CHAPTER 10

10:1-7 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noe, Sem, Cham, Japheth; and sons were born to them after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth, Gamer, and Magog, and Madoi, and Jovan, and Elisa, and Thobel, and Mosoch, and Thiras. 3 And the sons of Gamer, Aschanaz, and Riphath, and Thorgama. 4 And the sons of Jovan, Elisa, and Tharseis, Cetians, Rhodians. 5 From these were the islands of the Gentiles divided in their land, each according to his tongue, in their tribes and in their nations. 6 And the sons of Cham, Chus, and Mesrain, Phud, and Chanaan. 7 And the sons of Chus, Saba, and Evila, and Sabatha, and Rhegma, and Sabathaca. And the sons of Rhegma, Saba, and Dadan.

ALCUIN OF YORK. HOW MANY NATIONS DID EACH OF THEM BEGET? — Answer. Of Japheth were born fifteen sons, of Cham thirty [variant: 36], and of Sem twenty-seven: seventy-two in all, from whom sprang seventy-two nations, among which the Lord sent seventy-two disciples. [Question 142]

HOW WAS THE WORLD DIVIDED BY NOAH’S SONS AND GRANDSONS? — Answer. Sem, it is thought, obtained Asia, Cham Africa, and Japheth Europe. [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 141]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 10:2 THE SONS OF JAPHETH WERE GOMER, MAGOG, MADAI, JAVAN, THUBAL, MOSOCH, AND THIRAS. Japheth, son of Noah, had seven sons, who possessed the land in Asia from Amanus and the Taurus, mountains of Cilicia, Syria and Cilicia, to the Tanain river; in Europe, as far as Gadira, leaving to the places and peoples their names, most of which were later changed, and some remained the same. The descendants of Gomer are the Galatians; Magog, the Scythians; from Mada, the Medes; of Javan, the Ionians or Greeks, and thence the name of the Ionian Sea; of Thubal, the Iberians or Spaniards, whence the Celtiberians, although some connect the Italians to Thubal; from Mosoch, the Cappadocians, to whom even today a town is called Mazeca (the Septuagint call the Cappadocians of Caphthorim); of Hira, the Thracians, whose name hardly shows a slight change. I know that an author, basing himself so much on this passage of Genesis as on Ezekiel (38-39), reports to Gog and Magog the story of the Goths ravaging Europe a long time ago; the end of the struggle shows the falsity of this opinion. The previous scholars looked with more reason at the Goths as Getes than as descendants of Gog and Magog. The seven nations which I have attached to the Japheth stock inhabited the part of the north.

10:3 THE SONS OF GOMER WERE ASCHENEZ, RIPHATH, AND THOGORMA. The Greeks call the Aschenez Reginians, the Paphlagonian Riphath, and the Thogorma Phrygians. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

10:8-9 And Chus begot Nebrod: he began to be a giant upon the earth. 9 He was a giant hunter before the Lord God; therefore they say, As Nebrod the giant hunter before the Lord.

ALCUIN OF YORK. IN WHAT SENSE IS NEMROD THE GIANT SAID TO HAVE BEEN A STOUT HUNTER BEFORE THE LORD? — Answer. That is, he was an oppressor and destroyer of earthly men. He and his people were raising before the Lord a tower, which symbolizes impious pride. [Since the tyranny of one giving commands is in his tongue, it was there that his pride was overpowered:] he could no longer be understood when he gave orders to a man, because he would not understand and obey God when God gave orders. So was the confederacy dissolved, when every man parted from those whom he could not understand and joined only those whom he could speak with. And so the nations were divided by languages and scattered throughout the world. [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 145]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. NEMBROTH FIRST OF THE GIANTS AFTER THE FLOOD. — One may wonder why it is said about Nebroth: he was the first to be a giant upon the earth, since Scripture says that there had been giants before.  Could it be a question of the restoration of a new human race, from the midst of which Nembroth appeared to be the first as a giant on Earth? [Questions on Genesis, 18]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 10:9) Hic erat gigas venator contra Dominum Deum (He was a strong hunter against the Lord God); perhaps one could hear these last words in the same sense as coram Domino Deo (before the Lord God), before the Lord, since the Greek synonym evavtiov (before) is usually taken in this sense. [Locutions]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. The Scripture then enumerates the posterity out of these sons, and says: Ham begot Chus; and further on Chus begot Hemrod who showed the first giant on earth; he was a giant, hunter before the Lord. (Gen. 10:6-9) Some interpreters think that here, before the Lord, means the same thing as rising against God. As for me, I do not admit this insinuation in divine Scripture; she simply says that he was strong and brave. This expression, before the Lord God, is to say, established by God, because he had received the blessing of God; or, if you will, because it was an occasion to admire the God who made this giant, and who showed it on the earth. This one reproduced the manners of his ancestor, abused his natural forces, invented a new servitude, and undertook to become a chief of the people, a king. No subjects, no king, that is true freedom; but the heaviest servitude is that which arises in the midst of freedom, which masters free men. See the ravages of ambition, see the force of the body exceeding its limits, never satisfied, aspiring to glory. It was not to protect and defend that he made himself subjects; but he was building cities to dominate enemies. [Homilies on Genesis]

10:10-12 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

ALCUIN OF YORK. WHAT IS MEANT BY WHAT IS SAID IN GENESIS, “OUT OF THAT LAND CAME FORTH ASSUR, AND BUILT NINIVE, AND THE CITY ROBOOTH”? — Answer. It does not mean two cities, for “Robooth” means “street”, and the sense is, “he built Ninive and the streets of the city”. [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 144]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 10:10 AND OUT OF THIS LAND CAME ASSUR, WHICH BUILT NINEVEH, AND THE CITY OF REHOBOTH. — This land produced the empire of the Assyrians, who gave the name of Ninus, the daughter of Bel, to the great city which the Hebrews call Nineveh, and to the ruin or penance of which all the prophecy of Jonah is related. From what is said, "Nineveh and the city of Rehoboth," let us not imagine that it is a question of two cities; Robooth signifying the places, it is necessary to read thus: "He built Nineveh and the streets of that city." [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. From this land, says the text, came out Asshur, and he built Nineveh. (Gen. 10:11) Here again make a remark: It is that the malignity of those who have preceded us does not cause us any prejudice; those men of whom I speak, the Ninevites, by their repentance, conciliated God's mercy and forced him to revoke his sentence. They had, however, as the author of their race, that Ham, who outraged his father, and after him, among their ancestors, Nimrod, a superb tyrant, whence came Assur. It is said that in this succession of ascendants were found people indulged in softness, voluptuousness, dissolutions, corruption, drunkenness, senseless laughter, mockeries, the frivolous pleasures of the wicked; but because the Ninevites sincerely did penance, the malignity of their fathers was in no way fatal to them, and they conciliated the favor of Heaven to such a degree that even today the perfection of their repentance is celebrated.

Let us also know how to imitate them, since neither the malignity of those born before us can harm us if we want to practice wisdom; neither their virtues serve us anything, if we yield to indolence. Let us then, with all our strength, be virtuous, show wisdom, prudence, in order to obtain the same blessing as Sem and Japheth, in order to escape the bondage of Chanaan, in order to be freed. of sin, so that having conquered true freedom, we are admitted to the sharing of ineffable goods, by the grace and the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs, as to the Father, as to the Holy Spirit, the glory, power, honor, now and forever, and for ever and ever. Amen. [Homilies on Genesis]

10:13-25 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. 15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, 16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, 17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. 19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. 21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. 22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. 23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. 24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. 25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Verse 25) CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES AND DIVISION OF PEOPLES. — What does it mean: And Heber had two sons; The name of one was Phaleg, because in his days the earth was divided? Does it not mean that during the life of Phaleg the confusion of languages was the source of the division of peoples? [Questions on Genesis, 19]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 10:14) Unde exiit inde Philisthiim (From there are the Philistines), it was sufficient to say: Unde exiit Philisthiim (are the Philistines). [Locutions]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. After having finished the story of Blessed Noah, she expounded the genealogy of Shem, and said: And sons were born at Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the brother of Japheth, the eldest of the sons. (Gen. 10:21) After giving the list, she said: "Two sons were born to Eber; the name of one of them was Phalec, for from time to time the earth was divided. (Gen. 10:25) See how she makes the child's name presage the miracle that is soon to come, so that it is not surprising to see it come to pass afterwards, since it was predicted by the name of the child. [Homilies on Genesis]

10:26-30 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazar-maveth, and Jerah, 27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, 28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, 29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA. (Verse 30) “Mountain of the East” in India. The sons of Iektan son of Eber dwelled near it as Josephus affirms, “Those from the river Kōphēn inhabited parts of India and of the adjacent country of Sēria.” Here also the ships of Solomon carried cargo for three years’ journey. [Onomasticon]