Genesis 10: The table of nations
The nations spread from Noah's three sons by clan, language and land, fulfilling God's blessing.
Where Genesis 10 sits
- In the story
- Act II, Fall: Genesis 3–11
- In the Bible
- Old Testament · The Law · chapter 10 of 50 in Genesis
- In Genesis
- Noah's sons: the nations and Babel, 10:1–11:9 · part of All humanity
- Before
- Genesis 9: The rainbow covenant
- After
- Genesis 11: Babel and Shem's line
Genesis 10 summary
The sons of Noah's sons are listed by their peoples: Japheth's toward the coastlands, Ham's through Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan, and Shem's through Eber. Nimrod the mighty hunter founds a kingdom that begins in Babylon (Babel) in Shinar, and Nineveh rises in Assyria; Canaan's clans fill the land from Sidon to Gaza. Shem's line comes last, with Peleg, in whose days the earth was divided, and the chapter closes by saying the nations spread out from these clans after the flood.
Genesis 10 in context
- Speaking
- Moses, narrating
- Written for
- Israel, learning that every nation around them, Egypt and Canaan included, comes from one family under one God
- Around it
- Follows Noah's blessing and curse (9:25–27); Babel (11:1–9) tells how the dividing happened
How Genesis 10 points to Christ
From one man God made every nation (Acts 17:26), and the promise to Abram will reach all the families of the earth (Gal 3:8)
The sections of Genesis 10
- The heading10:1
The account of Noah's sons Shem, Ham and Japheth, and the sons born to them after the flood.
- Japheth10:2–5
Japheth's descendants spread to the coastlands, each by language, family and nation.
- Ham10:6–20
Ham's sons include Mizraim and Canaan; Nimrod's kingdom begins in Babylon (Babel) in Shinar, and Canaan's clans fill the land.
- Shem10:21–31
Shem, forefather of all the sons of Eber, comes last; in the days of his descendant Peleg the earth was divided.
- The nations divided10:32
These are the clans of Noah's sons by their generations, and from them the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
Read Genesis 10
The Table of Nations
1This is the account of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.
The Japhethites
2The sons of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
3The sons of Gomer:
Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4And the sons of Javan:
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites. 5From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.
The Hamites
6The sons of Ham:
Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
7The sons of Cush:
Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.
And the sons of Raamah:
Sheba and Dedan.
8Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; so it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah.
13Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites, 14the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites.
15And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 16the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
Later the Canaanite clans were scattered, 19and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
20These are the sons of Ham according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.
The Semites
21And sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth; Shem was the forefather of all the sons of Eber.
22The sons of Shem:
Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
23The sons of Aram:
Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.
25Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.
26And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 30Their territory extended from Mesha to Sephar, in the eastern hill country.
31These are the sons of Shem, according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.
32All these are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their generations and nations. From these the nations of the earth spread out after the flood.
Berean Standard Bible, 32 verses. The BSB is in the public domain.
Around Genesis 10
Places
- Shinar
- Nineveh
- Canaan
- Babylon
- Sidon
- Gaza
Read alongside
- Acts 17:26 From one man He made every nation and set the boundaries of their lands.
- Deuteronomy 32:8 The Most High gave the nations their inheritance.
- 1 Chronicles 1:4–23 The table retold at the head of Chronicles.
How Genesis 10 connects
- Blessing · Genesis 10:32 · The families of the earth, the very families that will be blessed in Abram (12:3). (Acts 17:26)
Doctrines Genesis 10 teaches
- Providence · Genesis 10:32; Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26
How Genesis 10 is shaped
Clans, languages, lands, nations Gen 10:5–31
- Japheth 10:5 according to their languages, by clans within their nations
- Ham 10:20 according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations
- Shem 10:31 according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations
The same closing line ends each son's list. The Hebrew heading word of 10:1 (“account”) returns at 10:32 (“generations”) and frames the chapter, and Shem is placed last, where the story will follow him.
Questions on Genesis 10
Which line closes each son's list in chapter 10?
Show the answer
The same formula closes each list: these are the sons “according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations” (10:20, 31), with a shorter form after Japheth’s line (10:5).
Where does Nimrod's kingdom begin?
Show the answer
In the land of Shinar. Nimrod’s kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad and Calneh (10:10), and from there he went into Assyria and built Nineveh (10:11).
What event in chapter 11 explains how the earth was divided in Peleg's days?
Show the answer
The tower of Babel (11:1–9). The LORD confused the one language of the whole world and scattered the builders over the face of the earth, which explains how the earth was divided in Peleg’s days (10:25).
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