Genesis 10:6

10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush, ¹  Mizraim, ²  Put, ³  and Canaan. ⁴ 

Genesis 10:20

10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

Genesis 6:10

6:10 Noah had ⁵  three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 9:22

9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, ⁶  saw his father’s nakedness ⁷  and told his two brothers who were outside.

Genesis 10:1

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ⁸  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ⁹  were born ¹⁰  to them after the flood.

Genesis 5:32

5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, he ¹¹  became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

[10:6]  ¹ sn The descendants of Cush settled in Nubia (Ethiopia).

[10:6]  ² sn The descendants of Mizraim settled in Upper and Lower Egypt.

[10:6]  ³ sn The descendants of Put settled in Libya.

[10:6]  ⁴ sn The descendants of Canaan lived in the region of Phoenicia (Palestine).

[6:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “fathered.”

[9:22]  ⁹ sn For the second time (see v. 18) the text informs the reader of the relationship between Ham and Canaan. Genesis 10 will explain that Canaan was the ancestor of the Canaanite tribes living in the promised land.

[9:22]  ¹⁰ tn Some would translate “had sexual relations with,” arguing that Ham committed a homosexual act with his drunken father for which he was cursed. However, the expression “see nakedness” usually refers to observation of another’s nakedness, not a sexual act (see Gen 42:9, 12 where “nakedness” is used metaphorically to convey the idea of “weakness” or “vulnerability”; Deut 23:14 where “nakedness” refers to excrement; Isa 47:3; Ezek 16:37; Lam 1:8). The following verse (v. 23) clearly indicates that visual observation, not a homosexual act, is in view here. In Lev 20:17 the expression “see nakedness” does appear to be a euphemism for sexual intercourse, but the context there, unlike that of Gen 9:22, clearly indicates that in that passage sexual contact is in view. The expression “see nakedness” does not in itself suggest a sexual connotation. Some relate Gen 9:22 to Lev 18:6-11, 15-19, where the expression “uncover [another’s] nakedness” (the Piel form of גָּלָה, galah) refers euphemistically to sexual intercourse. However, Gen 9:22 does not say Ham “uncovered” the nakedness of his father. According to the text, Noah uncovered himself; Ham merely saw his father naked. The point of the text is that Ham had no respect for his father. Rather than covering his father up, he told his brothers. Noah then gave an oracle that Ham’s descendants, who would be characterized by the same moral abandonment, would be cursed. Leviticus 18 describes that greater evil of the Canaanites (see vv. 24-28).

[10:1]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ 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.

[5:32]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Noah.” The pronoun (“he”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.