Treasures New and Old

Genesis: Chapter Ten: Family of Nations

Genesis 10:1-32

This month we will look at the generations of Noah and his sons which many refer to as The Table of Nations. I will list the Scripture verses after these charts for easier formatting. Observations will then follow the verses.

NOAH: These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. By these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
- SHEM: These are the sons of Shem: Their families, their tongues, their lands, their nations.
  - Elam
  - Asshur
  - Lud
  - Aram
    - Uz
    - Hul
    - Gether
    - Mash
- Arphaxad
  - Salah
    - Eber
      - PELEG: In his days the earth was divided.
      - JOKTAN: And their dwelling was from Mesha to Sephar, a mount of the east.
        
        Almodad
        
        Sheleph
        
        Hazarmaveth
        
        Jerah
        
        Hadoram
        
        Uzal
        
        Diklah
        
        Obal
        
        Abimael
        
        Sheba
        
        Ophir
        
        Havilah
        
        Jobab

HAM: These are the sons of Ham: their families, their tongues, their countries, their nations.
- Phut
- Cush
  - Seba
  - Havilah
  - Sabtah
  - Sabtecha
  - NIMROD: A mighty hunter before the LORD. His kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar.
    - ASSHUR: And he built Nineveh, Calah, Rehoboth, and Resen (cities).
  - Raamah
    - Sheba
    - Dedan
- Mizraim
  - Ludim
  - Anamim
  - Lehabim
  - Naphtuhim
  - Pathrusim
  - Casluhim
    - Philistim
  - Caphtorim
- CANAAN: The families of the Canaanites spread abroad. The border was from Sidon, to Gerar, to Gaza, to Sodom, to Gomorrah, to Admah, to Zeboim, and to Lasha.
  - Sidon
  - Heth
  - Jebusite
  - Amorite
  - Girgasite
  - Hivite
  - Arkite
  - Sinite
  - Arvadite
  - Zemarite
  - Hamathite

JAPHETH: By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided into their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
- Tubal
- Meshech
- Tiras
- Magog
- Madai
- Gomer
  - Ashkenaz
  - Riphath
  - Togarmah
- Javan
  - Elishah
  - Tarshish
  - Kittim
  - Dodanim

This list is called the Family (or Table) of Nations (seventy-two names) as compiled by Moses and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Notice the special notes given to Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, Nimrod, Asshur, and Canaan.

Note the use by Moses of tongues, nations, countries.

Note some places and cities of interest that were attributed to Nimrod, Asshur, and Canaan. These are places we might assume Moses was familiar with and may have provided for references.

Of course, the land of Canaan, Babel, Nineveh, Sodom and Gomorrah, and others have an importance in Scripture. Some were places already known to the Hebrews by virtue of Abraham and others who came before Moses.

Families mixed with one another over time as can be expected.

Map of where Noah's descendants settled.

F.2 Mappa Dispersus Filiorum Noemi

Genesis 10:1-32:

The Generations of Noah and Japheth

Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

The Generations of Ham

And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. And Cush begot Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. And Mizraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

Canaan Gets a Special Mention

And Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.

The Generations of Shem

Unto Shem also the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. And Arphazad begot Salah; and Salah begot Eber. And unto Eber were born two sons: the names of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. And Joktan begot Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, And Hadoram, Uzal, and Diklah, And Obal, Abimael, and Sheba, And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

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.

Some Observations

Noah’s Family Tree:

First, let’s note that all humans came from Noah’s family; specifically from the DNA of five people (Noah, his wife, and the three wives of their sons). Their sons don’t count in that they, of course, had the DNA of Noah and his wife. All human life springs from them.

It is also interesting to note that Noah is only the tenth generation from Adam. So, he has some pretty pure DNA.

Note that Noah lived 950 years with some 350 years after the flood. Conditions after the flood were significantly harsher, and we see a dramatic drop in ages for the following generations:

- Japheth – 600+ years old (uncertain)
- Shem – 600 years old
- Ham – Less than 600 years old (uncertain)

This is a significant drop in longevity. By the time we get to Abraham, he dies at a ripe old age of 175 years old, and his sons and grandsons even younger.

Note verse 32: this chapter depicts what God considers to be the Table of Nations and how they distributed themselves across the whole earth.

Maybe a bit dry for those who prefer action in their biblical readings, but very important. Japheth is considered to be the father of most if not all the Gentiles. Ham is somewhat mixed with Shem in their inhabitants, but is primarily the father of Middle Eastern and African nations (Remember, selection of dominant DNA plays a big part in how these peoples look today and their natural tolerance for the sun and hot climates.).

Finally, Shem is the father of the Middle Eastern families from which we get many of the Arab, Hebrew, and Persian peoples.

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Bonne, R. (1787?). Mappa Dispersus Filiorum Noemi. [map] Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1787_Bonne_Map_of_the_Dispersal_of_the_Sons_of_Noah_-_Geographicus_-_SonsofNoah-bonne-1787.jpg

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