22 The children H1121 of Shem; H8035 Elam, H5867 and Asshur, H804 and Arphaxad, H775 and Lud, H3865 and Aram. H758
And I will set H7760 a sign H226 among them, and I will send H7971 those that escape H6412 of them unto the nations, H1471 to Tarshish, H8659 Pul, H6322 and Lud, H3865 that draw H4900 the bow, H7198 to Tubal, H8422 and Javan, H3120 to the isles H339 afar off, H7350 that have not heard H8085 my fame, H8088 neither have seen H7200 my glory; H3519 and they shall declare H5046 my glory H3519 among the Gentiles. H1471
And he said, H559 Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 God H430 of Shem; H8035 and Canaan H3667 shall be H1961 his servant. H5650
And it came to pass in the days H3117 of Amraphel H569 king H4428 of Shinar, H8152 Arioch H746 king H4428 of Ellasar, H495 Chedorlaomer H3540 king H4428 of Elam, H5867 and Tidal H8413 king H4428 of nations; H1471 That these made H6213 war H4421 with H854 Bera H1298 king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 and with Birsha H1306 king H4428 of Gomorrah, H6017 Shinab H8134 king H4428 of Admah, H126 and Shemeber H8038 king H4428 of Zeboiim, H6636 and the king H4428 of Bela, H1106 which is H1931 Zoar. H6820 All these were joined together H2266 in the vale H6010 of Siddim, H7708 which H1931 is the salt H4417 sea. H3220 Twelve H6240 H8147 years H8141 they served H5647 H853 Chedorlaomer, H3540 and in the thirteenth H7969 H6240 year H8141 they rebelled. H4775 And in the fourteenth H6240 H702 year H8141 came H935 Chedorlaomer, H3540 and the kings H4428 that were with him, and smote H5221 the Rephaims H7497 in Ashteroth Karnaim, H6255 and the Zuzims H2104 in Ham, H1990 and the Emims H368 in Shaveh Kiriathaim, H7741 And the Horites H2752 in their mount H2042 Seir, H8165 unto Elparan, H364 which is by H5921 the wilderness. H4057 And they returned, H7725 and came H935 to H413 Enmishpat, H5880 which is Kadesh, H6946 and smote H5221 all the country H7704 of the Amalekites, H6003 and also the Amorites, H567 that dwelt H3427 in Hazezontamar. H2688 And there went out H3318 the king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 and the king H4428 of Gomorrah, H6017 and the king H4428 of Admah, H126 and the king H4428 of Zeboiim, H6636 and the king H4428 of Bela H1106 (the same H1931 is Zoar;) H6820 and they joined H6186 battle H4421 with them in the vale H6010 of Siddim; H7708 With Chedorlaomer H3540 the king H4428 of Elam, H5867 and with Tidal H8413 king H4428 of nations, H1471 and Amraphel H569 king H4428 of Shinar, H8152 and Arioch H746 king H4428 of Ellasar; H495 four H702 kings H4428 with five. H2568
And he took up H5375 his parable, H4912 and said, H559 Balak H1111 the king H4428 of Moab H4124 hath brought H5148 me from Aram, H758 out of the mountains H2042 of the east, H6924 saying, Come, H3212 curse H779 me Jacob, H3290 and come, H3212 defy H2194 Israel. H3478
And Pul H6322 the king H4428 of Assyria H804 came H935 against the land: H776 and Menahem H4505 gave H5414 Pul H6322 a thousand H505 talents H3603 of silver, H3701 that his hand H3027 might be with him to confirm H2388 the kingdom H4467 in his hand. H3027
The sons H1121 of Shem; H8035 Elam, H5867 and Asshur, H804 and Arphaxad, H775 and Lud, H3865 and Aram, H758 and Uz, H5780 and Hul, H2343 and Gether, H1666 and Meshech. H4902 And Arphaxad H775 begat H3205 Shelah, H7974 and Shelah H7974 begat H3205 Eber. H5677 And unto Eber H5677 were born H3205 two H8147 sons: H1121 the name H8034 of the one H259 was Peleg; H6389 because in his days H3117 the earth H776 was divided: H6385 and his brother's H251 name H8034 was Joktan. H3355 And Joktan H3355 begat H3205 Almodad, H486 and Sheleph, H8026 and Hazarmaveth, H2700 and Jerah, H3392 Hadoram H1913 also, and Uzal, H187 and Diklah, H1853 And Ebal, H5858 and Abimael, H39 and Sheba, H7614 And Ophir, H211 and Havilah, H2341 and Jobab. H3103 All these were the sons H1121 of Joktan. H3355 Shem, H8035 Arphaxad, H775 Shelah, H7974 Eber, H5677 Peleg, H6389 Reu, H7466 Serug, H8286 Nahor, H5152 Terah, H8646 Abram; H87 the same is Abraham. H85
While he was yet speaking, H1696 there came H935 also another, and said, H559 The Chaldeans H3778 made out H7760 three H7969 bands, H7218 and fell H6584 upon the camels, H1581 and have carried them away, H3947 yea, and slain H5221 the servants H5288 with the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee.
And it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 that the Lord H136 shall set H3254 his hand H3027 again H3254 the second time H8145 to recover H7069 the remnant H7605 of his people, H5971 which shall be left, H7604 from Assyria, H804 and from Egypt, H4714 and from Pathros, H6624 and from Cush, H3568 and from Elam, H5867 and from Shinar, H8152 and from Hamath, H2574 and from the islands H339 of the sea. H3220
And Elam H5867 bare H5375 the quiver H827 with chariots H7393 of men H120 and horsemen, H6571 and Kir H7024 uncovered H6168 the shield. H4043
And all the kings H4428 of Zimri, H2174 and all the kings H4428 of Elam, H5867 and all the kings H4428 of the Medes, H4074
The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 that came to Jeremiah H3414 the prophet H5030 against Elam H5867 in the beginning H7225 of the reign H4438 of Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 Behold, I will break H7665 the bow H7198 of Elam, H5867 the chief H7225 of their might. H1369 And upon Elam H5867 will I bring H935 the four H702 winds H7307 from the four H702 quarters H7098 of heaven, H8064 and will scatter H2219 them toward all those winds; H7307 and there shall be no nation H1471 whither the outcasts H5080 of Elam H5867 H5769 shall not come. H935 For I will cause Elam H5867 to be dismayed H2865 before H6440 their enemies, H341 and before H6440 them that seek H1245 their life: H5315 and I will bring H935 evil H7451 upon them, even my fierce H2740 anger, H639 saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 and I will send H7971 the sword H2719 after H310 them, till I have consumed H3615 them: And I will set H7760 my throne H3678 in Elam, H5867 and will destroy H6 from thence the king H4428 and the princes, H8269 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 But it shall come to pass in the latter H319 days, H3117 that I will bring again H7725 H7725 the captivity H7622 H7622 of Elam, H5867 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 10
Commentary on Genesis 10 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 10
This chapter shows more particularly what was said in general (ch. 9:19), concerning the three sons of Noah, that "of them was the whole earth overspread;' and the fruit of that blessing (ch. 9:1, 7), "replenish the earth.' Is is the only certain account extant of the origin of nations; and yet perhaps there is no nation but that of the Jews that can be confident from which of these seventy fountains (for so many there are here) it derives its streams. Through the want of early records, the mixtures of people, the revolutions of nations, and distance of time, the knowledge of the lineal descent of the present inhabitants of the earth is lost; nor were any genealogies preserved but those of the Jews, for the sake of the Messiah, only in this chapter we have a brief account,
Gen 10:1-5
Moses begins with Japheth's family, either because he was the eldest, or because his family lay remotest from Israel and had least concern with them at the time when Moses wrote, and therefore he mentions that race very briefly, hastening to give an account of the posterity of Ham, who were Israel's enemies and of Shem, who were Israel's ancestors; for it is the church that the scripture is designed to be the history of, and of the nations of the world only as they were some way or other related to Israel and interested in the affairs of Israel. Observe,
Gen 10:6-14
That which is observable and improvable in these verses is the account here given of Nimrod, v. 8-10. He is here represented as a great man in his day: He began to be a mighty one in the earth, that is, whereas those that went before him were content to stand upon the same level with their neighbours, and though every man bore rule in his own house yet no man pretended any further, Nimrod's aspiring mind could not rest here; he was resolved to tower above his neighbours, not only to be eminent among them, but to lord it over them. The same spirit that actuated the giants before the flood (who became mighty men, and men of renown, ch. 6:4), now revived in him, so soon was that tremendous judgment which the pride and tyranny of those mighty men brought upon the world forgotten. Note, There are some in whom ambition and affectation of dominion seem to be bred in the bone; such there have been and will be, notwithstanding the wrath of God often revealed from heaven against them. Nothing on this side hell will humble and break the proud spirits of some men, in this like Lucifer, Isa. 14:14, 15. Now,
Gen 10:15-20
Observe here,
Gen 10:21-32
Two things especially are observable in this account of the posterity of Shem:-