1The generations of Noah. 2The sons of Japheth. 6The sons of Ham; Nimrod the first monarch; 15Canaan's descendants, and their settlement. 21The sons of Shem.
1NOW1 these are the 2generations of the sons of Noah,a Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
1 The purpose of this account is principally to point out of which fathers or progenitors the Messiah sprung forth after the flesh, among which people in the meantime the church of God was found. Thereafter to make known the origins of the nations, and the divisions of the countries which they inhabited. All which serves very much to the explanation of many Scripture references, as will appear in the sequel.
2 Or, births.
a 1 Chron. 1:4.
2The 3sonsb of Japheth; 4Gomer, and 5Magog, and 6Madai, and 7Javan, and 8Tubal, and 9Meshech, and 10Tiras.
3 These have spread themselves from the places of their habitations mostly towards the northern and western parts; for, being first set down in Asia Minor, they have by degrees almost filled the northern countries, and Europe.
b 1 Chron. 1:5.
4 This man’s posterity inhabited the north quarter of Asia Minor, wherefore they are likewise ranked among the northern nations, Ezek. 38:6. And whereas they spread themselves westward also, they are held to be the progenitors with all of those people whose countries the Gallo-Grecians afterwards inhabited.
5 The source of the Scythians. See of them Ezek. 38:2; 39:6.
6 Of whom the Medes came. See 2 Kings 17:6; Isa. 13:17; Jer. 25:25; Daniel 5; 6; 8.
7 The father of the Greeks. See of them, Isa. 66:19; Dan. 8:21; Joel 3:6; Ezek. 27:13, 19.
8 It is thought that from him come forth the Iberians, and from those the Spaniards. See Ezek. 27:13; 32:26; 38:2, 3.
9 Hebr. Meschech; who have descended from him is uncertain. Some perceive the Cappadocians; others, those of Mysia, others, the Mosebos, or Muscovites. See Ezek. 38:2, 3.
10 There is no further mention made of him in the Holy Scripture. Nevertheless it is by most opinions that the Thracians, neighbors to the Macedonians, have originated from him.
3And the sons of Gomer; 11Ashkenaz, and 12Riphath, and 13Togarmah.
11 The father of the inhabitants of Pontus and Bithynia, countries situated in Asia Minor. Some do hold the Germans do come from him. See Jer. 51:27.
12 Other, Diphath, 1 Chron. 1:6. He was the forefather of the Paphlagonians, a people likewise of Asia Minor, formerly called Riphatees or Ripheans.
13 He is commonly held to have given the beginning to the people in the lesser Armenia; or, according to others, to the High Germans. See Ezek. 27:14; 38:6.
4And the sons of Javan; 14Elishah, and 15Tarshish, 16Kittim, and 17Dodanim.
14 Of whom the Æolians have descended; a certain people from Greece. Compare Ezek. 27:7.
15 Of whom is named the metropolis in Cilicia, the apostle Paul’s place of nativity, Acts 22:3, so that this Tarsus seems to have been the ancestor of the Cilicians. See Ezek. 27:12; Jonah 1:3.
16 The father of the inhabitants of Macedonia, or of Italy, or of Cyprus, or of a part of Cicilia; the opinions differ about it. See Num. 24:24; Isa. 23:1; Jer. 2:10.
17 Other, Rodanim, 1 Chron. 1:7. It is supposed that the Rhodians and Doreans came from this man.
5By these were the 18isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; 19every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
18 Understand, the countries situated on the seaside westward of Syria, between the Mediterranean and the Ocean Sea; namely, not only those properly called islands, but those on the continent likewise, which so lie along the sea there that they seem to be islands.
19 The division of languages has not occurred as yet (see Genesis 11), but Moses speaks according to the time in which he wrote this. See the like example Gen. 12:8; 13:3, etc.
6¶And the sons of 20Ham;c21Cush, and 22Mizraim, and 23Phut, and 24Canaan.
20 The posterity of Ham divided from Babel for the most part southwards into a part of Asia and in Africa, and for a time in Palestine. See of them 1 Chron. 4:40; Psalm 105:27.
c 1 Chron. 1:8.
21 The Arabians and the Ethiopians are from him. See the annotation at Gen. 2 on verse 13; the same in 2 Kings 19:9; Job 28:19; Jer. 13:23; 46:9.
22 The father of the Egyptians. The name occurs frequently in Holy Scriptures. And it is also the name likewise of the country and the inhabitants of Egypt.
23 It is perceived that he has inhabited a part of Lybia (where is the river Put). See Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 27:10; 38:5.
24 The forefather of the Canaanites, sufficiently known in the Scriptures. See Gen. 9:25 and below, verse 18.
7And the sons of Cush; 25Seba, and 26Havilah, and 27Sabtah, and 28Raamah, and 29Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; 30Sheba, and 31Dedan.
25 The Sabeans come from him, in Arabia Deserta. See Psalm 72:10, and Isa. 43:3.
26 The father of the inhabitants of a country so named, see Gen. 2:11.
27 The opinion of the scholars is that this man’s progeny inhabited the lower part of kingdom Arabia.
28 He is likewise a forefather of the inhabitants of the aforementioned Arabia. See Ezek. 27:22.
29 This one is also held to have been an ancestor of the same nation.
30 Dwelling southward in Ethiopia, from which it is perceived that the queen of Sheba has come. See 1 Kings 10:1, 4; Ezek. 27:22; Mat. 12:42; Acts 8:27. Others do place him in kingdom Arabia.
31 Likewise an inhabitant of kingdom Arabia, or, as others perceive, of Ethiopia. See Ezek. 27:15; 38:13.
8And Cushd begat Nimrod: he began to be a 32mighty one in the earth.
d 1 Chron. 1:10
32 See Gen. 6:4.
9He was a mighty 33hunter 34before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
33 Hebr. mighty in hunting, namely, not only of the beasts, but of men also. He dealt with them as hunters do with the wild animals, killing and subduing them at their own pleasure. See the like expression Jer. 16:16; Lam. 3:52.
34 That is, openly, daringly, without either fear of God or shame before men. Compare Gen. 6:11.
10And the 35beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of 36Shinar.
35 Nimrod is held to be the founder of the first monarchy, and he has first built these four cities, as Cain built the first city before the flood.
36 Hebr. Schinhar, the land of Mesopotamia and Chaldea, thus named after a mountain situated by it. See further of this Shinar also in Gen. 11:2; 14:1; Joshua 7:21.
1137Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded 38Nineveh, and the city 39Rehoboth, and Calah,
37 Other, out of this land is he, namely Nimrod, went forth to Assyria.
38 The capital of Assyria, Jonah 1:2.
39 Other, Rehoboth the city, or, the streets of the city, namely, of Nineveh.
12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is 40a great city.
40 Namely, Nineveh. See Jonah 3:3; 4:11.
13And Mizraim begat 41Ludim, and 42Anamim, and 43Lehabim, and 44Naphtuhim,
41 The ancestor of the people of Lydia in Mauritania. See of them Isa. 66:19.
42 Who is held as the ancestor of the Cyrenians.
43 The father of the Lybians in Africa.
44 They suppose that the Ethiopians have descended from him, or those from Numidia.
14And 45Pathrusim, and 46Casluhim, (47out of whom 48came 49Philistim,) and 50Caphtorim.
45 Who have dwelt about the city of Pathros in Egypt. See of him Isa. 11:11.
46 The inhabitants of Cassiotis.
47 As also from the Caphthorim. See Deut. 2:23; Jer. 47:4; Amos 7:9. It seems that some of the descendants of these two brothers went forth together out of their own dwelling place, and took possession of the land of Palestine, from which they are called Philistines.
48 Other, descended, or issued.
49 That is, the inhabitants of Palestine.
50 Coming from Caphtor, see of him Deut. 2:23.
15¶And Canaan begat 51Sidon his firstborn, and 52Heth,
51 Hebr. Tsidon, the builder of the city Tsidon, or Zidon in Phenicia, whereof see Joshua 11:8; 19:28; Judges 1:31, etc.
52 The father of the Hethites, see of him Joshua 1:4; 9:1, etc.
1653And the 54Jebusite, and the 55Amorite, and the 56Girgasite,
53 These are not only the proper names of persons (Jebusi, Amori, etc.), but of entire nations besides, such as descended from them.
54 Of his descendants see Joshua 15:8, and 18:28; Judges 1:21.
55 Of the Amorite, see Deut. 2:24.
56 See Mat. 8:28.
17And the 57Hivite, and the Arkite, and the 58Sinite,
57 See Judges 3:3.
58 This one is reminded of in Isa. 49:12.
18And the 59Arvadite, and the 60Zemarite, and the 61Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the 62Canaanites spread abroad.
59 See Ezek. 27:8, 11.
60 See Joshua 18:22 and 2 Chron. 13:4.
61 See Amos 6:2, 14; Zech. 9:2; of some of these together, see Gen. 15:19, 20, 21.
62 Understand here all the Canaanites in general, all the posterity and people of Canaan.
19And the 63border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto 64Gaza; as thou goest, unto 65Sodom, and 66Gomorrah, and 67Admah, and 68Zeboim, even unto 69Lasha.
63 Here the borders of the land of Canaan are described; which were, in length, on the west side Zidon northward, and Gaza southward; on the eastside, Lasha northward, and Sodom, southward; thus the breadth on the north end, being Zidon and Lasha; and on the south end Gaza and Sodom.
64 Hebr. Azza.
65 Hebr. Sedom. See of this city and the three following in Gen. 13:10; 14:2.
66 Hebr. Amora.
67 Hebr. Adma.
68 Hebr. Tseboim.
69 Hebr. Laschah.
20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
21¶Unto Shem also, the 70father of 71all the children of Eber, the brother of 72Japheth 73the elder, even to him were 74children 75born.
70 That is, not only the ancestor according to the flesh in regard of primogeniture, but likewise a leader of them according to the spirit, in regard of regeneration.
71 That is, the Hebrews (who therefore are likewise called Heber, Num. 24:24) with whom the true church of God and the true doctrine, religion and worship of God continued for a long time. Other, children of the passage, or, passing over, in regard of the river Euphrates, which Abraham passed over, Joshua 24:3. See further of Shem Gen. 6:10.
72 Named here in particular, as having had a share in the blessings pronounced by God upon Shem, from which Ham was excluded. See Gen. 9:25, 26, 27.
73 That is, the eldest.
74 These (children) chose their habitation for the most part eastward in Asia Major, wherein Syria, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, etc., are situated.
75 Hebr. is born, as in verse 25.
2276Thee children of Shem; 77Elam, and 78Asshur, andf79Arphaxad, and 80Lud, and 81Aram.
76 Of the habitation of his descendants, see the foregoing verse.
e 1 Chron. 1:17.
77 Of whom are the Elamites, That is, the Persians. See of these Gen. 14:1, 9; Isa. 21:2; Jer. 49:34, etc.; Dan. 8:2; Acts 2:9.
78 The father of the Assyrians, a nation sufficiently known in Holy Writ. Compare verse 11.
f Gen. 11:10.
79 It is perceived that the Chaldeans had their beginning from this one, being called Chasdim.
80 Of whom descends those of Lydia in Asia Minor.
81 The ancestor of the Syrians. See of a different Aram, Gen. 22:21. It is held of both that the land Syria and the Syrians have their name.
23And the children of Aram; 82Uz, and 83Hul, and 84Gether, and 85Mash.
82 Hebr. Uts. It is supposed that this one is the progenitor of the inhabitants of the country of Trachonitis; though others assign him to some that inhabited about Idumea. See of Uz Job 1:1; Lam. 4:21.
83 It is thought that this one inhabited the country of the Palmyrenians, or Armenia.
84 The Bactrians were from him, or the inhabitants of Apamea.
85 Other, Mesech, 1 Chron. 1:17, who inhabited (as some think) the upper part of Syria, between Cilicia, and Mesopotamia, by a part of the mountain Amana, called Masius. Others do place them in Mysia.
24And 86Arphaxadg begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.
86 Compare Gen. 11:13-15.
g 1 Chron. 1:18.
25And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; 87for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
87 That is, about the time of his birth it happened that the inhabitants of the earth parted asunder, upon the division of the languages, related in the next chapter.
26And 88Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
88 Of Joktan’s posterity there is but little information to be found, in either the Holy Scripture, or other writings.
27And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
28And Obal, and Abimael, and 89Sheba,
89 This one is to be distinguished from another Sheba who was the son of Cush, the son of Ham. See verse 7.
29And 90Ophir, and 91Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
90 See 1 Kings 9:28; 22:49; Psalm 45:9; Isa. 13:12.
91 This one is likewise to be distinguished from the other Havilla, descended from Cush, the son of Ham, of whom see verse 7. Some do hold that of this man the country of the Ishmaelites and Amalekites is called thus, Gen. 25:18; 1 Sam. 15:7.
30And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of 92the east.
92 That is, of Chaldea. See Num. 23:7.
31These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their 93generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
93 See Gen. 5:1.