21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood. Shem lived after he became the father of Arpachshad five hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah. Arpachshad lived after he became the father of Shelah four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber: and Shelah lived after he became the father of Eber four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg. Eber lived after he became the father of Peleg four hundred thirty years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu. Peleg lived after he became the father of Reu two hundred nine years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug. Reu lived after he became the father of Serug two hundred seven years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor. Serug lived after he became the father of Nahor two hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah. Nahor lived after he became the father of Terah one hundred nineteen years, and became the father of sons and daughters. Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
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:-