How does the family record connect Noe’s three sons to peoples divided by land and language?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The chapter traces descendants of Japheth, Cham and Sem, names their families and some places, and repeatedly groups them by kindred, language, land and nation. It closes by linking these families to the nations after the flood.

Chapter breakdown

The record begins with Noe’s sons Sem, Cham and Japheth, to whom sons are born after the flood. Japheth’s sons are Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Thubal, Mosoch and Thiras. Gomer’s sons are Ascenez, Riphath and Thogorma. Javan’s sons are Elisa, Tharsis, Cetthim and Dodanim. Through these the islands of the Gentiles, or nations, are divided in their lands according to languages, families and nations. Challoner explains that the Hebrews call remote countries reached by ships from Judea islands, including Greece, Italy and Spain.

Cham’s sons are Chus, Mesram, Phuth and Chanaan. Chus’s sons are Saba, Hevila, Sabatha, Regma and Sabatacha. Regma’s sons are Saba and Dadan.

Chus fathers Nemrod, who begins to be mighty on earth. He is called a stout hunter before the Lord, and this description becomes a proverb. Challoner explains him as a hunter of men, whom he brings under his rule through violence and tyranny. He says this description holds not only in human opinion but also in the sight of the Lord, who cannot be deceived. The beginning of Nemrod’s kingdom is Babylon, Arach, Achad and Chalanne in Sennaar. Assur comes out of that land and builds Ninive, the streets of the city, and Chale. Resen is also named between Ninive and Chale and is called the great city.

Mesraim fathers Ludim, Anamim, Laabim, Nephthuim, Phetrusim and Chasluim. The account then names the Philistines as coming from this line, along with the Capthorim.

Chanaan fathers Sidon, his firstborn, and the Hethite, Jebusite, Amorrhite, Gergesite, Hevite, Aracite, Sinite, Aradian, Samarite and Hamathite. The Chanaanite families later spread abroad. Chanaan’s limits run from Sidon toward Gerara as far as Gaza, then toward Sodom, Gomorrha, Adama and Seboim as far as Lesa. The section concludes by identifying Cham’s children according to their family groups, languages, generations, lands and nations.

Sem is called the father of all the children of Heber and the elder brother of Japheth. His sons are Elam, Assur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. Aram’s sons are Us, Hull, Gether and Mes. Arphaxad fathers Sale, and Sale fathers Heber.

Heber has two sons, Phaleg and Jectan. Phaleg receives his name because the earth is divided in his days. Jectan fathers Elmodad, Saleph, Asarmoth, Jare, Aduram, Uzal, Decla, Ebal, Abimael, Saba, Ophir, Hevila and Jobab. Their dwelling extends from Messa toward Sephar, a mountain in the east.

Sem’s children are grouped according to kindreds, languages and countries in their nations. The closing statement gathers the families of Noe according to their peoples and nations. Through these the nations are divided on the earth after the flood.

The story inside

The repeated summaries organize the long lists. Japheth’s section connects families with lands and languages; Cham’s closes with kindreds, tongues, generations, lands and nations; Sem’s closes with kindreds, tongues and countries. The final statement brings these branches back to the families of Noe. Individual passages add detail within that framework: Nemrod’s kingdom, Chanaan’s borders, and the dwelling of Jectan’s sons. The family record joins ancestry to places and peoples, with each branch contributing to the closing account of nations divided after the flood.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The named branches belong to a shared family record. The opening names Sem, Cham and Japheth as Noe’s sons with children after the flood. The closing connects their families with divided nations. That relationship frames the many names in between (10:1, 10:32).
2
Nemrod’s description needs the edition’s interpretation clearly labeled. The verse calls him a stout hunter before the Lord and records a proverb. Challoner interprets this as violent rule over men, visible to God as well as to people. This interpretation belongs to the commentary and is presented with that attribution (10:8–12).
3
The chapter names division without narrating its mechanism. Phaleg’s name is explained by the earth being divided in his days, and the branch summaries distinguish languages, families and lands. The passage does not itself describe how that division occurs (10:5, 10:20, 10:25, 10:31–32).

Test your recall

How do the summaries of the three family branches explain the purpose of the lists, and what specific extra details do the Nemrod, Chanaan and Jectan passages contribute?

Show answer

The three branches organize the descendants by families, languages, lands, and nations after the flood. Nemrod’s passage adds his power as a hunter and the cities of his kingdom; Challoner interprets the hunting as violence and tyranny over people. Chanaan’s passage gives territorial boundaries. Jectan’s passage lists his sons and their settlement from Messa toward Sephar, an eastern mountain.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 1134–1154
Genesis Chapter 10 The genealogy of the children of Noe, by whom the world was peopled after the flood. 10:1. These are the generations of the sons of Noe: Sem, Cham, and Japheth: and unto them sons were born after the flood. 10:2. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Thubal, and Mosoch, and Thiras. 10:3. And the sons of Gomer: Ascenez and Riphath and Thogorma. 10:4. And the sons of Javan: Elisa and Tharsis, Cetthim and Dodanim. 10:5. By these were divided the islands of the Gentiles in their lands, every one according to his tongue and their families in their nations. The islands.... So the Hebrews called all the remote countries, to which they went by ships from Judea, to Greece, Italy, Spain, etc.
Lines 1155–1159
10:6. And the Sons of Cham: Chus, and Mesram, and Phuth, and Chanaan. 10:7. And the sons of Chus: Saba, and Hevila, and Sabatha, and Regma, and Sabatacha. The sons of Regma: Saba, and Dadan.
Lines 1160–1177
10:8. Now Chus begot Nemrod: he began to be mighty on the earth. 10:9. And he was a stout hunter before the Lord. Hence came a proverb: Even as Nemrod the stout hunter before the Lord. A stout hunter.... Not of beasts but of men: whom by violence and tyranny he brought under his dominion. And such he was, not only in the opinion of men, but before the Lord, that is, in his sight who cannot be deceived. 10:10. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Arach, and Achad, and Chalanne in the land of Sennaar. 10:11. Out of that land came forth Assur, and built Ninive, and the streets of the city, and Chale. 10:12. Resen also between Ninive and Chale: this is the great city.
Lines 1178–1182
10:13. And Mesraim begot Ludim, and Anamim and Laabim, Nephthuim. 10:14. And Phetrusim, and Chasluim; of whom came forth the Philistines, and the Capthorim.
Lines 1183–1198
10:15. And Chanaan begot Sidon his firstborn, the Hethite, 10:16. And the Jebusite, and the Amorrhite, and the Gergesite. 10:17. The Hevite and Aracite: the Sinite, 10:18. And the Aradian, the Samarite, and the Hamathite: and afterwards the families of the Chanaanites were spread abroad. 10:19. And the limits of Chanaan were from Sidon as one comes to Gerara even to Gaza, until thou enter Sodom and Gomorrha, and Adama, and Seboim even to Lesa. 10:20. These are the children of Cham in their kindreds and tongues, and generations, and lands, and nations.
Lines 1199–1208
10:21. Of Sem also the father of all the children of Heber, the elder brother of Japheth, sons were born. 10:22. The sons of Sem: Elam and Assur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. 10:23. The sons of Aram: Us, and Hull, and Gether; and Mes. 10:24. But Arphaxad begot Sale, of whom was born Heber.
Lines 1209–1224
10:25. And to Heber were born two sons: the name of the one was Phaleg, because in his days was the earth divided: and his brother’s name Jectan. 10:26. Which Jectan begot Elmodad, and Saleph, and Asarmoth, Jare, 10:27. And Aduram, and Uzal, and Decla, 10:28. And Ebal, and Abimael, Saba, 10:29. And Ophir, and Hevila, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Jectan. 10:30. And their dwelling was from Messa as we go on as far as Sephar, a mountain in the east.
Lines 1225–1232
10:31. These are the children of Sem according to their kindreds and tongues, and countries in their nations. 10:32. These are the families of Noe, according to their people and nations. By these were the nations divided on the earth after the flood.