Genesis 10:1

1 These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These three had sons after the flood.

Genesis 10:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 10:1

Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah
The genealogy of them, and which is of great use to show the original of the several nations of the world, from whence they sprung, and by whom they were founded; and to confute the pretended antiquity of some nations, as the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Chinese, and others; and to point out the particular people, which were to be the seat of the church of God for many ages, and from whom the Messiah was to spring; which seems to be the principal view of the history of Moses, and of this genealogy, with which should be compared ( 1 Chronicles 1:1-25 ) Shem, Ham, and Japheth; see ( Genesis 5:32 ) ( 6:10 ) ( 7:13 ) ( 9:18 )

and unto them were sons born after the flood;
for they had none born to them either before the flood or in it; they were married before the flood, for their wives went into the ark with them; but it does not appear they had any children before, though they then were near an hundred years old; and if they had, they were not in the ark, and therefore must perish with the rest, which is not likely: Shem's son Arphaxad was born two years after the flood, ( Genesis 11:10 ) when the rest were born, either his or his brethren's, is not said; however they were all born after the flood; though some pretend that Canaan was born in the ark F25, during the flood, for which there is no authority; yea, it is confuted in this chapter, where Canaan stands among the sons of Ham, born to him after the flood.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 See Bayle's Dictionary, vol. 10. art. "Ham", p. 587.

Genesis 10:1 In-Context

1 These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These three had sons after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth - Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names.
3 The descendants of Gomer were the people of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4 The descendants of Javan were the people of Elishah, Spain, Cyprus, and Rhodes;
5 they were the ancestors of the people who live along the coast and on the islands. These are the descendants of Japheth, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.