Genesis Chapter 10 — The Table of Nations
Genesis Chapter 10 records the descendants of Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, explaining how they branched out to form various nations and languages across the earth.
1Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
2The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
3The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
6The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
7The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan.
8Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.
9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD”.
10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
12and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah.
13Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
14Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.
15Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,
16the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,
17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,
18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
19The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha.
20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.
21Children were also born to Shem (the elder brother of Japheth), the father of all the children of Eber.
22The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
23The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.
25To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan.
26Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
28Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
30Their dwelling extended from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
31These are the sons of Shem, by their families, according to their languages, lands, and nations.
32These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these in the earth after the flood.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Genesis 10:8-9
“Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD.”
These verses introduce Nimrod, a significant historical figure who established early major civilizations.
Genesis 10:32
“These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these in the earth after the flood.”
This verse summarizes the entire chapter's purpose of explaining how the post-flood world was repopulated.
Chapter Summary
Often called the Table of Nations, Genesis 10 provides a genealogical record of the descendants of Noah following the Great Flood. It details the lineages of his three sons: Japheth, Ham, and Shem. Japheth’s descendants primarily populated the coastal regions and islands. Ham’s line included Nimrod, described as a mighty hunter and the founder of kingdoms like Babel and Nineveh, as well as the ancestors of the Canaanites and Egyptians. Shem’s lineage is also traced, notably mentioning Peleg, in whose time the earth was divided. The chapter categorizes these families by their specific lands, languages, and clans, illustrating the diversification of humanity into distinct nations. This genealogical framework serves as a bridge between the account of the flood and the story of the Tower of Babel, establishing the geographic and ethnic landscape of the ancient world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nimrod was a descendant of Ham and the son of Cush. He is described as a mighty hunter before the Lord and is credited with founding major cities and kingdoms, including Babel and Nineveh.
It is called the Table of Nations because it lists seventy different groups and their ancestors that emerged from Noah’s sons. It provides a historical and geographic overview of how humanity spread across the earth.
Genesis 10:25 mentions Peleg, noting that in his days the earth was divided. This is often understood by scholars to refer to the linguistic or territorial dispersion of people that occurred around that time.
Study Note
Genesis 10 is unique in ancient literature for its comprehensive attempt to classify the known nations of the world based on their shared ancestry.
Related Chapters
Genesis 9
The previous chapter details God's covenant with Noah and his sons before they began to populate the earth.
Genesis 11
The following chapter provides the narrative context for the linguistic division mentioned in the Table of Nations.
1 Chronicles 1
The first chapter of Chronicles contains a parallel genealogical record that mirrors the lineages found in Genesis 10.
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