The big picture
Genesis 10 looks at the world after the flood. Noah, the man who survived it with his family, has three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Their children and later descendants spread into many lands. The chapter is mostly a family record, not a set of individual accounts. Some names are people. Others also become names for peoples or regions. The list shows how one family grows into many nations, languages and settled areas. It also introduces Babel, a city that becomes central in Genesis 11.
In this chapter
- Japheth's Family Spreads Out Genesis 10:1-5
The chapter starts with Japheth, one of Noah's three sons.
- Ham's Line Includes Cities and Canaan Genesis 10:6-20
Next comes the family of Ham, another son of Noah.
- Shem's Family Leads Toward Abram Genesis 10:21-32
The last branch begins with Shem, Noah's son and the ancestor of Eber's family line.
Central truth
Genesis 10 traces many nations and lands back to the three sons of Noah after the flood.
Scripture beside the summary
Genesis · King James Version · 32Genesis 10:1-5
Japheth's Family Spreads Out
The chapter starts with Japheth, one of Noah's three sons. It names his sons and several grandsons. Most of these people receive no personal account. The list then shifts from family names to whole groups. Their descendants live in different lands, speak different languages and form separate nations. Some are linked with coastlands and other places reached by sea. Genesis is showing how a single family line becomes many peoples over time. The names matter because later parts of the Bible often speak about nations as branches of larger family lines.
In everyday life
A second-generation immigrant opens an old family album with her father. One page lists grandparents, cousins and the towns where each branch settled. Years later, some relatives speak different languages and live in different countries. The album still shows that they share one family line. Genesis 10 covers nations across a much wider world, not one household.
Notice
Genesis 10:5 Verse 5 joins land, language, family and nation in one line. The list is not only about ancestry. It also shows descendants becoming distinct peoples in distinct places.
Genesis 10:1-5
King James Version1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
2The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
3And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
4And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Genesis 10:6-20
Ham's Line Includes Cities and Canaan
Next comes the family of Ham, another son of Noah. His sons include Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan. Nimrod, a descendant of Cush, receives extra attention. He is called a mighty man and hunter. His kingdom begins with Babel and other cities in Shinar, an ancient region in the area of modern Iraq. The list then names more descendants and peoples. Canaan's line gets special detail because Canaan, the land along the eastern Mediterranean coast, will matter greatly later. Genesis also gives borders for that land. Family lines are now tied to cities, lands and political power.
In everyday life
A county clerk opens a thick family register and points to one ancestor with several towns beside his name. Most relatives have only names and dates. This man founded businesses and became tied to local government. The record gives him more space because later records depend on him. Nimrod is linked with an ancient kingdom, not a modern county.
Notice
Genesis 10:10 Verse 10 names Babel as part of Nimrod's kingdom before Genesis 11 returns to Babel. That early mention links this family list with the next major event.
Genesis 10:6-20
King James Version6And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
7And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.
13And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.
15And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
16And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
17And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
18And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.
20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
Genesis 10:21-32
Shem's Family Leads Toward Abram
The last branch begins with Shem, Noah's son and the ancestor of Eber's family line. Several generations follow through Arphaxad, Salah and Eber. Eber has two sons, Peleg and Joktan. Genesis says the earth was divided in Peleg's days but does not explain that line here. Joktan's branch receives a long list of sons and a region where they lived. The chapter closes by looking back at all three sons of Noah. Their families became nations and spread across the earth after the flood. Genesis 11 will narrow the focus further through Shem's line toward Abram.
In everyday life
Two brothers sort papers after their grandmother dies. One folder holds a large family tree with dozens of names and places. Near the bottom, one branch is marked because the next box of records follows that line alone. The other branches still belong to the family. Genesis follows Shem for a much larger purpose than family paperwork.
Notice
Genesis 10:25 Verse 25 pauses at Peleg and says the earth was divided in his days. Genesis gives no full explanation there, so the brief note should not be made more exact than the chapter makes it.
Genesis 10:21-32
King James Version21Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
22The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
23And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
24And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.
25And 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.
26And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
27And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
28And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
29And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
30And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.
31These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32These 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Genesis 10:1 begins with “Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.”
Where the chapter turns
Genesis 10:1 forms a natural hinge: “Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.”
The final note
Genesis 10:32 leaves the reader with “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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words sons, begat, families, nations, children, Shem help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- generations
- A family line or record of descendants, not only people living at the same time.
- begat
- Fathered, or became the ancestor of, a person or family line.
- isles
- Islands or coastlands, often including distant lands reached across the sea.
- Gentiles
- Nations or peoples outside the later people of Israel.
- tongues
- Languages or forms of speech used by different peoples.
Music and video connected to the passage
Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.
