Wayfinding Bible - Flipbook - Page 23
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Genesis 10
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OBSERVATION POINT
Although this is the first mention of a rainbow in the
Bible, it does not necessarily mean this was the first
occurrence of this weather phenomenon. After the
Flood, the rainbow took on a new significance. It now
symbolizes the covenant promise God made to the
earth to never again destroy the world with a flood.
EXPLORATION POINT
God made a solemn promise to Noah and all of creation
called a covenant. In a covenant, two parties agree to
specific conditions and consequences. God initiated covenants with his people to secure peace, harmony, and
blessing for them. He made promises in each covenant
he established with humans—through Noah, Abraham,
Moses, David, and Jeremiah. Throughout the story of
the Bible, he kept all his promises. God was faithful.
But fulfilling some of his promises took a long time.
of Noah. Many children were born to them
after the great flood.
NATIONS OF THE WORLD
DESCENDANTS OF JAPHETH
The descendants of Japheth were Gomer,
Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and
Tiras.
3
The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz,
Riphath, and Togarmah.
4
The descendants of Javan were Elishah,
Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.* 5 Their
descendants became the seafaring peoples
that spread out to various lands, each
identified by its own language, clan, and
national identity.
2
DESCENDANTS OF HAM
The descendants of Ham were Cush,
Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
7
The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah,
Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The
descendants of Raamah were Sheba and
Dedan.
8
Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod,
who was the first heroic warrior on earth.
9
Since he was the greatest hunter in the
world,* his name became proverbial.
People would say, “This man is like
Nimrod, the greatest hunter in the world.”
10
He built his kingdom in the land of
Babylonia,* with the cities of Babylon,
Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. 11 From there he
expanded his territory to Assyria,* building
the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah,
12
and Resen (the great city located between
Nineveh and Calah).
13
Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites,
Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites,
14
Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the
Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines
came.*
6
Canaan’s oldest son was Sidon, the
ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan
was also the ancestor of the Hittites,*
16
Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites,
Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites,
and Hamathites. The Canaanite clans
eventually spread out, 19 and the territory
of Canaan extended from Sidon in the
north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and
east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah,
and Zeboiim, near Lasha.
20
These were the descendants of Ham, identified by clan, language, territory, and national
identity.
15
DESCENDANTS OF SHEM
21
Sons were also born to Shem, the older
brother of Japheth.* Shem was the ancestor
of all the descendants of Eber.
10:4 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version (see also
1 Chr 1:7); most Hebrew manuscripts read Dodanim. 10:9 Hebrew
a great hunter before the Lord; also in 10:9b. 10:10 Hebrew Shinar.
10:11 Or From that land Assyria went out. 10:14 Hebrew Casluhites,
from whom the Philistines came, and Caphtorites. Compare Jer 47:4;
Amos 9:7. 10:15 Hebrew ancestor of Heth. 10:21 Or Shem, whose
older brother was Japheth.
Gen 10:32
The descendants of Noah’s three sons—
Shem, Ham, and Japheth—became the
great nations of the ancient Near East.
Shem’s descendants went to northern
Arabia and Mesopotamia, Ham’s descendants headed into Africa and southern
Arabia, and Japheth’s family scattered to
Asia Minor and Europe. The stories of the
Old Testament focus on Shem’s descendants and the enemy nations that collided
with them.
