CHAPTER 10
(2218 B.C.)
THE DESCENDANTS OF THE SONS OF NOAH
1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. (The order was Shem, Ham, and Japheth; however, the order is now reversed, with Japheth, as we shall see, being first, because of his ascendancy.)
THE SONS OF JAPHETH
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 (borders) of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. (This is the first mention of the word Gentiles in the Bible. Originally it was a general term for nations, but gradually acquired a restricted sense by usage. It ultimately came to apply to all nations of the world, and all people, with the exception of the Jews. This Chapter explains the origin of nations.)
THE SONS OF HAM
6And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
7And the sons of Cush; Seba and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the Earth. (The word begat speaks of the lineage. The great figure of this Chapter is Nimrod, and the great city of the Chapter is Babylon. He and his city foreshadow the coming Antichrist and his city. He may be assumed to have counseled and built the Tower of Babel of the next Chapter. He led the first organized rebellion against God.)
9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD (has nothing to do with hunting animals, but rather refers to opposition to the Lord): wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. (As stated, Nimrod instituted the first organized rebellion against the Lord, and thereby the ways of the Lord, and thereby those who followed the Lord. He hunted them down, possibly even killing those who worshipped Jehovah; consequently, Babylon has always stood for every false religion, every false doctrine, and every false way. Thats why it is referred to as the great whore... the mother of harlots and abominations of the Earth [Rev. 17:1, 5].)
10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel (Babylon: Nimrod founded that city), and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah (should be translated out of that land went forth Nimrod in Assyria and built Nineveh, which means he founded both Babylon and Nineveh; Asshur was the son of Shem, and not Ham),
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 Sinite,
18And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. (The tribes listed in Verses 16 through 18 occupied the Land of Canaan, and were the greatest nemeses to Israel upon her attempts to conquer the land. These are the names read often in your Bible, as they refer to opposition against the people of God. This was planned by Satan, no doubt, from the time of Noah.)
19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you come to Gerar, unto Gaza; as you go, 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. (Satan will do his best to place the enemies of your soul within your promised possession, just as he ultimately placed these enemies in the Land of Israel, who greatly opposed the people of God.)
THE SONS OF SHEM
21Unto 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 brothers name was Joktan. (Shem was in the lineage of the Promised Seed, so out of Shem ultimately sprang Jesus, the Plant of Renown [Ezek. 34:29; Lk. 3:36]. The Earth being divided in the days of Peleg refers to the time of the Tower of Babel, and the confusion of the languages by God. The name Peleg means division. It refers here to language being divided, rather than land being divided.)
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 you go 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. (All the nations of the world sprang from the three sons of Noah, Japheth, Ham, and Shem. As stated, the sons of Shem make up the Semitic people of the world, constituting mostly the Jews and the Arabs; however, the Jews do not recognize the Arabs in this capacity, concluding them to be Gentiles. As well, from this line, the sons of Shem, would come the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, the Redeemer of mankind. It is ironic that even though the Redeemer came from this line, He is not now recognized as such by the far greater number of this lineage.)