Genesis 10:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

NIV: The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar.

NASB: And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

CSB: His kingdom started with Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

NLT: He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh.

KJV: And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

NKJV: And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

The previous verses introduced Nimrod, famous in the world as a champion and mighty hunter. He also built a series of kingdoms for himself. Beginning in the land known as Shinar, Nimrod established his kingdom with Babel (or Babylon), Erech, Accad, and Calneh. Traditionally, Nimrod is viewed as an early tyrant—a dictator of considerable power. As the following verse will reveal, many parts of Nimrod's kingdom will eventually become powerful enemies to Israel. These include kingdoms such as Assyria and Nineveh.

The city of Babel will become the focal point of the next chapter as the events around the building of the Tower of Babel unfold (Genesis 11:1–9).

Genesis 10:6–20 details the descendants of Noah's son, Ham. The majority of these tribes settled in the regions south and east of the Promised Land. While Ham's son Canaan was cursed (Genesis 9:24–25), many of Ham's descendants established powerful nations. One of these is Mizraim, also known as Egypt. Though Canaan's sons were destined to fall to the sons of Shem, other sons of Ham would hold Israel captive for more than 400 years. This passage also contains an interesting aside about one particular man: Nimrod.

Genesis 10 is sometimes called the table of nations. It describes, in three sections, the peoples that descended from Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Japheth's people settled mostly to the north of what would be Israel. Ham's people became great nations in the region of the Middle East, including the people that would settle in the Promised Land before Israel drove them out. Shem's line would lead to Abraham and the Israelites.

Genesis 9 described events that happened between God, Noah, and his three sons after the flood. Genesis 11 will tell the story of the Tower of Babel and the dispersal of the nations. Between them, Genesis 10 is a table of the nations that come from Japheth, Ham, and Shem after God divides and disperses humanity.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/12/2024 6:03:23 AM