances of the spreading of these nations (10:9).
Resource regarding birth order and age: https://answersingenesis.org/contradictions-in-the-bible/my-three-sons/.
Genesis 11:10-27 Provides addition information of genealogy from Seth through Arphaxad.
To complete the table of nations, the genealogy information through Seth that takes us to Abram is listed below. A cross reference will be made in the post on Genesis 11 back to Genesis 10.
Shem – father is Noah
Arphaxad (born two years after the flood, Shem was 100)
Salah (Arphaxad was 35)
Eber (Salah was 30)
Peleg (Eber was 34)
Reu (Peleg was 30)
Serug (Reu was 32)
Nahor I (Serug was 30)
Terah (Nahor I was 29)
Abram, Nahor II, and Haran (Terah was 70). This takes us to verse 25 of Genesis 11.
The pattern of the written record is broken when we get to Terah. Terah’s information is different, it doesn’t follow the same form of his ancestors, the formula of:
- Age of descendant at the time of their child’s birth
- Mention of one child in the genealogy*
- how long they lived afterward, begetting other sons and daughters.
* We know the reason why only one child is mentioned, it is because the focus is on the line through which Christ will eventually come.
Terah begat:
Abram (eventually called Abraham by God Gen. 17:5)
Ishmael (by Hagar/Egyptian Gen. 16). Promised a great nation, had 12 princes (Gen. 17:20)
Nebajoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, Kedemah
Isaac (by Sarah, formerly called Sarai Genesis 21). Isaac married Rebekah Gen. 24
Esau (nation of the Edom, married two Hittite women: Judith and Bashemath) Gen. 26
Judith also called Aholibamah/Daughter of Anah and Beeri the Hittite. They had Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.
Bashemath also called Adah/She was the daughter of Elon the Hittite. They had Eliphaz.
Mahalath also called Bashemath/She was a daughter of Ishmael. They had Reuel.
Jacob (rec’d the covenant blessing-Genesis 27, named changed to Israel/became a nation-Genesis 32)
Leah had: Ruben-1, Simeon-2, Levi-3, Judah-4, Isaachar-9, and Zebulun-10. They also had a daughter: Dinah.
Zilpeh (Leah’s handmaid), had: Gad-7 and Asher-8.
Rachel, had: Joseph-11 and Benjamin-12. Joseph had Menasseh and Ephraim; and rec’d a double portion blessing.
Billhah (Rachel’s handmaid), had: Dan-5 and Napthali-6.
Nahor II (Terah named Nahor after his father)**
Milcah bore: Huz, Buz, Kemuel (father of Aram), Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel (father of Rebekah and Laban).
Reumah bore: Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah. (Genesis 22:20-24)
Haran, and Haran begat***:
Lot begat: (wife turned to a pillar of salt) Genesis 19:26
Daughter 1 (firstborn) bore: Moab, he became the father of the Moabites.
Daughter 2 (younger) bore: Ben-ammi (the father of the children of Ammon) Genesis 19:30-38
Remaining children died in the fire of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 19:14)
Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Abraham’s sons by Keturah) Gen. 25
**Nahor also had a daughter named Rebekah who married Isaac (Genesis 24). Isaac is Abraham’s son by Sarah. Nahor’s son, Laben, had two daughters named Rachel and Leah – both sisters married Jacob (Genesis 29). Jacob is Isaac and Rebekah’s son. Also, Nahor is referred to as Nachor in the King James Bible.
***Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:28. Haran also had two daughters, Milcah (who married Nahor II, which was Haran’s brother) and Iscah (some say that this is Sarai, but that is uncertain) Genesis 11:29.
Note: God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (Gen. 17:5), and He changed Sarai’s name to Sarah (Gen. 17:15). Going forward, we will reference them by their God-given names to keep it simple.
Genesis 11:31-32
Terah took Abram, Lot, and Sarai; and they left Ur of the Chaldees and began to travel toward the land of Canaan. When they came to Haran they stopped and dwelt there. Terah died in Haran.
What can you tell us about Nimrod, spoken of in Genesis 10:8-12?
By: Angel Manuel Rodriguez, Bible Research Institute
The person of Nimrod is intriguing, and we find a significant amount of speculation about him in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic writings. What makes him intriguing is the fact that in the Table of Nations (Gen. 10) he is the only person about whom we have a statement of achievements, although what is said about him is somewhat sketchy. We will say something about possible historical parallels, examine what the biblical text says, and briefly mention some of postbiblical speculation about him.
1. Nimrod in History: The biblical text describes Nimrod as a person who lived in the area of Mesopotamia. Scholars have tried unsuccessfully to find an ancient Near Eastern parallel that matches what the Bible says about him. He has been identified with Gilgamesh, the person who, according to Babylonian literature, survived the Flood, but that theory has been rejected. More popular is to find in him traces of the god Ninurta, a Mesopotamian fertility god. But again, the parallels are not strong enough to prove the case. Besides, the biblical text in no way suggests that Nimrod was divine. What we know about him is what Scripture says.
2. Nimrod in the Bible: The first thing the text mentions about Nimrod is that he “became a mighty warrior on earth” (Gen. 10:8, NIV),1 probably meaning that he was the first of such a type (cf. Gen. 9:20). The word “mighty” means, as the passage indicates, that he was politically and militarily powerful. With him began a new breed of leaders whose intention was to become more and more powerful. Second, he is described as a “mighty hunter” (verse 9), which means not only that he was a good hunter, but also that he was a powerful military conqueror.
The phrase “before the Lord” has proved difficult to interpret. The main difficulty is deciding whether it means that the Lord cared for Nimrod, or that Nimrod was acting in defiance of the Lord—”against Him” (Ps. 66:7, NIV). The fact that Nimrod is directly associated with Babylon and the land of Shinar implies a negative connection with the Lord. Besides, if we go by the Hebrew meaning of the name Nimrod (“we will rebel”), the implication is that he acted in rebellion against God.
If this interpretation is correct, the proverb cited in the text—”Therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord’”—would refer to a powerful person acting against the will of God.
Third, he is described as the first person who established a kingdom (“the first centers of his kingdom” [Gen. 10:10, NIV]; “the beginning of his kingdom” [verse 10]). It was based in the ancient cities of Babel (Babylon), Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the region called Shinar—Lower Mesopotamia. From there Nimrod went north to possess the land of Assyria (verse 11)—Upper Mesopotamia (see Micah 5:6).
3. Nimrod and Postbiblical Speculations: Jewish tradition argues that Nimrod was the first hunter, and therefore, the person who introduced meat to the human diet. Tradition says he was involved in the construction of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-4), and after the people were dispersed, he stayed in Shinar to build his kingdom. Both Jewish and Islamic traditions indicate that there was a hostile relationship between Nimrod and Abraham. The main reason was that Nimrod was an idolater, while Abraham was called by the Lord to worship Him alone. Some versions of the tradition say that Nimrod placed Abraham in a furnace of fire so hot that its flames killed thousands, but Abraham emerged unharmed. In some traditions he is identified with Amraphel, one of the kings who attacked Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 14:1) and who were defeated by Abraham. The traditions and speculations, with rare exceptions, depict Nimrod as a symbol of evil.
I have summarized some of the postbiblical views about Nimrod in order to alert you to the danger of going beyond what is written. Those traditions should not be used to define personal convictions, or to speculate about the prophetic role of Babylon. We can only affirm what the biblical text says about Nimrod.
Commentary: – Mark Finley
Genealogies are often difficult to read and more difficult to understand. Nevertheless, they play an important role in our understanding of the Bible story. They show the continuity of families, reveal the migration of peoples, provide bridges between significant Biblical events, and enable us to discern more clearly the interrelationship of Bible characters.
In Genesis 10, Noah’s three sons and their families settle in three distinctly different areas. The sons of Ham reside in Northeastern Africa and Palestine, the descendants of Shem migrate to Mesopotamia and Southwest Arabia and the families of Japheth journey to Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and Western Europe. They were separated according to their “language, families and nations.” Obviously, differences eventually arose among the sons of Noah. These differences led them to move in different directions. There are times in life when moving in a different direction is far better than remaining and waging war. There is another vital spiritual lesson here. Noah’s faithfulness to God and his stalwart obedience did not guarantee the faithfulness of his own sons. Just as Noah had to make a decided choice to serve God so did his sons.
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2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”