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Genesis 10


Genesis 10

The Table of Nations
 1 This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

   The Japhethites

 2 The sons of Japheth:
   Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.

 3 The sons of Gomer:
   Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

 4 The sons of Javan:
   Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites. 5 (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)

   The Hamites

 6 The sons of Ham:
   Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

 7 The sons of Cush:
   Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.

   The sons of Raamah:
   Sheba and Dedan.

 8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter 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, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, 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 came) and Caphtorites.

 15 Canaan was the father of
   Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

   Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19 and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.

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

   The Semites

 21 Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.

 22 The sons of Shem:
   Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

 23 The sons of Aram:
   Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek.

 24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,
   and Shelah the father of Eber.

 25 Two sons were born to Eber:
   One was named Peleg, 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, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, 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, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

Today's New International Version (TNIV) © Copyright 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society


Main point


Unstoppable growth

The energetic development of humanity seems unstoppable. The megacity where I live, Dhaka, is thrusting concrete and tarmac out onto the gentle Bangladesh countryside faster than anyone can control.

In this chapter there is a similar trend, as Noah’s descendants breed, spread and reinvent themselves after the flood. Some characters receive only a mention (whatever happened to dear old Put?!), while a few such as heroic Nimrod become celebrities. Many aspects of human society do not change with time.

Unfair?

In chapter 9, Ham was cursed and now even more unfairly – it seems to me – so are his descendants, the Canaanite nation. How can we come to terms with God’s declared intention: that Canaanites should be the slaves of Shem (9:26)?

First, of course, if Genesis teaches us anything it is that we should acknowledge almighty God. Unless he chooses to involve us, his purposes are none of our business.

Long-term consequences

Second, it is clear that the consequences of sin are often long-term. God doesn’t want this but it’s inevitable (see Exodus 20:5).

Finally, it is good to know that Jesus shows us a more excellent way. In his kingdom, all are part of God’s plan – and the least shall be the greatest.

Respond


What is the Christian response to the modern reality that the people of Dhaka work almost as if they were Ham’s descendants, for the benefit of the people of the West?

Deeper study


In all of Genesis 1–11 this chapter is probably the least read! The names are foreign to our ears and experience, and seem only of antiquarian interest. My interest in family history means often scanning parish registers, shipping lists and census records. I persevere because I am interested in just one family, hardly noticing other names. So what am I to do with this part of God’s word with over one hundred separate names?

Many have been identified with locations ranging throughout today’s nations of Crete, Turkey and Iran, and to Libya and Sudan. Even if we were to focus on Shem (vs 21–31; and again 11:10–26), the names are still many and the region large. The list is ‘unique in world literature (and) paints a basically positive, or at least neutral, picture of the relationships between the nations’.1 Tomorrow’s reading will provide a less favourable perspective, but both demonstrate fulfilment of God’s command to ‘fill the earth and subdue it’ (1:28). God’s blessing of ongoing life continues to expand.

Why mention all these names? Can we see an outworking of God’s involvement in and concern for all the diversity of nations, clans and languages (vs 5,20,31,32)? Their very number and naming challenge all divisions of people into ‘us and (an undifferentiated) others’. At Pentecost there is another listing of peoples, each hearing the gospel proclamation ‘in our own tongues’ (Acts 2:9–11).

There is God’s heart. Recent decades have seen Christians active in exploring all the rich variety of the world’s spoken languages and translating Scripture. Moving beyond broad political nations, there has been detailed investigation of the diversity of people groups: they are being named, and Christ being made known.

God knows the names of all. No one and no group is anonymous. All will be represented in the worship that is to come.

1 GJ Wenham, Genesis 1–15, WBC; Word, 1987, p242 

Background: The growth of nations


The end of the flood sees the emergence of a new family line with Noah taking on the role of a new Adam. The list of his descendants in Genesis 10 shows how they spread throughout the near east and the Mediterranean world.

● Japtheh’s descendants do not feature prominently in the subsequent story although Magog appears again in Ezekiel 38 and 39 as one of the enemies of God’s people.

● The descendants of Shem lead us to Abraham and to God’s promise which will ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus. They also include other Semitic peoples.

● Ham’s descendants interacted more frequently with Israel. They occupied land stretching across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

● Cush covers the area on both sides of the Red Sea, and Nimrod gives rise to the cultures of Assyria and Babylon. Mizraim is Egypt and Put, Libya.

● Egypt and Assyria had a major impact on Israel; they were slaves in Egypt which later vied for superiority in the region with Assyria, Israel being caught between the two. Defeat by Assyria led to the end of the northern kingdom. Babylon was responsible for the conquest of the southern kingdom and the exile.

● The descendants of Ham’s son Canaan included the original inhabitants of the Promised Land and the Philistines who were a thorn in Israel’s side, during the period of the judges and the early kings (c1200–900 BC).

It has sometimes been argued, on the basis of the curse of Canaan, that all the Hamitic people should serve the others and that therefore black races are inferior. There is absolutely no foundation for this; in any case it is Canaan who is cursed not Ham.

John Grayston

Bible in a year


Read the Bible in a year:

Genesis 26,27

Acts 10
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Comments
  • John Oliver | Friday, 13 January 2012

    Thank you so much for making his hard to read passage become challenging good news. The reader turned difficult words into contemporary music, the CEV is designed to be read aloud - that's so rare and good today. Bless you all, and it really challenged me as facing a "Where next?'

  • Mary Pearce | Friday, 13 January 2012

    Thanks for the reference to the effects of translating scripture. I have had the privilege of being involved in one of those translations and I have seen those effects. The group I worked with used to call themselves by the name of a neighbouring group when they travelled, but now that they have part of God's Word in their language, they feel proud to own up to their own name, because they know that God speaks their language.

  • Ian Whyte | Friday, 13 January 2012

    The Growth Of Nations was fascinating. I wonder how many years it took to populate these areas.

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