Genesis 10: The nations that came from Noah's sons

In plain English: This is the story of the family line of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

Good to know: Many of the names in this chapter are also the names of peoples and lands, like the Jebusites and the Amorites (verse 16). Counting every descendant named in the chapter (Sheba and Havilah each appear in two families and are counted twice) gives 70, leaving out the Philistines (verse 14). Old Jewish teaching speaks of the "seventy nations" of the world, counted from this list.

In plain English: The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

In plain English: The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

In plain English: The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

In plain English: From these came the peoples of the coastlands, who spread out into their own lands, each with its own language, by their families, in their nations.

In plain English: The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

The Hebrew word: "Mizraim" is the Hebrew name for Egypt. The dictionary gives Cush as Ethiopia.

How it is translated: In its 569 verses this Bible says "Egypt", "Egyptian" or "Egyptians" in 565. Only family lists like this one (verse 13, and 1 Chronicles 1) keep the name "Mizraim".

In plain English: The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

In plain English: Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod became a mighty one on the earth (or: was the first mighty one on the earth).

In plain English: He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. That is why people say, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh."

The Hebrew word: "Mighty" is gibbor, a strong man or warrior: the same word as the "mighty men" of Genesis 6:4.

Church tradition: Old Jewish and Christian writers often taught that Nimrod led the building of the tower of Babel in chapter 11, as a rebel against God. Genesis 10 says he was a mighty hunter "before Yahweh" and that his kingdom began at Babel (verse 10). It does not link him to the tower.

In plain English: His kingdom began with Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Good to know: Babel is the Hebrew name for Babylon; Genesis 11:9 explains the name. The dictionary places Shinar in Babylonia.

In plain English: From that land he went out into Assyria (or: from that land Asshur went out) and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, and Calah,

In plain English: and Resen, between Nineveh and Calah, the great city (or: Resen was the great city).

In plain English: Mizraim was the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

In plain English: Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

In plain English: Canaan was the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth,

In plain English: and of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,

In plain English: the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,

In plain English: the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the families of the Canaanites spread out.

In plain English: The border of the Canaanites ran from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

In plain English: These are the sons of Ham, by their families and their languages, in their lands and their nations.

In plain English: Children were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth (or: the brother of Japheth the older). Shem was the father of all the sons of Eber.

Good to know: The dictionary links the word "Hebrew" (ivri) with Eber: a Hebrew is a descendant of Eber. The first person the Bible calls "the Hebrew" is Abram, in Genesis 14:13.

In plain English: The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

In plain English: The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

In plain English: Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.

In plain English: Two sons were born to Eber. One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided. His brother was named Joktan.

Good to know: "Peleg" sounds like palag, "to split" or "divide": "in his days the earth was divided".

What changes: The verse does not say how the earth was divided. Some readers link it with the peoples being scattered at Babel (11:8); others read it as the land itself being split.

In plain English: Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

In plain English: Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

In plain English: Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

In plain English: Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

In plain English: The land where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.

In plain English: These are the sons of Shem, by their families and their languages, in their lands and their nations.

In plain English: These are the families of Noah's sons, by their family lines, in their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.