Genesis 10:10-11

10:10 The primary regions ¹  of his kingdom were Babel, ²  Erech, ³  Akkad, ⁴  and Calneh ⁵  in the land of Shinar. ⁶  10:11 From that land he went ⁷  to Assyria, ⁸  where he built Nineveh, ⁹  Rehoboth-Ir, ¹⁰  Calah, ¹¹ 

[10:10]  ¹ tn Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 67, suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.

[10:10]  ² tn Or “Babylon.”

[10:10]  ³ sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.

[10:10]  ⁴ sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.

[10:10]  ⁵ tn No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. NRSV).

[10:10]  ⁶ sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.

[10:11]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ⁹ sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

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

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