Genesis 10:1-32 Origin of the Nations of the earth

1 “Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

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.

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.” NKJV

Facts revealed in special people named:

Y Moses was writing to people after the earth was divided so his national locations given reflect the earth in its divided condition of his day.

Y We are reminded that the sons of Noah were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Y Japheth and his descendants are listed first because he is the eldest of the three sons of Noah. [see Genesis 10:21]

v Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

v Gomer is believed to be Germany (according to the O. T. Volume 3, page 274 of the Berean School Text Book) the Teutonic peoples of Central Europe; the Gomerites (“Galls” - according to Josephus Antiquities 1:VI;1).

v Magog is identified as the peoples who settled North of the Black Sea; the Magogites whom the Greeks called “Scythians” (Josephus Antiquities; and located north of the Caucus Mountains, see Smiths Bible Dictionary). Both the Black Sea and the Caucus Mountains are the South border of Russia. That would make the “Land of Magog” to be Russia itself.

v Tubal is a location that still bears the name 1,500 miles East of Moscow called “Tobol” (the English spelling varies according to the writer and the translation) which is also the name of a river bearing his name flowing into the Ob River in North Central Russia.

v Meshech is believed to be Moscow (Berean School Text Book, page 274).

v Togarmah is described as “the Far North” by God Himself as He spoke to Ezekiel; and “the Far North” from Israel would put it in Russia far north of Moscow.

v Tarshish would then be a reference the peoples along the coastlands and islands of Western Europe and “all their young lions” will represent the Colonial nations that sprang from them including the United States of America.

v Some teach (from Roman Catholic tradition) that these are all located in Turkey. However to hold that view they are saying that God Most High, Who created it all was unaware that there was a populated land mass north of Turkey. Since God had said it is from the “Far North” in Ezekiel 38, that is very arrogant on their part and, in my opinion, very foolish.

v The sons of Japheth are (according to Josephus) the Europeans including Russia. They are the fathers of those named in Ezekiel 38 -- as making up the armies that will invade Israel in the last days. With Togarmah being located in the “Far North” -- they extend from the Western coastlands as far East as Tobol, See the comparison in the Ezekiel text below:

1 “Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, 'Thus says the LORD GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops--many people are with you.” [Ezekiel 38:1-6]

“Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’” [Ezekiel 38:13 NKJV]

Y Ham, youngest son of Noah, his descendants are the peoples who settled from Asia or Turkey, Iraq, Canaan and south through the continent of Africa based on their names and those same names found in that part of the world.

v Cush and Put are in north Africa. Canaan was in the land given by God to Israel. “Sheba and Dedan” are descendants of Ham. However, these are to be distinguished from the “Sheba and Dedan” who are descendants of Abraham, a descendant of Shem [see Genesis 25:3] The Sheba and Dedan descended from Ham found their national location in East Central Africa in the area near Ethiopia, while the Sheba and Dedan descended from Abraham are in the South end of the Arabian Peninsula.

v Mizraim includes Egypt and Ethiopia called “The Land of Ham.” [see Psalms 105 & 106]

v Nimrod descended from Cush a son of Ham. He was a “mighty hunter before the Lord.” [Genesis 10:8]

In other words he was the first tyrant ruler hunting for men to be subjected under himself. So he started his monarchy by beginning his kingdom in Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. Then he went on to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Ir, Calah, and Resen; which are part of Iraq and Turkey today.

v Mizraim, from his son Casluhim came the Philistines and the Caphtorim.

v Canaan was the father of Sidon and Heth (from whose sons Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah for a burial place. –(see Genesis 23).

v Canaan was also the father of all the nations God cast out when He brought Israel from Egypt to the “Land of Canaan,” the “Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites -- seven nations. [see Deuteronomy 7:1]

Y Shem, the second son of Noah is mentioned last because the story continues from him to Abraham and then his descendants through whom all the rest of God’s revelation came.

Shem’s descendants settled in the mountains of the East which would include all the Eastern nations of Mesopotamia and Eastward

v Eber named one of his sons Peleg because in his days the earth was divided.

v Peleg was born the forth generation 101 years after the Great Flood [Genesis 11:10-17] being the son of Eber, the son of Salah, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem. This provided plenty of time for the people to scatter over the entire face of the earth since they started in the middle.

Nimrod and the Tower of Babel were the second generation after the flood being the son of Cush, the son of Ham.

Remember Genesis 1:9 -- originally the waters were gathered into one place, thus the earth was one continent over which the people were scattered after the Tower of Babel.

Then, in the days of Eber (means “the region beyond”) and Peleg (means “division, divided”), the earth was divided to the separation of continents and islands present today. Therefore, since the people were scattered over the entire face of the earth, when the earth was divided the people were already on the land and the continents were populated.

The fact that in all areas of the world legends indicate the people knew of a ship that saved the people and animals which demonstrates that the “land division” happened after the Great flood of Noah’s day and all their traditions include that story. The story of the Great Flood is known on all the continents and islands with different renderings.

Y Abraham was descended from Shem. He first lived in Ur of the Chaldeans, which was in Mesopotamia.

Y These were the families of the sons of Noah according to their generations (times), and in their nations.

Y From these, the nations were divided on the earth after the Flood.

Y Since the nations were divided and spread over the face of the earth we must realize that Genesis 10 is the overview of the origin of the nations; and the spreading did not occur until after the Tower of Babel because, at that time, all the people were together and spoke the same language. [Genesis 11:1]