Genesis 10: Another Genealogy?

“These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.” Genesis 10:32

Genealogies! Why is it that the Bible has so many genealogies? As modern western people they drive us crazy. Nothing could be more boring than a genealogy. It’s like reading through names of a phonebook. Or is it? We’ve already looked at Genesis 5 and the genealogy of Seth, and we saw some very significant truths embedded within the passage. Will Genesis 10 be a repeat of the same? No. Genesis 10 is a different kind of genealogy, and it has some similar but substantively different lessons to teach us. 

Genesis 5 was a very formulaic genealogy. It repeated the same pattern over and over again, and there were three significant breaks from the pattern that we looked at. Genesis  was also a linear genealogy in which it passed from one generation to the next following one family line from father to son. Genesis 10 is different. This chapter is not linear in progression. It first traces the line of Japheth; however, instead of just listing one son, it lists all of them and traces each of their lineages. Then, comes the lineage of Ham—again tracing through each of his sons. The chapter ends with a genealogy of Shem. There are two significant facts about this genealogy which help us to grasp its meaning. First, at the end of each section of the genealogy it mentions that they were listed by their land, language, clan, and nation. Also, the chapter ends by giving the main point. Each of the sons represented in this genealogy was the father of a nation as humanity spread out from Noah’s sons. In fact, many of the names represented are actual names of nations. For example, Egypt is listed as one of the sons of Ham. While some translations just transliterate the name as Mitzraim, this is the word used for Egypt throughout the rest of the Bible. Cush is another nation and we know it as Ethiopia. Canaan, of course is a nation that had many interactions with Israel. Not only are character names equivalent with the names of nations, but the text also explains that these men were fathers of specific nations that we read about throughout the Bible. We know that Israel had many dealings with peoples like the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites. We see that Nimrod built cities like Babylon, and Niniveh. Elam and Ashur are also listed as sons of Shem. From these names we get the Elamites and the Assyrians. Probably one of the most significant, but maybe not the most recognizable is the name of Eber. The name Eber is formed with the same letters as the word Hebrew, and that is the line which Abraham came from. It is likely that the Hebrews derive their name from this ancestor.

There are other names that could be linked to peoples known from within the Bible, but my aim isn't to meticulously point each of them out. Rather, I think we should see that the point the author is making is that "all the families of the earth" come from Noah and his sons. We are connected in a biological solidarity. This becomes even more significant just 2 chapters later. In Genesis 12:3, God promises Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." The families that are listed in Genesis 10 are the families that will be blessed in the seed of Abraham.