Theses are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Ja’pheth - Gen 10:1
Genesis 10 lays out the table of nations; that is, the nations that would come to populate the Earth after the flood and give rise to the ones we know today. We will see names of groups and tribes that will continue to give shape to the story of salvation history.
The sons of Japheth: - Gen 10:2-5
Japheth has four sons: Gomer (settles in central Turkey), Ma’gog, Ma’dai (who becomes the Medes), Ja’van (who becomes the Greeks), Tu’bal, Me’shech, and Ti’ras.
Gomer has sons: Ash’kenas (who became the Scythians, in western Trukey near Georgia and Armenia), Ri’phath, and Togar’mah (not too far from Gomer).
Ja’van has sons: Eli’shah, Tar’shish, Kittim (settles in Cyprus), and Do’danim.
each with his own language - Gen 10:5
We must remember that the Books of Moses are being compiled after the events they recount. Though the story of the tower of Babel is in the next chapter, we should understand that all these people would have been of one tongue before the Lord confused their language.
The sons of Ham: - Gen 10:6-20
Ham has four sons, as well: Cush (traditionally thought to be the land of Sudan), Egypt, Put (also in the north of Egypt), and Canaan (occupied the Promised Land before the Exodus).
Cush has sons: Seba, Hav’ilah, Sabtah, Ra’amah, Seb’teca, and Nimrod, who became the king of “Ba’bel, E’rech, and Accad, all of them in the land od Shi’nar,” (Gen 10:10). Nimrod is also credited with building Assyria and Ninevah (cf. Gen 10:11).
Raamah, the son of Cush, has sons: Sheba and De’dan.
Egypt had sons: Lu’dim, An’amim, Leha’bim, Naph’tuhim, Pathru’sim, Caslu’him (home of the Philistines (Gen 10:14)), and Caph’torium.
Canaan has sons: Si’don, Heth, the Jeb’usites, Am’orites, Gir’gashites, Hi’vites, Arkites, Si’nites, Ar’vadites, Zam’arites,and Ha’mathites, all of which possess the northern portion of the Arabian peninsula.
To Shem also, - Gen 10:21-31
Shem is the father of all the children of E’ber. Here, we have the groups of the Semites and the Hebrews form. It is important to note, going forward, how the four main groups of Semites, Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews relate to one another. The groups stack inside each other like Russian nesting dolls. All Hebrews are Semites, but not all Semites are Hebrews; all Israelites are Hebrews, but not all Hebrews are Israelites, and likewise, all Jews are Israelites, but not all Israelites are Jewish.
Shem had sons: E’lam (Persia), Asshur (Assyria), Arpach’shad, Lud (Lydia), and Ar’am (Syria).
Aram had sons: Uz, Hul, Ge’ther, and Mash.
Arpachshad had sons: She’lah, who was Eber’s father
Eber (Shem’s grandson) had sons: Pe’leg and Joktan (Arabia)
Joktan (Shem’s great grandson) has sons: Almo’dad, She’leph, Haz’arma’veth, Je’rah, Hador’am, U’zal, Diklah, O’bal, Abima’a-el, Sheba, O’phir, Hav’ilah, and Jo’bab, all of whom possessed the lower portion of the Arabian peninsula.
the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies - Gen 10:32
Here, we can see how the trustee families of these families became nations, who follow the trustee family model. We can see these nations decline when they begin to cast off certain traits of the trustee families. It is important to know where these nations come from and the generational clashes that have resulted. We know, from the first section of this analysis, the Israelites and the tribe of Judah will come from the line of Eber and Shem. Looking at the sons of Canaan, we can see who the Israelites will bump up against in their pursuit of the Promised Land and who will corrupt them in their exiles. This sets the stage and greater context for our stories going forward.