20130730 Tuesday, July 30 2013
Genesis 10: The First Nations Of The New World

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"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"

Although the modern-day definition of "nation" is commonly that of a politically-organized body of people under a single government (i.e. a country), the original meaning of nation was a grouping of related people. Beginning with a single individual or family, a nation (a word that literally means birth i.e. nativity) was composed of tribes, which were composed of clans, which were composed of families. The most familiar Biblical example is of course the nation that grew from a man named Jacob, who the LORD renamed as "Israel" (see A Biography Of Jacob: When Jacob Became Israel and A Biography Of Jacob: The Jacobites Of Syria).

After the Flood (see Genesis 6: Why Did The Flood Happen?, Genesis 7: The Flood, Genesis 8: Noah's Altar and Genesis 9: The LORD's Covenant With Noah), humanity started again from the family of Noah.

"10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood." (Genesis 10:1 KJV)

The nations of Japheth.

"10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog [see also Gog and Magog], and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

10:3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

10:4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." (Genesis 10:2-4 KJV)

The nations of Ham.

"10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan [see The Sin Of Canaan].

10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

10:8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 10:11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 10:12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

10:13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 10:14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

10:15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, 10:16 And the Jebusite [see also A History Of Jerusalem: Jebus Of Canaan], and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, 10:17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

10:19 And the border of the Canaanites [see What Does The Bible Really Say About Canaanites? and Camped Out In Canaan] was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations." (Genesis 10:6-20 KJV)

The nations of Shem.

"10:21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

10:23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

10:24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.

10:25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

10:26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, 10:27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, 10:28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, 10:29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.

10:30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations." (Genesis 10:21-31 KJV)

So it was that humanity became the children of Noah (see The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraq).

"10:32 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." (Genesis 10:32 KJV)

Fact Finder: How did Jerusalem become the center of the world?
See A History Of Jerusalem: In The Beginning