Genesis 10 – Study
For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: Genesis 10:1-12,22
1 This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.
3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.
4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites. 5 (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)
6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.
7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.
The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, ‘Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ 10 The first centres of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah – which is the great city.
22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.
A. Find Out:
- Of what is this chapter an account? v.1
- How many sons did Japhath have? v.2
- How many sons did Ham have? v.6
- How many sons did Shem have? v.22
- Why was Nimrod famous? v.8,9
- What else was he famous for? v.10-12
B. Think:
- What was clearly happening in this chapter?
- What, does Nimrod show us, was the way that was happening?
- If this chapter was absent from the Bible what would we be left wondering?
C. Comment:
Our temptation when we come to chapters like this one which are largely lists of families, is to write it off as of no consequence, but the Scripture says “ALL Scripture is… useful” (2 Timothy 3:16).
It is, first of all, a record of the three families that developed from Noah. From Ham was coming Canaan who was cursed by his grandfather (9:25) and from Shem was going to come the chosen family of Abram (next chapter).
The man who stands out in this chapter is Nimrod (v.8-12). He was clearly acclaimed as a great man, a “mighty hunter before the Lord” (v.9 x2). That is an apparently good side of him but what was not so good is that he was a mighty warrior (conqueror of other men in God’s creation), he created a kingdom for himself and made big cities, the first of which was Babylon.
Throughout Biblical history Babylon was a centre of godless self worship, apparently following from its originator. Many believe that Nimrod was the origin of much cult worship, the form of which is still seen widely today. Here apparently was a man who started well but turned to godless, destructive activity. Thus sin was clearly still seen on the earth.
D. Application?
- Family trees are about people. People are important to God.
- Beware empire builders!