Genesis 10 - Table of Nations

How is Genesis 10 unique in ancient literature? Why is genealogy important? What relevance does this chapter have for us today?

1. An expositional study taught by
Harry Morgan

2. For those of you online post your comments or questions
in the “comment section” on your screen. As time
affords they may be read to the class.

3. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t thischapterjustalistofforgotten
names?
ØHigher critical scholars debunkedits value.
ØHebrew scholar, S. R. Driver: “The
Table of Nations contains no
scientific classification of the races of
mankind [and] no historically true
account of the origin of the races.”

4. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t thischapterjustalistofforgotten
names?
ØWilliam F. Albright: “The tenth chapter of
Genesis… stands absolutely alone in ancient
literature, without a remote parallel, even among
the Greeks, where we find the closest approach
to a distribution of peoples in genealogical
framework. … The Table of Nations remains an
astonishingly accurate document.”

5. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t thischapterjustalistofforgotten
names?
ITS UNIQUENESS:
•The Table of Nations is unique among the
ancients and somewhat of a mystery to
us today. There is no parallel to the table
in antiquity.
•This alone should challenge an impulsive
dismissal or hasty judgment questioning
the value of Genesis 10.

6. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t thischapterjustalistofforgotten
names?
ITS DETAIL:
The genealogical list contains 70 names and
identifies each one’s:
•“territories” (ʾereṣ)
•“clans” (mišpĕḥâ),
•“nations” (gôyim),
•“languages” (lāšôn).

7. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t thischapterjustalistofforgotten
names?
ITS USE OF THE NUMBER “7”:
•Repeated uses the number “7” and its multiples.
•70 nations named:
Japheth lists 14 descendants
Ham lists 30 descendants
Shem has 26 descendants.
•“sons of” (bĕnê) occurs 14 times

8. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t thischapterjustalistofforgotten
names?
ITS USE OF THE NUMBER “7”:
•Japheth’s genealogy has 2 groups of 7 (sons and
grandsons)
•Ham’s genealogy has arrangements of 7:
7 descendants of Cush
7 descendantsof Mizraim
•Total of 70 nations

9. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t thischapterjustalistofforgotten
names?
ITS GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE:
•NORTH as far as the Caucasus mountains,
•SOUTH into the Arabian Peninsula
•EAST as far as the Iranian plateau
•WEST at least as far as the Aegean, if not Spain
(Tarshish?)

10. Noah
JaphethShemHam
Oldest
10:21
Youngest
9:22,24
= nameשֵׁם = enlargeחָם = hotחָם
2. What is the birth order of Noah’s sons?

11. 3. In what order are Noah’s sons mentioned in
the preface of Genesis 10?
1 Now this isthe genealogy of the sons of
Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons
were born to them after the flood.

12. 4. In what order are Noah’s sons mentioned in
the balance of Genesis 10?
•The Descendants of Japheth(10:1-5)
•The Descendants of Ham(10:6-20)
•The Descendants of Shem(10:21-32)

15. Japheth’s Genealogy

16. 5. What nationsareassociatedwiththe
descendants of Japheth?
JaphethGreeks, Aryans of India
GomerPeople living in area of the Black Sea,
Germany and Wales
MagogReference to "Gog" referring to Georgia, a
region near the Black Sea and Scythians
MadaiMedes (Persia), Japheth through Madai
father of peoples of India
JavanPeople of Greece and Cyprus
TubalRussian, city of Tobolsk
MeshechRussian, (Name Muskovi) city of Moscow

17. TirasThracians, possibly the Etruscans of Italy
AshkenazGermany, Armenia, Scandinavia,
Denmark, northern islands of Europe and
European west coast
RipathEurope, Carpathians and Paphlagonians
TogarmahArmenians, Germany and Turkey
ElishahGreeks ("Hellas" is a form of word Elishah)
TarshishSpain, Carthage in North Africa
KittimGreeks, Cyprus, Macedonia
DodaniumGreeks, Rhodes, Dardanelles
5. What nationsareassociatedwiththe
descendants of Japheth?

18. Cush
Ham’s Genealogy
NimrodMizraimPutCanaan
SidonHethJebusitesGirgashitesitesAmorites
HivitesSinitesArkitesArvaditesZemarites
SebaHavilahRaamah
SabtechaShebaDedan
LudAnamLehab
NaphtuhPathru
Pathru

19. CushEthiopia
SebaMeroe
HavilahArabia
SabtahSabeans
RaamahArabia
Shebah
DedanNorth Arabia, Edom
Sabtecha
6. What nationsareassociatedwiththe
descendants of Ham?

20. MizraimEgypt, King Menes?
LudimLydia, Western Asia
Anamin
LehhabimLybia
NaphtuhimNorth Africa
PathrusimPathros
CasluhimPhilistines
CaphtorumCrete
6. What nationsareassociatedwiththe
descendants of Ham?

21. PhutLibya
Canaan
Sidon
HethHittites, Cathay
JebusitesJerusalem
ArmoritesCanaan
GirgashitesCanaan
HivitesCanaan
6. What nationsareassociatedwiththe
descendants of Ham?

22. ArkitesPhoenicians
SinitesSino, China
ArvaditesIsland off Phoenicians coast
ZemaritesSyria
6. What nationsareassociatedwiththe
descendants of Ham?

23. 7. Does Genesis 9:18-27, the curse of Canaan,
and Genesis 10:6-20 teach racism?
"It is important to remember that true racism
has its roots in the theory of evolution. The
Bible does not once recognize the existence of
different races or even the very concept of
"race" --the latter is strictly a category of
evolutionary biology!"
--Henry M. Morris

24. 7. Does Genesis 9:18-27, the curse of Canaan,
and Genesis 10:6-20 teach racism?
“It is a fearful abuse of God's Word, when men
refer to the curse of Canaan in defense of slave
traffic...For...Canaan is not the same as Ham;
[and] Canaan's servitude is the service of Shem,
therefore of the Prince of Shem, that is, he
becomes the servant of Christ, and in Christ is
free..."
--Philip Schaff

25. 8. Why did Moses give special attention to
Nimrod?
8Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a
mighty one on the earth. 9He was a
mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore
it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter
before the LORD.”

26. 8. Why did Moses give special attention to
Nimrod?
ØFirst noted potentate and champion hunter (9–10)
ØExploits occasioned a proverb on later Israel (9)
ØFounded significant cities in Upper and Lower
Mesopotamia (10–12)

27. 8. Why did Moses give special attention to
Nimrod?
•“began” חָלַל(ḥā·lǎl) = defile, profane, treat
with contempt, i.e., ceremonially or ritually
be common and impure in the eyes of deity
and/or society, seen as a violation of
covenant (Lev. 19:8)
•“mighty one”ִּבּוֹר (gib·bôr) = mighty,
powerful, i.e., pertaining to having political
or military force hero; a tyrant or despot

28. 8. Why did Moses give special attention to
Nimrod?
•“before” פָּנֶה(pā·něh) = face
•“the Lord”יהוה(yhwh)
•“mighty hunter” צַיִד(ṣǎ·yiḏ) = wild game, i.e.,
animals, as the object of the hunter’s pursuit,
which must be hunted in contrast to domestic
animals

29. 8. Why did Moses give special attention to
Nimrod?
•“kingdom”מַמְלָכָה(mǎm·lā·ḵāh) empire, realm,
i.e., the area or people ruled under by a
monarchy form of government. Here is the
first place in the Bible where the word
“kingdom” occurs. Significantly, it is used, not
of God’s kingdom (as it is later), but of this first
rival kingdom of Nimrod.

30. 8. What were the
prominent
cities Nimrod
built?

31. Elam
Shem’s Genealogy
AsshurArphaxadLudAram
AlmodadShelephJerahHazarmaveth
Diklah
Hadoram
ObalAbimael
Uzal
UzHulMashGetherShelah
Eber
JoktanPeleg
ShebahOphirHavilahJobab

32. Noah to Christ
Shem

35. SHEM
Spirit
JAPHETH
Soul
HAM
Body

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