The Descendants of Noah’s Sons
The Descendants of Noah's Sons
Image by Abdulmomn Kadhim from Pixabay
The Table of Nations
These are the descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the children born to them after the flood.
For a brief moment, Genesis deviates from its focus on the line of the promised offspring to explain how humanity grew from one family to many nations. Genesis 10, called the Table of Nations, offers a snapshot of the ancient world from the viewpoint of the Israelites of Moses’s generation. Never intended as a comprehensive list of every nation on earth, it instead highlights the complex relationships and alliances between Israel’s known neighbors before moving on to the origin of the Israelites themselves and their place among Noah’s descendants.
The Table of Nations includes the names of individuals, ethnic groups, and cities, not all of which are currently identifiable. Some likely refer to both an individual and a group or location named after him.1 For example, ʾashur in verse 22 could refer to a man named Ashur, the Assyrians, or both.
Elsewhere, ʾashur also refers to the land of Assyria and the Assyrian city of Ashur. This makes many of the details of the list difficult to interpret. However, the main point of its inclusion in Genesis remains clear: All of humanity descends from Noah and his three sons. We are all part of the human family.
The Sons of Japheth
The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, and he was also the ancestor of the Kittites and Rodanites. From his descendants, the people across the sea branched out into their own lands, each with its own language, according to their families within their nations.
Edited from Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
The Table of Nations begins with the nations farthest from Israel and least important in their early history. After the events at the tower of Babylon in chapter 11, Japheth’s descendants spread out to the north and west in modern Europe and Asia Minor.2 Many lived “across the sea” from the land of Canaan, especially Javan’s descendants, who inhabited the islands and northern coastlands of the Mediterranean.
The identifiable groups include the Cimmerians (Gomer), the Medes (Madai), the Ionians of Greece (Javan), and inhabitants of Cyprus (Elishah and the Kittites).
The Sons of Ham
The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteka. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
Cush was the ancestor of Nimrod, who became a great warrior on the earth. He was a skilled hunter in Yahweh’s presence, which is the origin of the proverb “like Nimrod, a skilled hunter in Yahweh’s presence.” The major cities of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, and Akkad, all in the land of Shinar. From that land, the Assyrians went forth and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah, the great city.
Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites (where the Philistines came from), and Caphtorites. Canaan fathered Sidon (his firstborn) and Heth, and he was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The families of the Canaanites spread out until their borders reached from Sidon to Gerar, from Gaza to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, and all the way to Lasha. These were the descendants of Ham according to their families and languages within their territories and nations.
Edited from Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
Ham’s descendants spread south from Mesopotamia, through the Middle East and across Africa.3 The identifiable groups include some of Israel’s most notorious enemies, the Egyptians (Mizraim and the Pathrusites), the Canaanites, the Philistines, and the Babylonians, as well as East Africans (Cush), Arabs (Sheba and Dedan), Cretans (the Caphtorites), and the Phoenicians (Sidon and the Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, and Hamathites). The Canaanites settled between Sidon in the north and Gerar in the south and between Gaza in the west and the cities of the Jordan in east.
Some translations associate the Philistines with the Caphtorites instead of the Casluhites to match Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7, which both claim that the Philistines came from Caphtor (Crete). But there is no textual evidence to support such a change in Genesis.
The identity of the Casluhites remains a mystery, and nothing prevents them from coming from Crete, especially given their close association with the Caphtorites.4 In addition, the Philistines referred to in Jeremiah and Amos were the descendants of invaders known as the Sea Peoples, who did not migrate to Philistia (the southwest part of Canaan) until the period of the book of Judges.5 The Philistines of Genesis were earlier residents of Philistia who may have been early migrants from Crete, native Canaanites, or even Egyptians.6
Nimrod
Cush was the ancestor of Nimrod, who became a great warrior on the earth. He was a skilled hunter in Yahweh’s presence, which is the origin of the proverb “like Nimrod, a skilled hunter in Yahweh’s presence.” The major cities of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, and Akkad, all in the land of Shinar. From that land, the Assyrians went forth and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah, the great city.
Image by Paul Barlow from Pixabay
From Ham’s descendants through Cush arose a warrior-king named Nimrod, who ruled over the land of Shinar (Babylonia). He was not the first warrior on earth, since the same word describes the nephilim in Genesis 6:4, but he may have been the first after the flood.7 He was certainly a powerful ruler whose name was still known during the time of Moses.
Genesis describes Nimrod as a hunter so skilled that his name became proverbial.8
This reflects the ancient Mesopotamian tradition associating hunting with military prowess. In later Assyria, staged lion hunts symbolized the king’s ability to protect his people from dangerous enemies.9
But Nimrod performed all of his great deeds under the watchful eye of Yahweh, who alone remained in control as the world once again devolved into violent chaos. The Hebrew word liphne means “in front of,” “in the presence of,” or “in the sight of.” It does not indicate whether Yahweh approved of, disapproved of, or empowered Nimrod’s skills. Most likely, it simply means that Yahweh oversaw everything he did. Although ancient kings were often worshiped, this powerful, legendary emperor was a mere mortal, not a deity.
From Shinar, someone traveled north and built several major cities in Assyria. Most translations assume that this still refers to Nimrod, but the most natural reading of the Hebrew states that ʾashur built these cities. This name could refer either to Ashur, the descendant of Shem, or more likely to Ashur’s descendants, the Assyrians. Regardless of who built the cities, Assyria was in fact initially part of Babylonia.10
The Sons of Shem
Shem also had children. He was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber and the brother of Japheth, who was the eldest. The sons of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arphaxad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber.
Eber fathered two sons. One was named Peleg because the earth was divided during his lifetime. His brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these sons of Joktan lived between Mesha and the eastern hill country of Sephar. These were the descendants of Shem according to their families and languages within their territories and nations.
These were the families of Noah’s sons according to their descendants within their nations. From them the nations of the earth branched out after the flood.
Edited from Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
Shem’s descendants spread out to the north and south around the Tigris and Euphrates and the Persian Gulf. They shared Mesopotamia and the Arabian Peninsula with Ham’s descendants. Shem’s genealogy is split in two with the story of the tower of Babylon in the middle. This first half, the line of Joktan, represents Shem’s descendants who were not part of the chosen line of the promised offspring.
Genesis emphasizes that Shem was Eber’s ancestor and Japheth’s younger brother.11 Scripture gives no reason why Japheth was not chosen, since only Ham disqualified himself. But God habitually chose the younger brother. He chose Abel and Seth over Cain, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Judah and Joseph over Reuben, Ephraim over Manasseh, and David over all his brothers.
Eber’s importance seems to be that his name (ʿever) is the root of the word “Hebrew” (ʿivri). So the text is already foreshadowing Shem’s descendant Abram the Hebrew.12 Eber’s son Peleg was alive when “the earth was divided,” and his name derives from the Hebrew verb palag (“to divide”). This probably refers to the division of the nations at Babylon.
The Tower
Now at one time, everyone on earth spoke the same language and the same dialect. As they traveled eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and decided to settle there.
They said to each other, “Let’s make bricks and bake them until they harden.” They used bricks instead of stones and pitch instead of mortar.
Then they said, “Let’s build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches heaven! We will make a name for ourselves so we won’t be scattered throughout the world.”
Image by Abdulmomn Kadhim from Pixabay
After describing the division of humanity into many nations speaking many languages, the story of the descendants of Noah’s sons ends with an explanation of how that division began. For the first few generations, Noah’s descendants lived together and spoke the same language. They wandered around as nomads, probably foraging for food. Like Adam and Eve, Cain, and Lot, they traveled eastward, a direction associated with separation from God.13
As they wandered, they found the plain of Shinar between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, part of the Fertile Crescent.14 This fertile land provided enough food to allow them to settle in one location, so they decided to build a city with a tower.
Most scholars believe the tower was probably a ziggurat, a type of temple common in ancient Mesopotamia.15 In Babylonian theology, ziggurats served as links between heaven and earth, exactly what the builders of the tower intended. But they were never meant to allow humanity to ascend to heaven. Rather, they were stairways built as a convenience to allow the gods to descend from heaven to earth to bless the people.
God did not punish humanity for wanting to stay together. He punished them for trying to manipulate him. They thought they could make themselves famous by building a tower that would secure God’s blessings for themselves and their descendants. This would keep them together because it would be the only location where God could come down. Not only did they refuse to rely on God to provide what they needed, but they actually thought God relied on them!
Scattered
Then Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower humanity had built. He said, “Look at this! Since they are one people with the same language, this is only the beginning of what they will do. Now nothing they plan will be impossible for them. Let’s go down to mix up their language so they won’t be able to understand each other anymore.”
In this way, Yahweh dispersed them throughout the earth. So they stopped building the city.
Image by Wendy Aros from Creation Swap
The description of God’s reaction to the building of the tower is full of biting sarcasm.16 If the tower was a ziggurat, then humanity intended for God to use it to come down and bless them. Instead, it was so far from reaching heaven that he had to come down to even see it. When he did, he did not bring blessings. God longs to freely bless his children, but he will not do so under coercion. Distressed by their blatantly pagan attitude, he determined to remedy the situation before it got even worse.
God’s covenant with Noah prevented him from destroying that wicked generation.17 So he chose as their punishment the one thing they most feared: separation. The builders of the tower wanted to remain together. But while humanity united in submission to God is indeed a beautiful thing, humanity united in rebellion against God is a nightmare. By mixing up their language, God destroyed their relationships with each other so they could no longer conspire to do evil.
In verses 3–4, humanity emphasized their unity with the plural form “let’s.” They would build the tower together. In verse 7, God responded with his own “let’s,” the second time he refers to himself in the plural. The first time was when he declared his intention to create humanity in Genesis 1:26: “Let us make humanity as our image.”18 There, God made humanity male and female, relational beings just as he is a relational God.19
It is no accident that the relational nature of God is again emphasized here as he declared his decision to prevent them from understanding each other. For what could be more painful to the image of a relational God than isolation and separation?
Babylon
Therefore, it was called Babylon because that’s where Yahweh mixed up the world’s language and dispersed humanity throughout the earth.
Image by Elisa Riva from Pixabay
No longer able to communicate, humanity deserted the unfinished city and split into smaller groups with those they could still understand. In this way, the nations were born and spread throughout the earth. But humanity would soon return.
Although most translations retain the traditional translation calling the city Babel, bavel is the Hebrew name for the well-known Mesopotamian city of Babylon.20 The location where the tower was built would later become the city of the Israelite exile and the epitome of rebellion against God’s rule over the earth.21
The Babylonians claimed the name of their city meant “gate of god,” a clear reference to their attempts to link heaven and earth via ziggurats.22 However, Genesis uses a wordplay to link the name bavel to the Hebrew verb balal (“to mix up”). The sarcastic nature of the story suggests this was meant as satire rather than an actual etymology.23
The point is not the origin of the name but the folly of all human attempts to control the Creator. The proud Babylonians thought their city served as the gateway through which the gods descended to earth. But in reality it serves as the embodiment of all who are mixed up and confused.
- See Kidner, Genesis, 112.
- Hamilton, Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17, 331–334; Reyburn and Fry, Handbook on Genesis, 230–231; Ross, “Genesis,” 85; Wenham, Genesis 1–15, 216–219.
- Hamilton, Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17, 336–342; Reyburn and Fry, Handbook on Genesis, 234–242; Ross, “Genesis,” 85–87; Wenham, Genesis 1–15, 221–227.
- Wenham, Genesis 1–15, 224–225.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, “Palestine” by Walid Ahmed Khalidi et al., February 24, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/place/Palestine/The-Iron-Age#ref45051; Kidner, Genesis, 153; Ross, “Genesis,” 138; Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, Bible Background Commentary, Genesis 21:32.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, “Palestine” by Walid Ahmed Khalidi et al., February 24, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/place/Palestine/History#ref45048; Hamilton, Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17, 340–341; Ross, “Genesis,” 86.
- See Warlords.
- See Proverb.
- Gareth Brereton, “Lion Hunting: The Sport of Kings,” The British Museum (blog), January 4, 2019, https://blog.britishmuseum.org/lion-hunting-the-sport-of-kings-2/; Walton, “Genesis,” 57.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, “Assyria,” March 4, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/place/Assyria; Wenham, Genesis 1–15, 223–224.
- The Hebrew is actually ambiguous about whether Shem or Japheth was older. For why Japheth was probably the eldest of Noah’s sons, see Hebrew Genealogies.
- See Foreshadowing.
- Genesis 3:24; 11:2; 13:11; 25:6; Judges 6:3; Isaiah 2:6; Jeremiah 49:28; Jonah 4:5.
- HISTORY, “Fertile Crescent,” last modified August 21, 2018, https://www.history.com/topics/pre-history/fertile-crescent.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, “Ziggurat,” February 11, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/technology/ziggurat; Ross, “Genesis,” 91; Walton, “Genesis,” 61–63; Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, Bible Background Commentary, Genesis 11:4.
- See Sarcasm.
- See Never Again.
- See The Plurality of God.
- See The Image of God.
- Admittedly, the translation “Babel” does provide an amusing, though coincidental, wordplay on the English word “babble.” See Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, “babble,” accessed September 24, 2020, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babble.
- 2 Kings 24:1–25:30; 2 Chronicles 36:1–21; Psalm 137:1–9; Isaiah 13:1–14:27; 39:1–8; Jeremiah 25:1–14; 50:1–52:34; Revelation 18:1–19:3.
- Hamilton, Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17, 357; Kidner, Genesis, 119; Wenham, Genesis 1–15, 245.
- See Satire.