Genesis 10:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

NIV: The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

NASB: The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

CSB: Ham's sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

NLT: The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

KJV: And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

NKJV: The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Chapter 10 is sometimes called the "table of nations." In listing the names of the descendants of Noah's sons, it also describes the origins of the nations of the ancient world. The previous verses named the sons and grandsons of Japheth. This verse begins a section describing the descendants of Ham and the nations that came from them.

These peoples and nations will become integral to Israel's story and they are familiar names to this day. Ham's first generation of sons included Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Each of their lines will be described in the following verses.

Egypt is also known as Mizraim and the original Hebrew text uses the word Misra'yim here. In ancient literature, the names of nations and their founders were often used interchangeably, such as with Edom and Esau (Obadiah 1:8–10). Since the purpose of this passage is explaining the origins of the various ancient kingdoms, many English translations simply state this name as "Egypt."

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 4/29/2024 7:47:17 PM