Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 10

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 10 The generations of Noah are: Japheth, whose descendants are Gentiles; Ham, whose descendants include the Canaanites; and Shem, of whom came Peleg, in whose days the earth was divided.
1 Now these are the ^agenerations of the ^bsons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth^a: and unto them were sons born after the flood. Shem, the Great High Priest It is through Shem, the 'second' son of Noah, that the priesthood and covenant of the fathers, the right of the firstborn does come. Just why Shem prevailed over Japheth, the elder, is not clearly given. Yet it is so. In President Joseph F. Smith vision of the spirit world which comprises section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants, President Smith recognizes and states Shem to be 'the great high priest' (see D&C 138:41). Hebrew tradition, President John Taylor and the supportive speculation of many make Shem to be the same as Melchizedek, the great high priest of Abraham's day to whom Abraham paid his tithes and offerings. Others conclude that Melchizedek could not be the same as Shem because of various interpretive meanings of D&C 84:14-15. In either respect Abraham received his priesthood through Melchizedek who was either descended from Shem or was Shem, thus being of the Semetic line in either case.	1^a Shem, Ham, and Japheth Just why Noah's sons are listed in this particular order is a matter of some speculation, It would seem to be something more than just 'Jewish' editing preference as even the inspired book of Moses (Moses 8:27) has Moses listing them in this order of preference. That Shem is through whom the covenant of the fathers and priesthood blessings of the firstborn did descend is to be well understood. Why Ham is listed second by Moses and before Japheth, the eldest, could be for a number of reasons. The manner of their birth account which makes Japheth and Shem to be of the same mother, and Ham not so stipulated could play a part as also the descendants of Ham's broad role in relation to the Hebrews throughout history, Egyptus who is associated with Ham, being the source of the founding of Egypt.	1^a IE genealogical lines ^b Gen. 5:32; Moses 8:12 Order of Noah's Sons According to Moses' record as recorded by the Prophet Joseph Smith, places the order of birth of the three sons of Noah who accompanied him on the ark as Japheth being the eldest, then Shem the second born, and Ham being the youngest of the three. When Noah was 450 years old he begat Japheth. The likelihood that Noah had other children prior to the birth of Japheth seems likely. Then 42 years after the birth of Japheth, Noah begat Shem of the same mother of Japheth. Noah would have then been 492 years old. Then 8 years later, Noah begat Ham at age 500 years old. (See Moses 8:12) That Noah also had other children between the births of these three sons over the period of 50 years, also seems likely. That Japheth and Shem are stipulated to be of the same mother and Ham is not, could be considered to be reason to think that Ham was of another mother and that the wife which accompanied Noah on the ark was the mother of Ham and not the mother of either Japheth or Shem. Noah was 600 years old when the flood came (Genesis 7:6), which means that Ham was 100 years old, Shem was 108 years old, and Japheth was 150 years old. Thus it would seem that in the days of these three sons, Noah would have been preaching repentance, likely with the aid of these sons as they would also be those who aided in the construction of the ark, the gathering of the animals, and their maintenance upon the voyage of the ark.
2 The sons of Japheth; ^aGomer, and ^bMagog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and ^cMeshech, and Tiras. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and ^aTogarmah. 4 And the sons of ^aJavan; ^bElishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and ^cDodanim. 5 ^aBy these were the ^bisles of the ^cGentiles divided in their ^dlands; every one after his tongue, after their ^efamilies, in their nations.		14^a Zechariah 10:7 (6-12); D&C 109:60-61; D&C 133:34; TG Israel, Joseph, People of ^b Septuagint; crosing his hands
6 ¶ And the sons of ^aHam; ^bCush, and ^cMizraim, and ^dPhut, and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 8 And Cush begat ^aNimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as ^aNimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.		1^a TG Creation ^b Isa. 45:12; D&C 29:36; D&C 38:1; D&C 45:1; Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1 2^a OR done ^b HEB stopped, ceased; from the verb shavat, the noun shabbat (Engl. Sabbath) means a stopping of cessation; D&C 77:12; Moses 3:2; Abr. 5:2 (1-3); TG Rest ^c TG Industry 3^a TG Sabbath ^b Ex. 20:11; Mosiah 13:19 (16-19); D&C 77:12; Moses 3:3 (1-3); Abr. 5:3 (1-3); TG Sacred ^c Ex. 31:17 ^d OR created through working
10 And the beginning of his kingdom was ^aBabel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of ^bShinar^a. 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.	10^a beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar Now Shinar is an often referenced land. Geographically it denotes the lower part of the region between the Tigris and Euphrates roughly equivalent to Babylon. Symbolically therefore it is a substitute for the notion and concept of Babylon, the world and that which pertains unto the worldly things. It is also set forth as one of the lands and regions from which the Lord will gather his people from the 'second time' (Isaiah 11:11 & 2 Nephi 21:11), which has specific reference to the latter day gathering began with the restoration of the gospel as defined by the Prophet Joseph Smith (See D&C 137:5-6). Thus it may be a sign of the times when the land of Shinar is brought and enabled to be gathered as pertaining to the gospel in the latter days.
13 And ^aMizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came ^aPhilistim,) and Caphtorim.
15 ¶ And ^aCanaan 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 ^aCanaanites spread abroad.
19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to ^aGerar, 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 ^aEber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. 22 The children of ^aShem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. 23 And the children of Aram; ^aUz, 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 ^aPeleg; for in his days was the earth ^bdivided; and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, 27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, 28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
29 And Ophir, and ^aHavilah, 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.
31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. 32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their ^anations: and ^bby these were the ^cnations divided in the earth after the flood.