Genesis 10

1 Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3 The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4 The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

5 Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.

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

7 The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan.

8 Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one on the earth.

9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD”.

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

11 Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,

12 and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.

15 Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,

16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,

17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,

18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.

19 The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha.

20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.

21 Children were also born to Shem (the elder brother of Japheth), the father of all the children of Eber.

22 The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

23 The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.

25 To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan.

26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

30 Their dwelling extended from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.

31 These are the sons of Shem, by their families, according to their languages, lands, and nations.

32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these on the earth after the flood.

Around Genesis 10

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

Genesis 10 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

After the flood, the chapter lists the families that spread over the earth. The sons of Japheth are named first, then the sons of Ham, and then the sons of Shem. Under each come their children and the lands where they settled, each “after his language, after their families, in their nations.” Among the names, one stands out: Cush became the father of Nimrod, “a mighty hunter before the LORD”, whose kingdom began in Babel and spread to Nineveh. Canaan’s family is traced with its borders from Sidon to Gaza and toward Sodom and Gomorrah. In Eber’s family one son is named Peleg, “for in his days the earth was divided.”

The chapter ends with a summary: these are the families of the sons of Noah, and the nations divided from them on the earth after the flood.

Background

This list is often called the table of nations. It places all peoples in one family and ends by saying that nations spread from the three sons of Noah. Many names are places or peoples in the ancient Near East, and scholars still discuss how to identify them. The Bible’s later story of Israel takes place among these neighbors. The chapter sets the stage for Genesis 11, where the mention of Babel returns. The New Testament speaks of one human family (see Acts 17:26).

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 20 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes