3. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t this chapter just a list of forgotten
names?
Ø Higher critical scholars debunked its value.
Ø Hebrew 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 this chapter just a list of forgotten
names?
Ø William 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 this chapter just a list of forgotten
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.
7. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t this chapter just a list of forgotten
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 this chapter just a list of forgotten
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 descendants of Mizraim
• Total of 70 nations
9. 1. What value is there in studying Genesis 10?
Isn’t this chapter just a list of forgotten
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?)
16. 5. What nations are associated with the
descendants of Japheth?
Japheth Greeks, Aryans of India
Gomer People living in area of the Black Sea,
Germany and Wales
Magog Reference to "Gog" referring to Georgia, a
region near the Black Sea and Scythians
Madai Medes (Persia), Japheth through Madai
father of peoples of India
Javan People of Greece and Cyprus
Tubal Russian, city of Tobolsk
Meshech Russian, (Name Muskovi) city of Moscow
18. Cush
Ham’s Genealogy
Nimrod Mizraim Put Canaan
Sidon Heth Jebusites GirgashitesitesAmorites
Hivites SinitesArkites Arvadites Zemarites
Seba Havilah Raamah
Sabtecha
Sheba Dedan
Lud Anam Lehab
Naphtuh Pathru
Pathru
19. Cush Ethiopia
Seba Meroe
Havilah Arabia
Sabtah Sabeans
Raamah Arabia
Shebah
Dedan North Arabia, Edom
Sabtecha
6. What nations are associated with the
descendants of Ham?
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
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.