GENESIS – An Expositional Overview of the Beginning of God’s Revelation: Chapter TEN

Contributing commentaries by Sonny Islas and James Fire

Chapter Ten – by Sonny Islas

Video teaching at Eternal Living Word church, GEN 10. 

The Table of Nations – by Lambert Dolphin (GEN 10-11)

Commentary on GENESIS by Ray Stedman 

The World’s Family Tree a.k.a. The Table of Nations by Sonny Islas 

       

Here’s a brief recap:

So far, we’ve covered the history of Creation in GENESIS 1  (The LORD God made heaven and earth and everything in them -including us). 

We’ve covered the Garden of Eden in GENESIS 2 and and the fall of man GENESIS 3.  The first murder and martyr – Cain and Abel in GENESIS 4. The family lines of Adam, Cain and Seth (who replaced Abel) also in GENESIS 4 and the remarkable hidden message found in GENESIS 5.  

We’ve covered the pure and ongoing wickedness of man in that fallen Angel’s sexually mixed with humanity which then brought forth Giants (The Nephilim) and God’s judgment in GENESIS 6.  

God chooses Noah to build the Ark (giant ship) as an act of love and mercy before God sends the world flood and destroys all but eight (Noah’s family) in GENESIS 6 and GENESIS 7.  

Then we covered Noah’s deliverance in GENESIS 8 and God’s covenant with the earth, the animals and mankind that God would never again flood the entire earth (and set a rainbow in the sky for a sign – a reminder) in GENESIS 9. 

Keep in mind that the entire Bible is about God and His great plan of salvation and in this plan  there are key people that would eventually bring forth the Savior – Jesus! The key players thus far have been Adam, Abel who was replaced by Seth. Then it was Noah, now it’s going to be Shem (Noah’s son) and in GENESIS 11, it’s going to be Abram (Abraham), then his son Isaac then Isaac’s son Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) then Judah (Israel’s 4th son) from which Jesus eventually comes from. So, let’s pay close attention to the salvation story line and God’s key characters.

Now we’re in GENESIS 10 where we will find the history of the world’s people groups – The World’s Family Tree a.k.a The Table of Nations. 

See also Lambert Dolphin’s article on The TABLE of NATIONS: GENESIS CH. 10 – 11. 

The focus now shifts to Noah’s three sons Shem, Ham and Japheth and their descendants (families) and how everyone stems from one of these three – even you and I here today, but again, especially Jesus.

Let’s also keep in mind that there is only one race and that is the human race who came from one blood – Adam. At the same time there are many ethnicities (people groups) ACTS 17:26 says, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,” God began to do this at the Tower of Babel.

Again, we’re one race (same kind - human) but different ethnicities - different people groups. We only differ in looks, lifestyle and language. Here we find God’s diversity and beauty but sinful man finds a reason to hate another due to different skin colors etc – racism.

Genesis 10 is connected to Genesis 11 in that 10 sets up 11 and the Tower of Babel, the confusion of languages and ultimately the dispersion of the human race into diverse people groups.

GENESIS 10:1-5
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

The Sons of Japheth: And their regions in modern times. Gomer is Armenia and possible Germany. Magog is Turkey – EZEK 38 says that in the last days Magog will attack Israel, but God will intervene and destroy Israel’s enemies. Madai is India and Northern Iran. Javan is Greece. Tubal is Tobolsk, Russia. Meshesh is Moscow/Russia. Tiras is Italy or around that area.

As we can see, the Sons of Japheth settled in Europe and some in Asia.

“were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their Nations” Again, this separation happened after the Tower of Babel because GEN 11:1 says, “the whole earth had one language…” – Some believe that that one language was the Hebrew language.

GENESIS 10:6-20

 6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city). 13 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim). 15 ¶ Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; 16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite;

 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. 19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.

The Sons of Ham: And their regions in modern times. Cush is Ethiopia. Mizraim is Egypt. Put is Libya. Canaan is pre-Israel.

As we can see here, the Sons of Ham mainly settled in Africa.

[8, 9] “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.”

These verses sound like this was a good man in the eyes of God but it’s just the opposite. i.e. The Jerusalem Targum (Jewish commentary on this verse) says: “He (Nimrod) was powerful in hunting and in wickedness before the Lord, for he was a hunter of the sons of men, and he said to them, “Depart from the judgment of the Lord, and adhere to the judgment of Nimrod!’’ (In other words, “fear me, not the LORD!”)

Another commentator writes: “This is not talking about Nimrod’s ability to hunt wild game. He was not a hunter of animals. He was a hunter of men – a warrior. It was through his ability to fight and kill and rule ruthlessly that his kingdom of the Euphrates valley city states was consolidated.” (Boice)

Nimrod means “Rebellion,” “Let us rebel” or “A Rebel” and every individual that rejects the rule and salvation of Almighty God is a Nimrod – a rebel. In today’s slang Nimrod means idiot or jerk. It used to be a compliment to be called Nimrod, i.e. In ancient times the proud would say “I’m - like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.”

[10] “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar” Babel was the very first kingdom (a one world government and religion) and it was ruled by this godless blood-thirsty tyrant – a foreshadow of the coming Antichrist.

Babel means confusion because this is when God confused their languages.  And the reality is like Nimrod all men without God are confused.

In [11] “Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah.” Nineveh is mentioned (located in Northern Iraq) The place where God commanded Jonah to go but he disobeyed and made his way to Tarshish (Spain). Jonah chose comfort over commission. Let’s never do that, unless we don’t mind being swallowed by a whale then get spit out where God told us to go in the first place.

In [14] “And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.” Philistines are mentioned. We know who they are. King David killed their champion (Goliath) in the Name of the LORD. The Philistines inhabited modern day 'Palestine'. Also, they are the children of Mizraim which is Egypt.

In [15] “And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth,” Canaan is mentioned. That’s modern-day Israel. The Israelites conquered Canaan because it was the promised land by the LORD. Plus Noah prophesied that Ham would serve Shem in GENESIS 9:26.

In [19] “And 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” Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned here. The two sinful cities that were lit on fire from heaven for their extreme perversion. Everyone is familiar with these evil twin cities.

GENESIS 10:21-32

21 ¶ And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. 31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations. 32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

The Sons of Shem: And their regions in modern times. Elam is Iran. Asshur is Assyria. Arphaxad is Iraq. Lud, some say is Northern Africa – others say it’s near Asia Minor – Turkey. Aram is Syria.

Shem means “Name” and it’s pointing to the One who has the Name above all names – Jesus. Again, Jesus comes from the line of Shem. PHIL 2:8-11 and replace the word Name with Shem.

Anti-Semitism is basically racism towards the Jews because they come from Shem but so do Iranians, Iraqis, and Syrians. Which goes to show how silly people can be. Anti-Semitism is actuality racism towards Iran, Iran and Syria as well not only Israel.

[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” mentions Eber, this is where we get the word Hebrew from – Eber, and Abraham comes from the line of Eber.

Lastly, in [25] Eber had a son named “Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided” - this man’s name clearly points to the division caused by God at the Tower of Babel BUT I think there is even a deeper meaning here – Abraham comes from Peleg, which means that Israel comes from Peleg, which means that God was dividing HIS PEOPLE from the WORLD. And He is still doing this today – Jesus says, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” – MATTHEW 12:20

One last thought – Just as the peoples were divided by their languages, the LORD divides His people from the world by their language in the sense that the Church speaks the language of truth (Bible) and the world speaks the language of lies.

Paul writes to the Corinthians in 

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10 
“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing…” 

The holy must be known by their godly conversations (language) and the unholy by their filthy conversations (language).

EPHESIANS 4:9
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”