32 These are the families H4940 of the sons H1121 of Noah, H5146 after their generations, H8435 in their nations: H1471 and by these were the nations H1471 divided H6504 in the earth H776 after H310 the flood. H3999
These are the three H7969 sons H1121 of Noah: H5146 and of them was the whole earth H776 overspread. H5310
Now these are the generations H8435 of the sons H1121 of Noah, H5146 Shem, H8035 Ham, H2526 and Japheth: H3315 and unto them were sons H1121 born H3205 after H310 the flood. H3999
And he called H7121 his name H8034 Noah, H5146 saying, H559 This same shall comfort H5162 us concerning our work H4639 and toil H6093 of our hands, H3027 because H4480 of the ground H127 which the LORD H3068 hath cursed. H779 And Lamech H3929 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Noah H5146 five H2568 hundred H3967 H8141 ninety H8673 and five H2568 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters: H1323 And all the days H3117 of Lamech H3929 were seven H7651 hundred H3967 H8141 seventy H7657 and seven H7651 years: H8141 and he died. H4191
And God H430 blessed H1288 Noah H5146 and his sons, H1121 and said H559 unto them, Be fruitful, H6509 and multiply, H7235 and replenish H4390 the earth. H776
And unto Eber H5677 were born H3205 two H8147 sons: H1121 the name H8034 of one H259 was Peleg; H6389 for in his days H3117 was the earth H776 divided; H6385 and his brother's H251 name H8034 was Joktan. H3355
These are the sons H1121 of Shem, H8035 after their families, H4940 after their tongues, H3956 in their lands, H776 after their nations. H1471
And G5037 hath made G4160 of G1537 one G1520 blood G129 all G3956 nations G1484 of men G444 for to dwell G2730 on G1909 all G3956 the face G4383 of the earth, G1093 and hath determined G3724 the times G2540 before appointed, G4384 and G2532 the bounds G3734 of their G846 habitation; G2733
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:-