1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: these are the sons which they had after the great flow of waters 2The sons of Japheth: Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. 3And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. 4And the sons of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish, the Kittim and the Dodanim. 5From these came the nations of the sea-lands, with their different families and languages. 6And the sons of Ham: Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. 7And the sons of Cush: Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8And Cush was the father of Nimrod, who was the first of the great men of the earth. 9He was a very great bowman, so that there is a saying, Like Nimrod, a very great bowman. 10And at the first, his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11From that land he went out into Assyria, building Nineveh with its wide streets and Calah, 12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah, which is a very great town. 13And Mizraim was the father of the Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim; 14And Pathrusim and Casluhim and Caphtorim, from whom came the Philistines. 15And Canaan was the father of Zidon, who was his oldest son, and Heth, 16And the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite, 17And the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite, 18And the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite; after that the families of the Canaanites went far and wide in all directions; 19Their country stretching from Zidon to Gaza, in the direction of Gerar; and to Lasha, in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim. 20All these, with their different families, languages, lands, and nations, are the offspring of Ham. 21And Shem, the older brother of Japheth, the father of the children of Eber, had other sons in addition. 22These are the sons of Shem: Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram. 23And the sons of Aram: Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash. 24And Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. 25And Eber had two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, because in his time the peoples of the earth became separate; and his brother's name was Joktan. 26And Joktan was the father of Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah 27And Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah 28And Obal and Abimael and Sheba 29And Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30And their country was from Mesha, in the direction of Sephar, the mountain of the east. 31These, with their families and their languages and their lands and their nations, are the offspring of Shem. 32These are the families of the sons of Noah, in the order of their generations and their nations: from these came all the nations of the earth after the great flow of waters.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The sons of Noah, of Japheth, of Ham. (1-7) Nimrod the first monarch. (8-14) The descendants of Canaan, The sons of Shem. (15-32) 1-7 This chapter shows concerning the three sons of Noah, that of them was the whole earth overspread. No nation but that of the Jews can be sure from which of these seventy it has come. The lists of names of fathers and sons were preserved of the Jews alone, for the sake of the Messiah. Many learned men, however, have, with some probability, shown which of the nations of the earth descended from each of the sons of Noah To the posterity of Japheth were allotted the isles of the gentiles; probably, the island of Britain among the rest. All places beyond the sea from Judea are called isles, #Jer 25:22|. That promise, #Isa 42:4|, The isles shall wait for his law, speaks of the conversion of the gentiles to the faith of Christ. 8-14 Nimrod was a great man in his day; he began to be mighty in the earth, Those before him were content to be upon the same level with their neighbours, and though every man bare rule in his own house, yet no man pretended any further. Nimrod was resolved to lord it over his neighbours. The spirit of the giants before the flood, who became mighty men, and men of renown, #Ge 6:4|, revived in him. Nimrod was a great hunter. Hunting then was the method of preventing the hurtful increase of wild beasts. This required great courage and address, and thus gave an opportunity for Nimrod to command others, and gradually attached a number of men to one leader. From such a beginning, it is likely, that Nimrod began to rule, and to force others to submit. He invaded his neighbours' rights and properties, and persecuted innocent men; endeavouring to make all his own by force and violence. He carried on his oppressions and violence in defiance of God himself. Nimrod was a great ruler. Some way or other, by arts or arms, he got into power, and so founded a monarchy, which was the terror of the mighty, and bid fair to rule all the world. Nimrod was a great builder. Observe in Nimrod the nature of ambition. It is boundless; much would have more, and still cries, Give, give. It is restless; Nimrod, when he had four cities under his command, could not be content till he had four more. It is expensive; Nimrod will rather be at the charge of rearing cities, than not have the honour of ruling them. It is daring, and will stick at nothing. Nimrod's name signifies rebellion; tyrants to men are rebels to God. The days are coming, when conquerors will no longer be spoken of with praise, as in man's partial histories, but be branded with infamy, as in the impartial records of the Bible. 15-32 The posterity of Canaan were numerous, rich, and pleasantly seated; yet Canaan was under a Divine curse, and not a curse causeless. Those that are under the curse of God, may, perhaps, thrive and prosper in this world; for we cannot know love or hatred, the blessing or the curse, by what is before us, but by what is within us. The curse of God always works really, and always terribly. Perhaps it is a secret curse, a curse to the soul, and does not work so that others can see it; or a slow curse, and does not work soon; but sinners are reserved by it for a day of wrath Canaan here has a better land than either Shem or Japheth, and yet they have a better lot, for they inherit the blessing. Abram and his seed, God's covenant people, descended from Eber, and from him were called Hebrews. How much better it is to be like Eber, the father of a family of saints and honest men, than the father of a family of hunters after power, worldly wealth, or vanities. Goodness is true greatness.