Notes on Genesis 10
Gen 10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and
Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
We can usually tell of which son, we came from by where they settled after the
flood. From Japheth we see that both good and evil nations came from their
descendants. Many descendants of Japheth accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ
after the Jews rejected Him temporarily. However, some nations changed the
gospel from it's original intent and substituted rituals, ceremonies and church
hierarchy that the apostles did not start.
Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and
Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
Gen 10:3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
Gen 10:4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
Gen 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every
one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Gen 10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
Gen 10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and
Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
Gen 10:8 And Cush begot Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
The sons of Ham have a place in the latter days also just as anyone else if they
receive and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do see some problems here with
some of the descendants of Ham. When we read of the problems and false religions
though we must remember that the gospel cancels out the curse upon anyone no
matter who their ancestors happen to be. That is why Jesus came and that is a
glorious truth. We are not in bondage to to the lineage of our birth if we
exercise faith in Jesus Christ by recognizing our need for the salvation God
provided for us through Him.
Here we have the another rebellion against God perhaps similar to the rebellion
against God in Genesis 6 which caused such great apostasy and violence that God
had to destroy the earth with a flood. We see a mighty leader rise up to draw
men to him and into a false religious system that worshipped man instead of God.
Gen 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even
as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
Before the Lord means against the Lord according to many bible interpretations.
Babel is the beginning of Babylon which is the origin of idol worship and false
religion. It was rebellion against our God who created us.
He most probably was a mighty hunter also literally. Wild beasts multiplied
after the flood and probably became a danger to men. If a man became a mighty
hunter, it would not have been wrong but this man was supposed to have used this
power to gain many followers and build a tower which represented a great false
religious system intended to get men to heaven as all false religions promise
without repenting of sin and living in a way that God desires for us. He became
a mighty hero to men. When he died a violent death by a beast, it stands to
reason that many began to worship him and think of him as a god. For reference
one can read "The Two Babylons" or other reference books that dig deeper into
the tales of Nimrod. We must keep in mind that some may or may not be true. Our
only reliable source for truth is the bible itself and we can read many
references in the bible to Babylon and its false religious system that was in
total rebellion against God.
Gen 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad,
and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Gen 10:11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city
Rehoboth, and Calah,
We know also that Nineveh became a wicked city and head of another world kingdom
that persecuted Israel. Jonah was sent to get them to repent. They did repent
for a season but returned to evil and was destroyed later.
Gen 10:12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.
Gen 10:13 And Mizraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
Gen 10:14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and
Caphtorim.
Gen 10:15 And Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
Gen 10:16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
Gen 10:17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
Gen 10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward
were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
Gen 10:19 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.
We read later about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin.
They probably also had a false religious system set up. Their sin was so bad
that they were willing to rape even angels of God. Yet Jesus said that those
that reject the gospel will be judged worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. We can
rejoice that no matter what our ancestors or parents were like, we can be a new
person in Jesus Christ. The gospel is for everyone, great, small, rich, poor and
it does not matter whether one is black, red, white or yellow.
Gen 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their
tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
Gen 10:21 Unto Shem also the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of
Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
Gen 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and
Aram.
Gen 10:23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
Gen 10:24 And Arphaxad begot Salah; and Salah begot Eber.
Gen 10:25 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.
Gen 10:26 And Joktan begot Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
Gen 10:27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
Gen 10:28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
Gen 10:29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
Gen 10:30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount
of the east.
Gen 10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues,
in their lands, after their nations.
Gen 10:32 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.
From the genealogy in the book of Luke, we see that Jesus Christ came from
Arphaxad, Salah, Eber and Peleg although the spelling was a little different.
All these became different nations.
Until Jesus came there was no hope of salvation for mankind. As men began again
to forget God and worship other things, there began to be violence and suffering
again upon the earth like before the flood. Man (woman) had to be changed within
his soul. Something had to happen that was greater than any religion or manmade
law. We needed a bridge back to God. We needed power over sin and we needed to
learn to love one another. God supplies this need through His own Son, Jesus
Christ. Not all who claim Christ has yielded to God's spirit and not all have
lived and walked in God's spirit but He is available to all who believe and
trust in Jesus Christ.