Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood (Gen. 10:1).

1 Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood (Gen. 10:1). 10:1 What became of Noah s sons is the subject of 10:1 11:9, a fourth toledot section. This section gives in some detail the distribution of Noah's descendants over the earth after the Flood (cf. 9:18 19). Part of God's plan to bring blessing to humankind involved dividing the human race by languages, territories, and nations. This fourth toledot section (10:1 11:9) brings to a climax the inspired record of primeval events and provides a transition to the patriarchal narratives. All the nations of the world in their various lands with their different languages descended from Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Of special interest to the original Israelite readers were the Canaanites and the other ancient Near Eastern powers. From this section we learn that the blessing is for all peoples because all nations have their source in the one man, Noah, whom God favored. Moreover, the disunity among Noah's offspring that resulted from the tower event (11:1 9) did not prevent the blessing God had envisioned for humanity. Sin does not frustrate God s plan for blessing. The human race, though united by origin, is divided by language, territory, and politics as a part of God s design to bring blessing to the human race. The Tower of Babel incident (11:1 9), though following the table in the present literary arrangement, actually precedes chronologically the dispersal of the nations. This interspersed narrative (11:1 9) separates the two genealogies of Shem (10:21 31; 11:10 26), paving the way for the particular linkage between the Terah (Abraham) clan and the Shemite lineage (11:27). The story of the tower also looks ahead by anticipating the role that Abram (12:1 3) will play in restoring the blessing to the dispersed nations. 177

Many of the people groups mentioned in Genesis 10 can be identified with relative certainty. In general, the descendants of Ham settled in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean coast, the descendants of Shem in Mesopotamia and Arabia, and the descendants of Japheth in Europe and the greater area of Asia Minor. This table shows that Yahweh created all peoples (cf. Deut. 32:8; Amos 9:7; Acts 17:26). Like the genealogy in chapter 5, this one traces 10 main individuals, and the last one named had three sons. This chapter contains one of the oldest, if not the oldest, ethnological table in the literature of the ancient world. It reveals a remarkable understanding of the ethnic and linguistic situation following the Flood. Almost all the names in this chapter have been found in archaeological discoveries in the last century and a half. Many of them appear in subsequent books of the Old Testament. The names in chapter 10 are presented in a dissimilar manner: the context may be that of an individual (e.g., Nimrod), a city (e.g., Asshur), a people (e.g., Jebusites) or a nation (e.g., Elam). A failure to appreciate this mixed arrangement of Genesis 10 has led to some unwarranted conclusions. For example, it should not be assumed that all the descendants of any one of Noah's sons lived in the same locality, spoke the same language, or even belonged to a particular race. The table of nations is a horizontal genealogy rather than a vertical one (those in chaps. 5 and 11 are vertical). Its purpose is not primarily to trace ancestry; instead it shows political, geographical, and ethnic affiliations among tribes for various reasons, most notable being holy war. Tribes shown to be kin would be in league together. Thus this table aligns the predominant tribes in and around the land promised to Israel. These names include founders of tribes, clans, cities, and territories. 178

2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations (Gen. 10:2 5). In contrast to the genealogy in chapter 5, this one (10:2 31) lists no ages. It contains place and group names, which are spoken of as the ancestors of other places or groups, as well as the names of individuals. God built nations from families. Thus it is quite clearly a selective list, not comprehensive. The writer's choice of material shows that he had particular interest in presenting Israel's neighbors. Israel would deal with, displace, or subjugate many of these peoples, as well as the Canaanites (ch. 9). They all had a common origin. Evidently 70 nations descended from Shem, Ham, and Japheth: 26 from Shem, 30 from Ham, and 14 from Japheth (cf. Deut. 32:8). Seventy became a traditional round number for a large group of descendants. Jacob's family also comprised 70 people (46:27), which may indicate that Moses viewed Israel as a microcosm of humanity as he presented it here. God set the microcosm apart to bless the macrocosm. 10:2 5 Japheth's descendants settled north, east, and west of Ararat. Their distance from Israel probably explains the brief treatment that they received in this list compared with that of the Hamites and Shemites. The "coastlands" (v. 5) are the inland areas and the northern Mediterranean coastlands on the now European shore from Turkey to Spain. The dispersion of the nations "according to language" (v. 5) took place after Babel (ch. 11) all along these coasts as well as elsewhere. The Akkadian, Assyrian, and Babylonian dialects constitute the older East Semitic branch of this family, while Hebrew, Aramaic, Phoenician, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic are included in the West Semitic. 179

6 The sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 9 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 and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-ir and Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim 14 and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from which came the Philistines) and Caphtorim (Gen. 10:6 14). 10:6 14 Ham's family (vv. 6 20) moved east, south, and southwest into Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Africa. Canaan's descendants (vv. 15 20) did not migrate as far south but settled in Palestine. ("Palestine" [land of the "Philistines," who settled in "Philistia"] is a later name for Canaan.) The length of these Hamite Canaanite lists indicates the importance of these people and places in Israel's later history. Note the absence of the common sevens in the structuring in Canaan's genealogy, suggesting chaos. It is possible that Sargon of Agade, whom many secular historians regard as the first ruler of Babylon, may be the Nimrod (meaning "We shall rebel") of verses 8 10. Many people in ancient times had more than one name. Reference to him probably foreshadows 11:1 9. The influx of the Amorites in Canaan is disputed. It does not necessarily follow that the original Amorites, attributed to Hamite descent in Genesis 10, were a Semitic people, since the term Amorite in ancient Near Eastern documents does not serve as a definitive source for designating ethnicity. Moreover, linguistic evidence does not always assure true ethnic derivation. 180

15 Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth 16 and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite 17 and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite 18 and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite; and afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad. 19 The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, by their nations (Gen. 10:15 20). 10:15 20 Canaan's descendants did not migrate as far south but settled in Palestine. ("Palestine" [land of the "Philistines," who settled in "Philistia"] is a later name for Canaan.) The length of these Hamite and Canaanite lists indicates the importance of these people and places in Israel's later history. Note the absence of the common sevens in the structuring in Canaan's genealogy, suggesting chaos. 181

21 Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash. 24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. 25 Two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah 27 and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah 28 and Obal and Abimael and Sheba 29 and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 Now their settlement extended from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations. 32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood (Gen. 10:21 32). 10:21 32 Shem's posterity (vv. 21 31) settled to the northeast and southeast of the Canaanites. This branch of the human family is also important in the Genesis record of Israel's history. When the two lines of Shem are compared (10:21 31; 11:10 26), there is a striking divergence at the point of Eber's descendants, Peleg and Joktan (v. 25). In chap. 10 Peleg is dropped altogether after his mention, while the non-elect line of Joktan is detailed. It is left to the second lineage in chap. 11 to trace out Peleg's role as ancestral father of Abraham. This Table of Nations traces affiliation of tribes to show relationships, based on some original physical connections. It is clear that the writer is emphasizing the development of these nations that were of primary importance to Israel (yalad sections) within the overall structure of the Table (b'ne arrangement). The three geographical arcs of the branches intersect at the center that is, Canaan, Israel's future homeland. This section reveals that it was God's plan to bless the human race by dividing the family of man by languages, locations, and leaders. God formerly blessed the earth by dividing the light from the darkness, the earth from the heavens, and the land from the seas (ch. 1). Some creationists believe that the division of the earth in Peleg's day (v. 25) refers to continental drift, but many creationists do not hold this view. By correlating the number of nations (in ch. 10; i.e., 70) with the number of the seed of Abraham in 46:27, Moses holds Abraham's seed before the reader as a new humanity and Abraham himself as a kind of second Adam, the father of many nations (Gen. 17:5). His intention is not to give an exhaustive list but rather a representative list, one which, for him, is obtained in the number seven. The table's figure of seventy for the world's nations is alluded to by Jesus in the sending forth of the seventy disciples, as recounted by Luke (10:1 16). Here the evangelist emphasizes the mission of the church in its worldwide evangelistic endeavors. 182

There are several life lessons (applications) that derive from a study of Genesis 9 10: 1. People have the responsibility to produce and preserve life on the earth. We are regularly reminded that life is precious to God. 2. No cloud of God s sending is permanent, but will one day give place to unclouded joy. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5b). 3. Before God s blessing can be fully developed among those who are righteous, those who act with moral abandonment must be removed. 4. God s people must respond to incidents of decadence with ethical purity rather than moral abandonment. 5. Any nation that indulges in the excessive use of wine and in nakedness is already in slavery. Substance abuse, immorality, and pornography lead to slavery. One is enslaved by one s vices. 6. An act of hubris (e.g., moral impropriety) cannot end without negative repercussions. 7. God will execute divine judgment on anyone who profanes what is sacred. It is dangerous to approach God casually. 8. God will bless the righteous but will curse those who live in moral abandonment. People living in dark debauchery without any familial respect (i.e., those who deny or oppose family values) but only aggressive hubris are enslaved already by their lusts and are doomed for divine destruction. Those who wish to please God should cultivate piety and reverence for divine institutions. 9. The human race, though united by origin, is divided by language, territory, and politics as a part of God s design to bring blessing to the human race. 183