Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai
INTRODUCTION
In the last study of Genesis chapter 9, we saw how after the destruction of the world, the Lord went into a fresh covenant with Noah and his sons to replenish the earth once again. In verse 1, He specifically said: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” Today, we will be proceeding to Genesis 10 & 11. Chapter 10 is often referred to as the "Table of Nations." It is the foundational chapter in the Bible that traces the descendants of Noah’s three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—after the Flood. It also provides an overview of the ancient world, mapping out the origins of various nations, tribes, and peoples. Similarly, from verses 10 -32 of chapter 11 we see the genealogy from Shem (son of Noah) to Abram (later Abraham). However, the major incident in this chapter was the confusion of the language of the people of the world at the tower of Babel
CHAPTER 10
1. Ethnographic Structure of Genesis 10
Ethnography refers to the scientific description of peoples and cultures with their customs, habits, and mutual differences. This is what this chapter does. It organizes nations of the world today into three broad family groups as we see in verse 1 “This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.”
Everyone in the world today is descended from these three sons of Noah.
The next 30 verses delves deeper into the lineage of the descendants of these three sons of Noah.
• Verses 2–5: The Japhethites
The sons of Japheth (Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras). These people are referred to today as the Indo-European and Coastal Peoples. Located in Anatolia, the Aegean, the Black Sea, and possibly Europe. They were not a single unified civilization, but rather a linguistic and cultural group.
Gomer had sons: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah (Referred to as the Cimmerians (possibly ancestors of Celts or Scythians).
The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites. From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language. (Verses 4-5)
When you read verses 4-5, you start to catch a glimpse that support the fact that the chapters of the book of Genesis are not 100% chronological. This is because when you read Genesis 11:1, you see that the Bible says: “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.” So this will imply that The account in verses 4&5 are post tower of Babel. Also confirmed in verse 25. “Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.”
• Verses 6–20: The Hamites
Lay emphasis on the Hamites, mostly linked with the African and Mesopotamian Peoples (the Iraqis – Arabs, Kurds, Yazidis, Assyrians, Mandaeans, Armenians, and Persians) living in the regions of Egypt, Canaan, Mesopotamia, and parts of Africa.
Cush: Nubia (modern Sudan) or possibly Mesopotamia. Mizraim: Egypt. Put: Libya or Somalia. Canaan: Phoenicians, Jebusites, Amorites (later enemies of Israel). Nimrod: Founder of early Mesopotamian empires (Babel, Assyria). Who Jewish and later Christian traditions associate the construction of the tower Babel to. Nimrod was a mighty hunter and the first powerful king on earth. (Verses 8-10). His kingdom included Babel, Erech, and Akkad, all in the land of Shinar. And Genesis 11:1 tells us that the people settled in Shinar.
• Verses 21–31: The Shemites (Semitic Peoples).
Associated regions are Mesopotamia, Arabia, and the Levant. Key Peoples are Elam (Early Persians). Asshur: Assyrians. Arpachshad: Ancestor of Abraham (and thus the Israelites). Lud: Possibly Lydians (Anatolia). Eber: Progenitor of the Hebrews. And Peleg: His name ("division") may refer to the splitting of languages at Babel. Verse 25 says:
“Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.”
Although his birth was mentioned in Chapter 10, the events surrounding his birth, “because in his time the earth was divided” is yet another indication that Moses’ method narrating the accounts that God showed him was first, what happened, and then, how it happened.
LESSONS FROM CHAPTER 10
Genesis 10 is not just a genealogy—it’s an ancient ethnography showing God’s sovereignty over all nations. He is the originator of all peoples, languages, and nations. He orchestrated
human history, geography, and lineage. Nations didn’t just "happen" — they trace back to God’s providence. It combats ideas of superiority or division — all people are one human family, diverse but united by creation. Human migration and dispersion is part of God’s plan post-Flood Verse 32). It lays the groundwork for the world’s cultural and ethnic diversity. God is not against diversity — He designed it.
Finally, Genesis 10 might look like a list, but it’s really about God laying the foundation of history and showing us that He had His hand in the development of civilizations and reminding us that all humanity is rooted in His design.
CHAPTER 11
Verses 1–9: The Tower of Babel
1. Human Pride vs. Divine Authority (Verses 1-4)
The plan and purpose of God was for the people of the world to spread over the entire earth, a covenant He renewed with Noah in Gen.9:1. But we see in verse 2 that the people found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They sought to "make a name" for themselves by building a tower to the heavens. This symbolizes pride, self-sufficiency, and defiance to God. So they set off to build a tower that archaeologists and scientists have identified was a ziggurat. The site of the tower is located in modern day Iraq
2. The Power and Limits of Unity (Verses 5-7)
Humanity was united by one language and one purpose, a very powerful tool in anyone’s arsenal but their unity was misdirected. Unity without humility or righteousness can lead to destructive outcomes. So God came down and observed what the people were doing and He disrupted their plan not because unity is bad, but because it was being used to oppose His greater design. After the language of the people was confounded, what happened next was that they started to migrate away from Babel. And they carried the knowledge of the ziggurat across the world! Today there are ziggurats of different variations in Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, China, Italy, Mexico, Indonesia, Cambodia and Polynesia
3. The Origins of Diversity (Verses 8-9)
The confusion of languages marks a turning point in human history, this is when different languages and cultural diversity were introduced. I have often seen it as a punishment, but not quite. It was actually a necessary dispersion to fulfil God's command to "fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28, 9:1).
When the people could no longer understand themselves, they were grouped naturally by common “language families” possibly grouped by people from common descent such as Javan, Canaan & Joktan. From a modern linguistic standpoint, languages around the world fall into language families from where other languages sprung forth, such as, Indo-European (English, Spanish, Hindi, etc.), Sino-Tibetan (Chinese, Burmese), Afro-Asiatic (Arabic, Hebrew), Niger-Congo (Swahili, Yoruba), Turkic, Uralic, Dravidian, Austroasiatic, and many more.
Verses 4-5 of Chapter 10 says: “From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.”
These are the descendants of Javan, son of Japheth, who would have been people who took up the trade of building ships from the knowledge God had given to Noah and his sons. Javan is generally associated with the Greeks. His sons include Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim — all thought to be linked to Mediterranean coastal regions and islands. So the "maritime peoples" (literally “island or coastland dwellers” in Hebrew) are those early sea-faring cultures of the Mediterranean who migrated to coastal and island regions across the eastern and central Mediterranean — areas like Greece, Cyprus, and possibly as far as Spain.
• Verses 10 – 32: God’s Sovereign Direction of History
Chapter 11 transitions from a scattered, prideful humanity to the calling of Abram, who would become the father of faith and the channel of blessing to all nations. It tells us that God can choose individuals to bring order and purpose into a broken world.
"Babel" represents confusion and division, but it's also the backdrop for God's promise to bless the world through Abram in the very next chapter. The contrast sets the stage for a broader biblical theme: God bringing unity, peace, and blessing out of human brokenness.
LESSONS FROM CHAPTER 11
Unity is a very powerful tool. (Matt. 18:19-20, Deuteronomy 32:30: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). However, unity without humility or righteousness can lead to destructive outcomes. This tells us that not all unity is healthy. Proverbs 11:21a says: “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished”. God's intervention to confound their language and scatter them over the face of the earth shows that true greatness comes not from human effort alone, but from alignment with His purpose.
