Reflections on Genesis 10

Genesis 10 (Contemporary English Version)
1. After the flood Shem, Ham, and Japheth had many descendants.
   
2. Japheth's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Gomer was the ancestor of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. Javan was the ancestor of Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim, who settled along the coast.
   
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6. Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the LORD. Nimrod is the reason for the saying, "You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the LORD!" Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of which were in Babylonia. From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines. Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. He was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and went as far as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.
   
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21. Shem's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. He was the older brother of Japheth and the ancestor of the tribes of Eber. Shem was the ancestor of Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. Aram was the ancestor of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad was the father of Shelah and the grandfather of Eber, whose first son was named Peleg, because it was during his time that tribes divided up the earth. Eber's second son was Joktan. Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. Their land reached from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country in the east.
    
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32. This completes the list of Noah's descendants. After the flood their descendants became nations and spread all over the world.
    
    

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    Chapter 10 can be referred to as a table of nations with its listing of the descendants of Noah. Several of the nations that come from these descendants will appear throughout the Old Testament. The Israelites were descendants of Shem, as were the Babylonians and Assyrians who God used to discipline Israel when she turned to idolatry and wickedness. The Canaanites, whose land God gave to Israel, were descendants of Ham. Also in Ham's line of descendants were the Egyptians and Philistines who both played significantly in Israel's history.
    
    It is pointed out in reference to the descendants of Japheth and of Ham that "each group had its own language." How did the development of different languages occur and why? How did the first man, Adam, acquire a language? God is the answer to these questions. God communicated with Adam from the beginning leading us to believe that God made Adam with a language built into him. As for the various languages that developed among the descendants of Noah, God is the answer again as we will see in chapter 11.