Table of Nations – Genesis 10

GotQuestions.org deals with the charge that this table of nations is not accurate:  The accuracy of the Table has been called into question by the fact that some of the relationships described do not match up with modern comparative linguistics….Another objection to the Table of Nations is that several of the nations listed do not appear in the historical record (as we have it today) until as late as the first millennium BC. This has led some critical scholars to date the Table no earlier than 7th century BC.  This is a recurring criticism of the Bible. Rather than give the Bible the benefit of the doubt whenever it mentions a city or culture that doesn’t appear anywhere else in the historical record, or whenever it places a culture in an era that antedates any other record we have from our other limited sources, critics generally assume that the biblical authors were either disingenuous or ignorant. Such was the case for the ancient metropolis of Nineveh and the ancient Hittite civilization of the Levant, both of which were rediscovered in modern times, in the 19th and 20th centuries, respectively, in a remarkable vindication of the Bible’s historical witness. The fact of the matter is our knowledge of ancient cultures is extremely fragmented and often dependent upon key assumptions. It is therefore speculative to argue that the Table of Nations was written so late based solely on the fact that some of the nations mentioned appear nowhere else than in later historical records.

[1] These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

[2] The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. [3] The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. [4] The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. [5] From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

[6] The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. [7] The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. [8] Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” [10] The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. [11] From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and [12] Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. [13] Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, [14] Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

[15] Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, [16] and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, [17] the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, [18] the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. [19] And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. [20] These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

[21] To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. [22] The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. [23] The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. [24] Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. [25] To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. [26] Joktan fathered 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] The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. [31] These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

[32] These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. (Genesis 10, ESV)

This genealogy is not meant to be exhaustive.  There are a total of 70 names mentioned as offspring of Shem, Ham and Japheth, from whom, we may presume, come as many nations.  70 is a highly symbolic number, a number representing completion.  But 70 cannot be the total number.  As Walton notes in his commentary:  Japheth is first. His sons are named (10:2), then the sons of two of his sons, Gomer (10:3) and Javan (10:4). In this manner, the list extends comprehensively to the second generation and selectively to the third. Ham’s line is addressed in verses 6 – 20. Of his four sons, three are traced into the third generation (Put is not), and one of Cush’s sons is traced into the fourth (Raamah, 10:7). Additionally, there are two expansions, one regarding Nimrod (10:8 – 12), who is only linked loosely to Cush, the other regarding the territory of the Canaanites (10:19). Shem’s descendants are delineated in verses 21 – 31. Of his five sons, only two are traced into the third generation (Aram, 10:23; Arphaxad, 10:24). Predictably, the line relating to Eber, the forebear of the Israelites, is then traced to the sixth generation from Shem.

So Moses intends this listing as representative, not exhaustive.  And the list reflects the peoples Israel, in Moses’ time, will have known about and who more or less surrounded the nation they were forming in the land of Canaan.  Moses later explains in Deuteronomy 32:8 that this number of nations, 70, is suited to the number of the sons of God, angels, who are God’s stewards of the nations (see Heiser article and video), and who form His divine council.  And Moses is particularly focusing on Shem’s descendants, and specially Eber’s, because it is through Eber that the Israelites descend.

Two “sidebars” from the strict genealogical recounting are the comments about Nimrod and the comment about the earth being divided in the time of Peleg.  It is admittedly a matter of speculation as to what or who Nimrod is.  Moses depicts him as a human, but also as the first “mighty man” on earth.  Does this mean the first world ruler type?  Walton makes a case that this could be a reference to Hammurabi.  As we will see in chapter 11, it has been the desire of man to gain power and a name as a means of maintaining security in this dangerous world.  The empire is a development of this desire and ambition.

The division of the world in the days of Peleg most likely refers to the division of the world into nations by the confusion of languages described in the next chapter.  Whereas people were one people, supposed to carry out the mandate to fill the earth and rule it, mankind seeks instead to maintain their own security by staying together and making a name for themselves.  Moses is leading us into chapter 11 and the judgment that God brings on the earth at that time.