Genesis 10:29

10:29 Ophir, ¹  Havilah, ²  and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

Genesis 10:1

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ³  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ⁴  were born ⁵  to them after the flood.

Genesis 9:28

9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.

Genesis 10:11

10:11 From that land he went ⁶  to Assyria, ⁷  where he built Nineveh, ⁸  Rehoboth-Ir, ⁹  Calah, ¹⁰ 

Genesis 10:1

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ¹¹  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ¹²  were born ¹³  to them after the flood.

Genesis 29:4

29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.”

Job 22:24

22:24 and throw ¹⁴  your gold ¹⁵  in the dust –

your gold ¹⁶  of Ophir

among the rocks in the ravines –

Psalms 45:9

45:9 Princesses ¹⁷  are among your honored guests, ¹⁸ 

your bride ¹⁹  stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. ²⁰ 

Isaiah 13:12

13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,

and people more scarce ²¹  than gold from Ophir.

[10:29]  ¹ sn Ophir became the name of a territory in South Arabia. Many of the references to Ophir are connected with gold (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:28, 10:11, 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18, 9:10; Job 22:24, 28:16; Ps 45:9; Isa 13:12).

[10:29]  ² sn Havilah is listed with Ham in v. 7.

[10:1]  ³ tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.

[10:1]  ⁴ sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.

[10:1]  ⁵ tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.

[10:11]  ⁶ tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.

[10:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ⁸ sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

[10:11]  ⁹ sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.

[10:11]  ¹⁰ sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.

[10:1]  ¹¹ tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.

[10:1]  ¹² sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.

[10:1]  ¹³ tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.

[22:24]  ¹⁴ tc The form is the imperative. Eliphaz is telling Job to get rid of his gold as evidence of his repentance. Many commentators think that this is too improbable for Eliphaz to have said, and that Job has lost everything anyway, and so they make proposals for the text. Most would follow Theodotion and the Syriac to read וְשָׁתָּ (vÿshatta, “and you will esteem….”). This would mean that he is promising Job restoration of his wealth.

[22:24]  ¹⁵ tn The word for “gold” is the rare בֶּצֶר (betser), which may be derived from a cognate of Arabic basara, “to see; to examine.” If this is the case, the word here would refer to refined gold. The word also forms a fine wordplay with בְצוּר (bÿtsur, “in the rock”).

[22:24]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew text simply has “Ophir,” a metonymy for the gold that comes from there.

[45:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “daughters of kings.”

[45:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.

[45:9]  ¹⁹ tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.

[45:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”

[13:12]  ²¹ tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.