בְּרֵאשִׁית‎/BeReishit

Genesis

CHAPTER 10

With Commentaries

“To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan.”

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew

And these are the genealogies of Noakh's sons Shem, Kham, and Yafet and begot to them were sons after the Flood.

1 וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת בְּנֵי־נֹחַ שֵׁם חָם וָיָפֶת וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם בָּנִים אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל׃

א

Rabbeinu Bahya (1255–1340) Commentary: ואלה תולדת בני נח, שם חם ויפת, “And these are the descendants of Noach: Shem, Kham, and Yafet.” Starting with this verse and including chapter 11, verse 1, you will find the names of seventy individuals. All of them are descendants of Noakh, and at the end of that paragraph, the Torah states: אלה משפחות בני נח לתולדותם בגויהם ומאלה נפרדו הגוים בארץ אחר המבול “These are the families of Noakh’s descendants, according to their generations by their nations; and from these, the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.” We learn from this verse that the world comprises 70 nations, each with its own language. The next chapter, verse 8, tells us that the various people at the time of the Tower of Babel were scattered and that each group would have its own language. The Torah makes a point of enumerating seventy different nations to contrast this fact with the seventy people, all descendants of Yaakov, who descended with him to Egypt (Genesis 46:27). This is also what Moses had in mind at the time when he blessed the Jewish people shortly before his death (Deut. 32:8) and said בהנחל עליון גוים, בהפרידו בני אדם. “When the Supreme One gave the nations their inheritance when He separated the children of man.” The nations Moses referred to are the ones mentioned in this chapter. Starting with that period in human history, G’d allocated boundaries, גבולות/Limits, to the various nations. All of this was to correspond to the founding members of the Jewish nation who went down to Egypt. The reason Moses said in Deut. 32:8 יצב גבולות עמים למספר בני ישראל, “He established the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel,” instead of saying למספר בני יעקב, “according to the number of the sons of Yaakov,” was to stress that the children of Israel consisted of twelve separate tribes.

It is worth recalling that the reason the Torah spends so much space on the details of this list of the descendants of Kham is to inform us about how many nations were descended from him and to make us aware that Avraham, a descendant of Shem, merited to become the father of the Jewish nation. The Torah hints that the only reason there was a need for seventy nations in the first place was to ensure that out of all these, at least one nation would emerge that G’d had chosen to become special to Him.

Our sages (Tanchuma Vayeshev 1) have illustrated the matter using a parable. When someone loses a pearl on the beach, he will bring a sieve and sieve the entire sand on the beach to retrieve his pearl. Once he finds his pearl, he throws the sand back on the beach. The parable intends to illustrate that just as all that sand on the beach only serves to yield up the one pearl, so there was no need for G’d to have all that many different nations except for that large number to yield a Jewish nation eventually. The sages said further (Bereshit Rabbah 1:8 [Talmudic Israel/Babylon, 500 CE]) that the concept of a Jewish nation had preceded the concept of all these other nations. We know that in G’d’s mind any end product had been carefully envisioned long before it would become manifest. This is also why the Jewish people did not appear on the stage of history until all the other nations were already in existence.

Nachmanides (1194 - 1270) wrote concerning this chapter that the Torah goes into all these details to prove to its listeners that G’d preceded the establishment of the universe. It was to enable Avraham and his descendants to command their respective offspring to tell about what happened to Noakh and how his family was saved in the Ark. Avraham, who knew Noakh personally, could relate these matters from an eyewitness of one of the survivors of the Flood (presumably by Shem as well, so two eyewitnesses). Noakh’s father Lemech, in turn, had known Adam and so was able to relate history as someone who had heard it directly from those who had experienced it, Adam himselfe. Avraham, as a witness to the creation of the first human being, was only two persons removed from someone who had been expelled from the Garden of Eden. Yitzchak and Yaakov had both been contemporaries of Shem as well. In other words, they, too, had even spoken to survivors of the deluge. Yaakov, undoubtedly, told all this to the people who descended to Egypt with him and Pharaoh and his servants.

According to a calculation made by Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra (c. 1089 - 1092 to c. 1164 - 1167), Noakh died when Avraham was 58 years old. The very letters in the name נח/Noakh amount to 58 in their numerical value (Numbers are derived from the letters in the Hebrew alphabet).

That was a lot, I know. But what I got out of this is that HaShem needed all these nations to create the one nation He needed for His plan to work. A nation that would help Him bring this world where HaShem needs it to be, a nation that will bring other people who deserve it to move on to the world to come. If I had to put it in simpler terms, I guess I can put it as an example. Scientists work in the same manner when trying to come up with a cure for, let’s say, a virus. They make all kinds of batches of potential solutions to create a vaccine for the virus. They go through many experimental batches, hoping to find the right combination of drugs to kill this virus safely. They keep at it until someone gets lucky and finds the right combination of drugs to kill this virus. But HaShem is our God, and he does not need many experimental runs. He knew exactly who He needed and how many of them were needed to create the nation that He needed for the job. Does this mean that everything is preordained and there is nothing we can do? No, this is not what I am saying. HaShem knew that a man, Abraham, would come out of these nations; he just needed to wait for that one person with the right traits. And not Abraham alone but also his descendants.
Job was a man who lived during this time period, and according to the Book of Job, he was a good man who was tested in a very harsh way, and he passed the test put on to him. Could he have been chosen for this task? That he was not chosen by HaShem means no. Why? I am not HaShem to answer that, but if I had to guess. Job was a good man, but maybe his descendants were not up to the task of enduring what the Jews have suffered through in history and still kling to HaShem and His laws over the years since Israel was chosen by HaShem. They were chosen because Adonai HaShem foresaw that they were the only ones who could bring this task through. To enumerate all the things that they have to do is very daunting; some of these things are things like keeping all the Laws, receiving and keeping the Torah and keeping it intact, applying no changes to it throughout the years, to be an example to the other nations in so many ways. Are the Jews perfect? No, they are not, but because they are not, Adonai saw that they would be able to do what He needed them to do, which shows that we, too, can do what they did and love HaShem and keep his Law.
I can go on forever about this matter, but the bottom line is that HaShem needed all of these nations for the nation He needed to emerge from them.

Yafet’s Descendants

The sons of Yafet: Gomer, Magog, Maday, Yavan, Tuval, Meshekh, and Tiras.

2 בְּנֵי יֶפֶת גֹּמֶר וּמָגוֹג וּמָדַי וְיָוָן וְתֻבָל וּמֶשֶׁךְ וְתִירָס׃

ב

Names Meanings

Gomer = "complete"

Magog = "land of Gog"

Maday = "middle land"

Yavan = "Ionia" or "Greece", Ionai is an ancient region of west-central Asia Minor, including adjacent Aegean islands: colonized by Greeks in about 1100 BCE. In other words, Ionia is now known as Greece. They are the same.

Tubal = "you shall be brought"

Meshekh = "drawing out"

Tiras = "desire" Tiras is Persia

Ramban (1194 - 1270) Commentary: THE SONS OF YAFET: GOMER. Scripture begins with Yafet, for he was the oldest. After him, it mentions Kham [even though he was the youngest], for Scripture wanted to delay the account of the generations of Shem to place side by side the two sections dealing with Shem’s children since it is important to dwell at length on the generations of Abraham.

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: ותירס/VeTiras/And Tiras — This is Persia (Yoma 10a).

Siftei Chakhamim (1641–1718) Commentary: You might ask: Why does Rashi explain Tiras any more than the others? The answer is: Rashi said in 9:27 (ד"ה וישכון) that “Cyrus, Yefes’ descendant, built the Second Temple.” And one might ask: How does Rashi know that Cyrus came from Yefes? Thus, Rashi explains here that Tiras is Persia, which means Persia is from Yefes. And Cyrus, king of Persia, assumedly descended from Tiras. Furthermore, the Re’m says that Rashi [explains Tiras because he] is answering the question: Why here is it written מדי/Medi, not פרס/Persia? These two nations are always mentioned together! Thus, Rashi explains that Tiras is פרס. But Tzeidah L’Derech says that [it is not as the Re’m said. Rather, Rashi explains Tiras because] it is from Yoma 10a: “How do we know that the Persians come from Yefes? Because it is written, ‘The sons of Yefes were: Gomer... and Tiras.’ And Rav Yosef taught: Tiras is Persia.” [Thus, Rashi brings it to prove that Cyrus came from Yefes.]

Rashi and Siftei were saying or proving, at least to me, that you can trace Cyrus the Great's roots to Noakh. Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire and king of Persia from 559 to 530 BCE. He is venerated in the Tanakh as Cyrus the Messiah/Anointed for conquering Babylon and liberating the Jews from captivity (Isaiah 45:1, 4; see also 41:2-25; 42:6). Cyrus and the building of the Second Temple are facts from known history. So, here we have a link of time that can be traced from known history to Noakh. To some people, the Great Flood and Noakh's existence are regarded as theology or fiction, and they think that can not be proved.

And the sons of Gomer were AshKanaz, Rifat, and Togarma

3 וּבְנֵי גֹּמֶר אַשְׁכֲּנַז וְרִיפַת וְתֹגַרְמָה׃

ג

UVe’Ney | Gomer | Ash’Kanaz | VeRifat | VeTogar’Ma

Names Meanings

AshKanaz = "a man as sprinkled: fire as scattered" Germany
Rifat = "spoken" France
Togarma = "you wilt/fade/droop/wither break her" Turkey

Radak (1160–1235) Commentaries: ובני גמר אשכנז/And the sons of Gomer are AshKanaz. Some say this refers to the people living in Germany.
וריפה/VeRefat. According to Rabbeinu Saadyah gaon, these are the Gauls living in France; in Chronicles I 1,6, they are called דיפת/Difat.

Steinsaltz (1937-2020) Commentary: In later generations, Ashkanaz was identified, linguistically, with Germany, and Togarma with Turkey.

And the sons of Yavan were Elisha, TarShish, the Kitim, and the Dodanim

4 וּבְנֵי יָוָן אֱלִישָׁה וְתַרְשִׁישׁ כִּתִּים וְדֹדָנִים׃

ד

Names Meanings

Elisha = "God of the coming (one)" Greece

Tarshish = "yellow jasper"

Kitim = "bruisers"

Dodanim = "leaders" or “wanting water”

Steinsaltz (1937-2020) Commentary: And the sons of Yavan were Elisha, which is reminiscent of the ancient name of Greece, Hellas; Tarshish, which should perhaps be identified with Tartessos, a city and state on the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula; 33 Kitim, who were possibly succeeded by the Romans; 34 and Dodanim.

From these the coastline Goim/Gentiles/nations separated in their land, all man to his tongue, to their families, to their Goi/Gentile/nations.

5 מֵאֵלֶּה נִפְרְדוּ אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם בְּאַרְצֹתָם אִישׁ לִלְשֹׁנוֹ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם בְּגוֹיֵהֶם׃

ה

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: After the Tower incident [next chapter], the descendants of Yafet chose for themselves the various islands in the Aegean as their habitat, resulting in each tribe being separated from the other.
איש ללשונו/Man to his tongue, the people on each of those islands developed a different language or dialect. The word הגויים/the gentiles imply that although all these tribes were offspring of Yafet, they were, in fact, separate nations. Seeing that the descendants of Noakh listed comprise a total of 70, the concept of mankind comprising “seventy nations,” not including the Jewish people, was born. [If, nowadays, in the United Nations, for instance, we have far more than 70 nations represented, this in no way contradicts the sages’ reference to “the 70 nations of the world.” Ed.]

In this context, the word Gentile means that even though they were one people, they were divided into separate subcategories. So, Gentiles mean separate or other nations/people other than. Nowadays, the word gentile means a non-Jew, but the original word seems to mean a person from a different nation, as in this verse and chapter, the Jewish people did not exist yet.

Ramban (1194 - 1270) Commentary: The children of Yafet are those who dwell on the isles of the sea, and they are separated, each one of his sons residing singly on another isle, and their countries are far from each other. This was indeed the blessing of their father, Noakh, who said, May G-d enlarge Yafet, meaning that they are numerous in the expanses of the earth. The sons of Kham, however, are all near one another as they dwell on the continents. Therefore, Scripture said, And the boundary of the Khanaanite was from Sidon…in their lands and nations. The same is true of the sons of Shem. Now, Scripture narrates all this to inform us of Abraham’s lineage from Shem, and Kham’s descendants are mentioned to inform us of those nations whose lands Abraham was favored with on account of the sin of their fathers, Kham, and the sinful ways of Khenaan’s children. Therefore, it also tells of Yafet and the dispersion in order to inform us of the cause of the difference in languages and the scattering of the nations to the ends of the earth in a short period of time after the first man. Moreover, this narration lets us know the kindness of G-d and His keeping the covenant He made with Noakh that he would not destroy them.

The Rabbi said in Moreh Nebuchim *III, 50. that the genealogy of the nations verifies to those that hear it the principle of the world's creation. This also is true, for our father Abraham will command his children and his household after him and will affirm to them the narration concerning Noakh and his sons who saw the flood and were in the ark. Thus, he [Abraham, not having seen the flood but hearing of it], was a witness from mouth to mouth in the whole matter of the flood, and he was a fourth witness to creation since Abraham knew Noakh, whose father was Lekamekh, who knew and saw Adam. Isaac and Jacob knew Shem in person, the witness of the flood, and Jacob told all this to those who went down to Egypt, as well as to Pharaoh and the people of his generation. The people in every generation similarly know from their fathers, who tell them the deeds and progeny of the four to five previous generations.

I guess since the sons of Yafet went to the coast and various islands, they could reach the main lands from every part of the world when they expanded. Since they all had different languages, they eventually became strangers to all.

Kham’s Descendants

And the sons of Kham: Kush, Mitzrayim, Fut, and Khenaan.

6 וּבְנֵי חָם כּוּשׁ וּמִצְרַיִם וּפוּט וּכְנָעַן׃

ו

Names Meanings

Kush = "black"
Mitzryim = "land of the Copts,” Mitzryim is Egypt in the Ancient Hebrew Language. 1) a country in the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows. Egyptians = "double straits" adj., 2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt. The word Copts refers to the descendants of this man called Mitzryim/Egypt, son of Kham.
Fut = "a bow"
Khenaan = “merchant, trader,” The land of Khenaan, or Canaan as it is more commonly known, has been or was fought over for many years in history for its position for trading between Egyp and Europe. However, remember that this name was given before the earth was spread out and populated by the sons of Noakh.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: ובני חם/And the sons of Kham, Kham is mentioned after Yafet; if Yafet was the junior of the three sons, he was mentioned ahead of Kham because of his superior character qualities. If he were older than Kham, he would qualify for earlier mention on that account alone. The Torah left the list of the descendants of Shem last to preserve the continuity of the report, which continues with the lives of the patriarchs, who are all descendants of Shem.

We already know the birth order of the three sons of Noakh, Yafet, Shem, and then Kham. Basically, or a simpler way to put it, the names of the sons of Noakh were in order except for Shem’s, who was taken out of order and mentioned last because his descendency will continue in the next chapter.

Sforno (c. 1470/1475-1549) Commentary: ופוט וכנען/and Fut and Canaan. The sons of Fut are not mentioned separately, as they all formed a single nation retaining the name of their founding father. Proof of this is found in Ezekiel 38:5 פרס, כוש, ופוט אתם, i.e., even in the days of the pre-messianic wars of Gog and Magog, Fut will still have its original name.

This Gog and Magog war is a pre-messianic prophecy in Tanakh about a war before Messiah comes. Although this war will seem to be a losing battle for Israel, HaShem promises, through Ezekiel, to deliver victory for Israel.
Gog = “Rooftop,” and Magog = "land of Gog." The name Magog is the name Gog with a prefixed mem, which may be a particle of inquisition: מה/what, or מי/who. Or it may come from the particle מן (min; often abbreviated to a single letter מ), meaning from. Nouns that start with an m often describe the place or agent of the parent verb, making Magog the Place Of Gog.
Rabbi Tovia Singer explains this war: there will be a war between several nations, called “the war of Gog and Magog,” against Israel. What does this mean, however? Who are Gog and Magog? , and why Israel? As we already learned, Gog means rooftop, and what Robbi Tovia is saying is that this war will be between the nations who believe in their own strength, technology, and power. Rooftop refers to their wealth, referring to their high buildings and skyscrapers. They have faith in all this. Israel is the nation that puts its faith in HaShem, our God. Adonai HaShem will deliver them.
Sukkot is a festivity observed in Israel, originally a harvest festival celebrating the autumn harvest. Sukkot's modern observance is characterized by festive meals in a sukkah. A sukkah is a temporary wood-covered hut build outside an absorbent person. It is done to celebrate the Exodus from Egypt. This is a remanence or a reminder of who Israel puts their faith in by spending a week in this hut outside their home with no luxuries and exposed to the elements. They do this because of the time that the Nation of Israel spent 40-plus years in the desert with only Adonai Hashem and His cloud for cover.
So, in short, this is a war between people who believe in their own strength and people who believe in God the All-Mighty, King of the Earth, Adonai HaShem, His Name is Y-H-V-H.

The following pictures are from a YouTube video. The user name is Frum it up, and I will embed the video so you can watch it. In it, she explains all about this Holiday.

And the sons of Khush: Seva, Havilah, Sabtah, RaaMah, SavTekha. And the sons of RaaMah: Shevah, and Dedan.

7 וּבְנֵי כוּשׁ סְבָא וַחֲוִילָה וְסַבְתָּה וְרַעְמָה וְסַבְתְּכָא וּבְנֵי רַעְמָה שְׁבָא וּדְדָן׃

ז

Names Meanings

Seva = "drink thou," There seems to be something secretive about this name. No one dares to even hint at an interpretation. To a Hebrew audience, the name Seba sounded very clearly like it came from the verb סבא (saba), meaning to imbibe.
The verb סבא (saba') means to imbibe and is mostly associated with strong liquor and heavy drinking. Noun סבא (sobe) means a drink, and noun סבא (saba) means drunkard. Whatever the original name was intended to convey to a Hebrew audience, Seba must have looked like Drunkard. According to Klein's Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language, Seba means He Drank Wine.
Havila = "circle" or “district.”
RaaMah = "horse's mane/Trembling/Thundering." The name Raamah derives from the root רעם (ra'am), meaning to thunder: The unused verb רעם (ra'am) probably meant to roll like thunder. Noun רעם (ra'am) means thunder and denominative verb רעם (ra'am) means to thunder or cause to thunder. Noun רעמה (ra'ma), curiously enough, appears to be a rare word to describe a horse's mane, perhaps in the sense of its rolling or whipping.
SavTekha" = "striking/Beating/Encircle Depression." In Hebrew, the name Sabteca doesn't mean anything. But a creative reader/ listener might hear in the name Sabteca a meaning of Encircle Depression.

Sons of RaaMah

Sheva = "seven" or "an oath."
Dedan = "low country"

Ramban (1194 - 1270) Commentary: All these sons of Kham became the heads of nations, and the two sons of Raamah [namely, Sheba and Dedan] became two nations. Nimrod the son of Kush, however, did not become the head of a nation. Therefore, Scripture wrote afterward, And Kush begot Nimrod, and did not say, “and the sons of Cush: Nimrod, and Seba, and Havilah” [which would have indicated that Nimrod, like Seba and Havilah, also became the head of a nation]. But Fut the son of Kham became only one people, and not various nations as was the case with Mitzraim/Egypt and Khenaan, the sons of Kham. Therefore, Scripture did not return [to tell of the progeny of Fut, as it did with the other sons of Kham, namely, Kush, Mitzraim/Egypt and Khenaan]. In Bereshith Rabbah (written between 300 and 500 CE) we find: “Said Resh Lakish (c. 200 — c. 275), ‘We might have thought that the family of Fut was swallowed up, but Ezekiel came and explained, Fut, and Lud, and all the Arabians,’” The meaning of the Midrash is that because Scripture did not return to tell about Fut, we might have thought that his seed intermingled with the children of Khenaan and they neither became a nation, nor did they inherit a land called by their name. [The prophet Ezekiel thus clarified that the children of Fut existed as a separate nation in their own land.] However, in the case of Magog, and Madai…and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras, — the children of Yafet — Scripture also did not mention the families of their progeny: And so also with the sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, who became heads of nations; Scripture did not mention their progeny since each one just became one people inhabiting one country, and they did not give rise to various nationalities.

Sforno (c. 1470/1475-1549) Commentary: ובני כוש סבא וחוילה/And the sons of Kham: Kush, Mitzrayim, each one of these sons became a nation in its own right. This was in addition to those of his sons who continued to bear their founding father’s name.

compare Isaiah 43:3

For I am YHVH EloheyKha/your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Kush and Seba in exchange for you.

And Khush begot Nimrod. He began/profaned to be a mighty man in the earth.

8 וְכוּשׁ יָלַד אֶת־נִמְרֹד הוּא הֵחֵל לִהְיוֹת גִּבֹּר בָּאָרֶץ׃

ח

Name Meaning

Nimrod = "rebellion" or "the valiant," The name Nimrod probably has to do with מרד (marad), meaning to be rebellious or revolt.

Ibn Ezra (c. 1089/1092-c. 1164/1167) Commentary: Nimrod was the first to display man’s power over the wild beasts, for he was a mighty hunter [this will be on the next vers].

Radak (1160–1235) and Ramban (1194 - 1270) Commentary: Before Nimrod, there were neither wars nor reigning monarchs. He subjugated the Babylonians until they crowned him, After which he went to Assyria and built great cities.
וכוש ילד את נמרד/And you are a rebellious child, he was accorded prominence, i.e., separate mention, seeing that Nimrod developed into such a historical personality. הוא החל להיות גבור בארץ/He began to be a hero in the land; this does not mean that there had not been warriors, brave heroes, before his time. Clearly, amongst the antediluvian giants, נפילים/Nefelim/Fallen, there had been such men. Besides, the expression החל/begin/profane is never used to describe that some phenomenon occurred for the first time. The word החל/begin/profane describes an act performed for the first time, not the existence of something or someone for the first time. Nimrod displayed his power and bravery either by taking over one nation or even taking over numerous nations by conquering them and being appointed or appointing himself as their ruler, their king. Until the time of Nimrod, no one had possessed the effrontery to lord it wholesale over his fellow man. Nimrod invented the concept of “dictator.” These developments were a by-product of mankind having dispersed over different areas of the globe after the collapse of their attempt to “conquer” heaven [we will read about this in the next chapter].

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: להיות גבור/To be a mighty one — Mighty in causing the whole world to rebel against the Holy One, blessed be He, by the plan he devised for the generation that witnessed the separation of the races (דור הפלגה) to build the Tower of Babel (Genesis Rabbah 23:7).

R’Hirsch (1808-1888) Commentary: The Torah calls him a mighty hunter, which Rashi and most commentators interpret figuratively: Nimrod ensnared men with his words and incited them to rebel against God. He was the forerunner of the hypocrite who drapes himself in robes of piety to deceive the masses.
His first conquest, Babel, laid the basis for his subsequent empire-building. It became the center of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian Empire and was one of the ancient world's greatest cities.

Ramban (1194 - 1270) Commentary: HE BEGAN TO BE A MIGHTY ONE IN THE EARTH. Rashi wrote, “Mighty in causing the entire world to rebel against the Holy One, blessed by He, by the plan he devised for the generation that witnessed the dispersion of the races.” But if so, he began, which means that he began after the flood [for it could not mean that he was the first to begin to rebel against G-d] since in the days of the generation of Enosh, such rebellion had already begun. We may say that rebellion against G-d began in the generation of the dispersion, while in the days of Enosh, people were not yet among those who rebelled against the light; rather, they also worshipped other gods.

Ramban makes a good point, but I see another point or explanation for all this. Ramban questions the word begin. Did the people start to rebel against Hashem at the time of Nimrod or at the time of Enosh? And then he says, blessed by He. Meaning that Nimrod became mighty by the blessing of HaShem. Why would HaShem do this? I see one answer: the people of the pre-flood sinned greatly. HaShem wants to test this new generation to see what they will do. So, HaShem gifted Nimrod for him to become a great leader, knowing fully well what he would do, and also made him successful. HaShem knew the outcome of this when He did it, but HaShem can not know if the possibility was absent. Everyone gets tested, even Abraham. It is said that Abraham got tested ten times, and he passed. See, our decisions are ours alone. That is why there is free will, and that is why evil exists, for us to be tempted or tested by temptation and see what kind of person we are or will become. We make our own decisions to do good or evil. Therefore, we have full control of our destiny. Only you can save yourself, and nobody else can. If someone else could, well, that would be wrong. How can it be fair for a sinner to make it into the world/kingdom to come because someone else saved you when you did nothing to earn that reward? You can say all day and every day that you love God, but if you do not show it by your actions, how can that be love? Like if you say you love your mother, but you go out and do evil things, giving her nothing but worries every day. That is not love. That is selfish evil. This new generation got tested and failed, so they were dispersed. HaShem made them all strangers to each other by confusing their languages. We will see this in the next chapter.

Siftei Chakhamim (1641–1718) Commentary: In causing the entire world to rebel. [Rashi explains החל/begin as “rebel”] because otherwise, [if it meant “began,”] why should it say החל/begin? Nimrod was not the first to rebel against Hashem. Back in the days of Enosh, it already says (4:26), אז הוחל לקרא/at that time the righteous people of the earth began to preach monotheism to the public. Perforce, החל/begin is related to the word חילול/blasphemy. I.e., Nimrod publicly desecrated HaShem’s Name [by rebelling against Him]. (Kitzur Mizrachi) But it seems to me that החל/begin/profane must mean “began.” For if it meant “rebel”, why does it say [גבור/hero] twice? It should [combine the verses and] say, הוא החל להיות גבור ציד לפני ה/He began to be a hunting hero before the'. But if it means “began,” the verse is understandable as is. Scripture is saying: “He was the first one who began to be powerful in causing rebellion, and he was a mighty hunter before Hashem, intentionally provoking Him.” (Nachalas Yaakov)

He was a mighty man of the hunt, for the face of YHVH. Upon which was said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter to the face of YHVH.”

9 הוּא־הָיָה גִבֹּר־צַיִד לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה עַל־כֵּן יֵאָמַר כְּנִמְרֹד גִּבּוֹר צַיִד לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה׃

ט

Basically, Nimrod was a child chosen by his father, Khush, who he chose from among his other sons to be a good hunter. Probably grew up to become a hunter of great recognition at a young age and acquired a following of other hunters and warriors, later becoming their leader. Probably with this help, Nimrod, the hunters, and warriors attacked a small nation, and Nimrod proclaimed himself the ruler of it. After conquering other nations, he built the City of Babel, probably his capital. After he was done with his nation’s concurring, Nimrod talked the people into rebelling against HaShem. Another thing we have to remember is that this was done right after the Great Flood since Nimrod was Noakh’s great son, two generations from him. Another thing to remember is that since all this happened after the Great Flood when the word “nation” was used, these nations were families that became too big and separated from Noakh. So, these were probably clusters of people, not great big cities and countries like we have now.
Nimrod was the first concurrer in history. A greedy man who pursued power and became a leader of many. He wanted to swallow the other families up and become their ruler to impose his beliefs or agenda. He used his influence and power to talk the people into rebellion against HaShem.

Chizkuni (13th century) Commentary: גבור ציד לפני ה, “a great hunter before the Lord, i.e. throughout the earth.” We find a similar use of the expression when, in the Book of Jonah (Jonah 3:3), the city of Nineveh is described as עיר גדולה לאלוקים, “a great city before G-d,” where the expression means that on the whole globe, there was no city comparable in size of the population. A different interpretation of the expression: 'לפני ה “as predicted in the name of the Lord.” Compare Joshua 6:26, where Joshua predicts that anyone who would dare to rebuild the city of Jericho would pay the price in the eyes of G-d by losing his oldest son when commencing that enterprise and that he would wind up losing his last son by the time he would affix the gates to the city wall. His prediction came true in the time of the prophet Elijah when a man named Chiel, son of Eli, did exactly this and wound up losing all his sons in that order. (Kings I 16:34.) The Torah tells us that G-d decreed that a person of the type of Nimrod had to arise for Avraham to demonstrate that one could prevail even against such mighty warriors who defied the Lord.

על כן יאמר כנמרוד, “This is why people would use Nimrod as an example, saying: ‘just like Nimrod, a mighty hunter by the grace of the Lord.’” According to tradition, no ferocious beast ever escaped alive in an encounter with Nimrod. He was aided by G-d in attaining such a reputation so that G-d could demonstrate in due course that such apparently invincible warriors could not prevail against Him.
In other words, HaShem made him a very powerful man, knowing that Nimrod would try to go and persuade people to go against Him so that He could teach them that no power on earth can do so.

Ibn Ezra (c. 1089/1092-c. 1164/1167) Commentary: The meaning of before the Lord is that Nimrod built altars and offered the animals he hunted as whole offerings to God. This is the literal meaning of the verse. However, its Midrashic interpretation is different.

Ramban (1194 - 1270) Commentary: HE WAS A MIGHTY HUNTER BEFORE THE ETERNAL. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Nimrod began to be a ruler by force over people, and he was the first monarch. Until his era, there were no wars and no reigning monarchs; he first prevailed over the people of Babylon until they crowned him. After that, he went to Assyria, did it according to his will, and magnified himself. He built fortified cities with his power and might. Scripture intended this when it said, And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…and Accad…and Shinar.

Sforno (c. 1470/1475-1549) Commentary: לפני ה/before the, this does not mean that he was on the same wavelength as G’d; on the contrary, such expressions are used when someone equates himself and his illusion of power with that of G’d. Compare Jonah 3:3 עיר גדולה לאלוהים, “a great city, G’d-like.” [they were G’d-like in their arrogance. Ed.]

And his beginning kingdoms were Bavel, Erekh, Akad, and Khalne inside the land of Shinar

10 וַתְּהִי רֵאשִׁית מַמְלַכְתּוֹ בָּבֶל וְאֶרֶךְ וְאַכַּד וְכַלְנֵה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר׃

י

City Names Meanings

Bavel or Babylon = "confusion (by mixing)" the ancient site and/or capital of. Babylonia (modern Hillah), situated on the Euphrates
Erekh = "long" a city 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Ur toward Babylon (Ur is where Abraham lived before HaShem told him to go out of his father’s house and head to Canaan).
Akad = "subtle" a city in north Babylonia, also the district around it.
Khalne = "fortress of Anu," a city of Babylonia named among the cities of Nimrod, maybe modern 'Niffer.'

Shinar (a region not a city) = "country of two rivers," the ancient name for the territory later known as Babylonia or Chaldea.

Chizkuni (13th century) Commentary: ותהי ראשית ממלכתו וגו/At the beginning, his kingdom extended only to Babylonia and Accadia, extending eventually throughout the whole region of Shinar. Eventually, he even conquered the Ashur region. (Northeast) Ashur had emigrated as he could not stand Nimrod’s antiG-d attitude.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: ותהי ראשית, first he conquered Babylon and established himself as king there. Subsequently, he conquered ארך, אכד, and כלנה, all of which are part of the land known as the land of Shinar. After that, he conquered many more and more distant lands.

Sforno (c. 1470/1475-1549) Commentary: The Torah mentions this to explain that because of Nimrod’s powerful and relatively civilized kingdom, all the people moved to the valley of Shinar to be within the orbit of his power and influence. The illusion of great power, augmented by unity of purpose, led to their insurrection against G’d, and to their downfall. Central symbols always exercised a gravitational pull on people’s minds, as we see even among the Jewish people in the efforts by Jerobam to counteract the centrality of the Temple in Jerusalem. (Kings I 12:26)

From that land, he went into Ashur and built Ninve, Rekhovot together with Ir, and Kalakh.

11 מִן־הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא יָצָא אַשּׁוּר וַיִּבֶן אֶת־נִינְוֵה וְאֶת־רְחֹבֹת עִיר וְאֶת־כָּלַח׃

יא

Cities Names Meanings

Ashur (Region) or Assyria = "a step"

Ninve = "abode of Ninus," capital of the ancient kingdom of Assyria; located on the east bank of the Tigris River, 550 miles (880 km) from its mouth and 250 miles (400 km) north of Babylon.
Rekhovot = "wide places or streets" one of the four cities built by Asshur or by Nimrod in Asshur, located close to Nineveh.
Ir = "belonging to a city" son of Bela and father of Huppim and Shuppim.
Kalakh = "vigor" is one of the most ancient cities in Assyria; maybe modern 'Nimrud' is located at the confluence of the Tigris and Zab rivers.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: מן הארץ/from the land of Ashur, he went forth in the direction of Assyria. The Torah fails to tell us if Ashur belonged to the descendants of Kham or of Shem. In verse 22, we are told that Eylam and Ashur were sons of Shem so it is unlikely that here we speak of a descendant of Shem, the subject matter being the descendants of Kham, i.e., Khush. However, seeing that the Torah did not mention another Ashur, it is most probable that he was a descendant of Shem. Perhaps he had made his home for a while in the land of Shinor, i.e., regions populated by the descendants of Kham, so that the words מן הארץ ההיא יצא אשור/From that land, he went into Ashur, gain added significance, seeing that this was the first example of someone migrating from one region to another. Perhaps Ashur had even overcome Nimrod or his successor in the land of Shinor and founded a rival kingdom in Nineveh. His kingdom, as distinct from its capital, may have been named after its founder, Ashur. We definitely have evidence that the King of Ashur ruled over Babylon and its surrounding region. The various descendants of Kham were expelled from that entire region, being supplanted by the כשדים/Chaldeans in the time of Avraham. These people were descended from Shem, [else how could Avraham have been at home there? Ed.]
This whole story is only meant to remind us that the entire universe belongs to G’d, no matter how great the conquerors on Earth,

Psalms 24:1

The earth is YHVH’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein

And if He decides to take away a country from its ruler and substitute new inhabitants and rulers, He will do so at will,

Samuel I 2:9

“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.”

This is what the prophet Jeremiah spoke about when he said,

Jeremiah 27:5

“I will give it (the land) to whoever is right in My eyes.”

Ownership of a part of the earth is totally dependent on the deeds or misdeeds of the people living on that land.

Deuteronomy 32:4

“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he,”

We are not sure if the word Ashur refers only to a city or to an entire kingdom. The verses (in Genesis 25:18, or Kings II 15:19), speaking of מלך אשור/King of Assyria, or Kings II 19:11, speaking of מלכי אשור/kings of Ashur, do not give clear guidance on that point. According to Yuma 10, in the name of Rabbi Yossi, Ashur is equivalent to סלוק/Silika, (Silikia? in Iraq, on the banks of the Tigris).

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: OUT OF THAT LAND WENT FORTH ASSHUR — As soon as Asshur saw that his sons listened to Nimrod, rebelling against the Omnipresent by building the Tower, he went forth out of their midst (Genesis Rabbah 37:4).

Sforno (c. 1470/1475-1549) Commentary: מן הארץ ההיא יצא אשור/From that land came Assyria, he emigrated from there because he disagreed with Nimrod politically, i.e., he opposed the building of the Tower (fearing that G’d would punish the people including his children who were associating themselves with the rebellious project).

And Resen between Ninve and Kalakh, is the great city.

12 וְאֶת־רֶסֶן בֵּין נִינְוֵה וּבֵין כָּלַח הִוא הָעִיר הַגְּדֹלָה׃

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City Name Meaning

Resen = "bridle," a place in Ashur/Assyria between Nineveh and Calah.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: most commentators believe that the words העיר הגדולה/The great city refer to the city Nineveh, seeing that this city has been described in similar terms in Jonah 3:3. I believe that actually, these words refer to רסן/Resen, seeing that our verse speaks about this city in the first place. As mentioned, the story aims to demonstrate how ownership of even a sizable land or city is subject to rapid change. Even though Ashur established a great empire, this empire was crushed by the Babylonians who replaced them, who, in turn, were replaced in short order by the Persians and the Medes.

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: THE GREAT CITY — This refers to Nineveh (not to Calah, the last mentioned city, nor to Resen), as it is said (Jonah 3:3), “Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city” (Yoma 10a).

Steinsaltz (1937-2020) Commentary: and Resen between Nineveh and Kalah; that is the great city. Although one could infer otherwise from the verse, the great city is not Kalah but Nineveh, as indicated in other places. 39 These cities were built by the Assyrians. Apparently, Ashur went out toward the east, toward the Tigris River, to the region of the future Assyrian empire.

There seems to be a disagreement about which of the three cities is named the Great City. Most seem to be split between Ninve and Resen. According to the verse, it would seem that the Great City is Resen. However, things tend not to stay the same in history, and Ninve could have become the Great City afterward. Cities fall, and cities rise.

And MitzRaim/Egypt begot the Ludim, the Anamim, the LeHavim, the NafTukhim

13 וּמִצְרַיִם יָלַד אֶת־לוּדִים וְאֶת־עֲנָמִים וְאֶת־לְהָבִים וְאֶת־נַפְתֻּחִים׃

יג

Ludim = (Bending, Almond Tree, Twisted) From the verb לוז (luz), to bend or turn aside. From the verb ילד (yalad), to beget.
The only mister Lud mentioned in the Bible is a son of Shem, the oldest son of Noakh (Genesis 10:22), but the Ludim are descendants of Mizraim, son of Kham, the youngest son of Noakh (Genesis 10:13). It may be that there once were two patriarchs named Lud and thus two peoples named Ludim, but that one people and the other patriarch vanished from the story.
It can also be that in the language where this name came from (Phoenician), the 'd' and the 'z' were pretty much indistinguishable, and the name is actually Luz, meaning Turn of Twist, and thus the word by which the crooked almond tree was known.

I gave it some thought, and it could also mean that Lud, son of Shem, married a daughter of MizRaim/Egypt and abandoned his father’s house, Shem, and went to live in Egypt with his father-in-law. But just like everyone else, this is a theory of mine. Also, notice how both the people called Ludim and Lud, son of Shem, disappeared from history, maybe because they were both the same.

Anamim = “affliction of the waters”
There are four verbs of the form ענה ('nh), or perhaps one verb with four distinct usages:

Verb ענה ('ana I) means to answer, respond, or correspond, and since in the old world, time was considered a cycle, noun עת ('et) means time. Temporal adverb עתה ('atta) means now; adjective עתי ('itti) means timely or ready, and conjunction יען (ya'an) means on account of. Noun מענה (ma'aneh) means an answer, and noun ענה ('ona) means cohabitation.

Verb ענה ('ana II) means busy or occupied with. Noun ענין ('inyan) means occupation or task, and noun מענה (ma'ana) means place for or agent of a task.

Verb ענה ('ana III) means to afflict, oppress, or humble. Noun ענו ('anaw) refers to the poor, afflicted, or needy. Noun ענוה ('anawa) means humility. Noun ענות ('enut) means affliction. Adjective עני ('ani) means poor or afflicted. Noun עני ('oni) means affliction or poverty, and noun תענית (ta'anit) means humiliation.

Verb ענה ('ana IV) means to sing.

I think I will go with Ana III just because of who we are talking about MitzRaim/Egypt, the nation that oppressed and enslaved Jacob/Israel’s descendants for four hundred years, as foretold by HaShem.

Lehavim = “Flames, Flaming”
Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: they were so called because their faces were fiery as a flame.

NafTukhim = "openings," an unclear reference to Egypt, perhaps Lower Egypt.

Ibn Ezra (c. 1089/1092 - c. 1164/1167) Commentary: And Mitzraim begot Ludim. In my opinion, these are the names of countries, each of which was populated by a particular family. This is why all the names (in verses 13 and 14) are in the plural. Proof of this is the name Pathrusim. Additional and definite proof that this interpretation is correct is the phrase whence went forth (v. 14), for the word whence alludes to a place.

Ramban (1194 - 1270) Commentary: Scripture mentions the descendants of Mitzraim but does not specify their habitation as it does concerning the others. With the sons of Yafet it mentioned the isles, with the sons of Khush it mentioned the land of Shinar and Asshur, and with the sons of Khenaan it mentioned the boundaries of their land, and likewise with the sons of Shem. This was because Mitzraim (Egypt), the land of his habitation, was known for it was called by his name, and all his children lived around Egypt, and the names of their countries were also like their names. Thus we find for Pathrusim, [one of the children of Mitzraim], the land of Pathrus, which is part of the land of Egypt, as it says, And I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. And I will make Pathros desolate; Into the land of their origin. Similarly, Lud and all the Arabians were also around Egypt, and the names of their countries were like their names. The land of the Philistines was also called Philistia, and so it is written [in Exodus 15:14], the inhabitants of Philistia.
In the opinion of the commentators, the meaning of the expression that went forth is that they begot them, just as in the expression, And kings shall come out of thy loins. Now Rashi wrote: “They [the Philistines] were descended from both of them [the Pathrusim and the Casluhim], for the Pathrusim and Casluhim used to live together in promiscuous intercourse, and the Philistines were their offspring. Thus in Bereshith Rabbah.”

the Patrusim, the Kaslukhim, which the Pelishtim came from, and the Kaftorim.

14 וְאֶת־פַּתְרֻסִים וְאֶת־כַּסְלֻחִים אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ מִשָּׁם פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְאֶת־כַּפְתֹּרִים׃

יד

Descendency of Miztraim/Egypt Names Meaning

Patrusim = “region of the south”

Kashlukhim = The name of Egypt's South Land. To a Hebrew audience, however, the dominant segment כסל, which comprises the initial part of the name, looks a lot like the verb כסל (kasal), meaning to be foolish. The segment סלח (salah) is a common verb that means to forgive or pardon; this verb always describes God's forgiving of man. Together with the particle כ (ke), as if, like, the name would mean As If They Forgive, or As If They Were Forgiven, which seems to express a doubt and doesn't sound very positive; the Kashlukhim are the Fools.

Pelishtim = “Grievers, Burrowers, Weakeners.” The verb פלש (palash) mostly means to roll around in ashes or dust due to intense grief. In cognate languages, it describes digging tunnels or burrows. The verb פרר (parar) means to split, divide, and usually make more, expand, or multiply. This root belongs to an extended family that also contains פרץ (paras), to break (through), פרש (paras and parash), to spread out or declare, פרס (paras), to break in two or divide, and פאר (pa'ar) means to branch out or to glorify.

Kaftorim = Descendants of Kaftor, son of Mitzraim/Egypt. Kaftor = “Unknown but perhaps: Protected, Redeemed, Cup, Crown or Pomegranate,” or “Broad Sweeping Open Hand, Smoothly Worn Rock Dove.”
The verb כפר (kapar) describes the formation of a protective perimeter around a vulnerable interior.
Noun כפר (koper) describes the price of a human life, i.e., the purchasing price and maintenance costs of keeping a person out of slavery. This is not simply a sum of money but an economic protective layer of various hedges and investments. The noun כפרים (kippurim) is a plural of the previous and denotes a massive free-buying and free-keeping of many people at once.
Nouns כפר (kapar) and כפר (koper) mean village but emphasize not the mere huddling together of folks but rather any rudimentary social stratification that mimics the natural formation of eukaryotic cells, with cell walls, organelles and a nucleus that hosts the wisdom tradition.

Rabbeinu Bahya (1255–1340) Commentary: “And the Pathrusim and the Casluhim, whence the Philistines came forth.” The Torah stresses this to tell us that the nation of the Philistines has its origin in bastardy. The two above-mentioned nations engaged in wife-swapping, and the Philistines emerged as a result of this incest (compare Bereshit Rabbah 37:5).

Bereshit Rabbah 37:5

“Patrusim” – Parvitot. “Kasluḥim” – Pekusim. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana (Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE) said: Patrusim and Kasluḥim produced illegitimate Children; these would steal the wives of those, and those would steal the wives of these. What emerged from them? Philistines – mighty, Kaftorim – dwarfs.

All these descendants of Mitzrayim have names that end with the letters ים, “sea,” an allusion to their eventual demise in the sea (Pessikta Zutrata). The first of these nations was called לודים/Ludim since they were both born in the sea and drowned in the sea.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: ואת...אשר יצאו משם פלשתים/And...whom the Philistines came out from there, it is not clear if the Philistines are the offspring of only the Kassluchim or from both the Patrussim and the Kassluchim who had intermarried among themselves so that the Philistines had genetic input from both these families. It is interesting that the expression שם/Name or משם/from there, i.e., expressions used to describe physical locations and origins, are also used elsewhere in a genetic sense, such as in Genesis 49:24 משם רועה אבן ישראל, “from there he became the shepherd of Israel.”

I think the Philistines, the original, not the Philistines of today, came from both nations because the name would not have changed if they had come from only one. They would have stayed with the name of the family or country they were from. But if it is a combination of two, then that is a new race of a combination of two nations. A result of the unity of the two nations combined for the reasons given above.

Siftei Chakhamim (1641–1718) Commentary: And the Plishtim descended from them. If the Plishtim descended from the Kasluchim alone, it should say: “And the Kasluchim produced the Plishtim,” and omit, “From whom came.” Furthermore, Scripture cannot identify which Kasluchim it speaks of — i.e., they are the ones from which the Plishtim came — as no other mention of Kasluchim appears in Scripture. (Nachalas Yaakov)

And Khenaan begot Tzidon, his first born, and Khet

15 וּכְנַעַן יָלַד אֶת־צִידֹן בְּכֹרוֹ וְאֶת־חֵת׃

טו

UKhenaan | Yalad | Et-Tzidon | BeKhoro | VeEt-Khet

Names Meanings

Tzidon = “Fishery, Hunting Place,” the etymology and original meaning of the name Tzidon is unknown, and formally spoken, but a Hebrew audience would probably tie the name Tzidon to the root group צוד (sud). The verb צוד (sud) means to hunt or fish, or more generally, to get meat rather than veggies, and by working for it in the wild rather than purchasing it at a store. This verb obviously has a very strong cognitive connotation in the Bible. It would concern an active pursuit of problems and their solutions rather than learning from whatever happens (veggies) or absorbing other people's theories at some school (food store). The letter nun, upon which this name ends, maybe a remnant of the waw-nun couple that creates a localized or personified manifestation of the verb (Place Of Such And Such; Guy That Does Such And Such). Because Sidon is a coastal city, most of the hunting done there would be fishing.

Khet = "terror"

Rabbeinu Bahya (1255–1340) Commentary: We have now heard about ten descendants of Khenaan; all of them (and their lands) were promised to Avraham when G’d promised him the Holy Land at the covenant between the pieces. We read there (Genesis 15:18-19), “To your descendants, I have given this land from the river adjoining Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates; the Kenite, the Kenizite, the Kadmoni, etc.” The Torah enumerates a total of ten Canaanite nations in that instance. These nations appear with different names in chapter 15 because, in this chapter, only the names given to their respective founders by their fathers are mentioned. At the time G’d promised the lands of these nations to Avraham, their names had changed, and they no longer spoke the same language as they had spoken when they were born and grew up. When you count the names of Knenaan’s descendants listed here, you will find eleven. This is easily accounted for; Khenaan’s firstborn, Tzidon, was the one who was called “the Canaanite.” He was joined by one of his brothers, who never developed into a clan that qualified for the term “nation.”
Of the ten nations whose land G’d promised to Avraham, only seven were subsequently conquered by the Israelites in the days of Joshua. But the three remaining ones, i.e., The Kenite, the Kenizite, and the Kadmoni, have never been conquered by the Jewish people. In other words, the passage in which G’d promised all these nations to Avraham indicates a future for the Jewish people after their exile when G’d make good His promise. G’d’s thoughts are very profound indeed. Consider for a moment why He wanted Khenaan of all people to own the Holy Land before it came into possession by the Jewish people. Seeing that Khenaan was the slave who became the servant of Shem at his father’s command and who acquired the Holy Land at the time all the nations were split up, there would not be the slightest complaint by anyone who would be dispossessed due to the Jewish people taking over that land. Had it not belonged to slaves who, by definition, do not own anything in their own right, G’d would have had to justify dispossessing such a people. Now that this land was “owned” by the Canaanites, there was not even a need to justify their becoming dispossessed.

And the Ivisi, and the Emori, and the Girgashi

16 וְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִי וְאֶת־הָאֱמֹרִי וְאֵת הַגִּרְגָּשִׁי׃

טז

VeEt-HaIvusi | VeEt-HaEmori | VeEt-HaGirGashi

Descendants Names Meanings

Ivusi = “Of The Trodden Underfoot, The Down Tramplers” From the verb בוס (bus), to trample down. The verb בוס (bus) means to tread down or trample with the effect of destruction. Noun מבוסה (mebusa) describes the condition of being down-trodden: subjugation. Noun תבוסה (tebusa) describes the action of it: ruin or downfall.

Eroi = “Sayers/Talkers” From the verb אמר (amar), to talk.

Girgashi = “Dwellers In A Clayey Soil, or Take And Stroke” From words that describe clay or black mud or from the verb גרר (garar), to drag or drag away. The name Girgashite is hard to explain. A Hebrew audience might have had associations with the verb גרר (garar), meaning to drag out or away.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: ואת היבוסי/and the Hivasi, all of these [after Tzidon and Khet, Ed.] have the letter י/y [in this case, ee sound like bee.] at the end, signifying who they belong to. The families emanating from them carried the name of their respective forbear. This is also why they have the letter ה/The at the beginning of their names, signifying that they were a known entity. i.e., the letter ה/The as definitive article. The הפריזי/the Frisian is not mentioned here seeing that the definitive article is not applied to an individual person. Perhaps he was one of the sons of Canaan about whom G’d had not spoken to Avraham, seeing He spoke to him only about ten of these sons (Genesis 15:19-21). Tzidon may be excluded here as not being included in the list of Canaanite tribes even though the territory of Tzidon was adjacent to the other Canaanite territories, just north of them. We have this on the authority of Yaakov who said (Genesis 49:13) that the territory of Zevulun would border on Tzidon. We also have the borders of the Canaanite tribes described as extending southwards from Tzidon in verse 19 of our chapter. The fact is that G’d gave to Avraham, i.e., his descendants, the land of the Canaanites i.e., all their territory, everything within its original borders. [Tzidon never became part of the land of Israel.] On different occasions in the Torah when the subject came up, only some of the names of the tribes are listed, sometimes 7, sometimes 6, and in chapter 15 ten such names are mentioned. It is possible that one or another of these sons of Canaan was known by more than one name. Still, they all had the family name “Canaanite” in common tracing themselves to their ancestor by that name.

Perhaps Tzidon was omitted because they kept to themselves and were self-sufficient. As their name implies, they were fisherman and hunters and did not go to civilization to buy food. Therefore, they did not participate in the sins of their brothers in their solitude. For this, this may be why they are not counted among the disposed of their land. Maybe they were redeemable in the eyes of HaShem, meaning that they were not as sinful as their brothers and were worth saving. If this is so, they are a testament that anyone can be saved if even one tribe of Khenaan might have been.
When it comes to the different numbers in the Torah for the Canaanites, I can only speculate that some of them were united or eaten up by the bigger tribes, families, or nations, causing the numbers of the Canaanite tribes to be different in different sections of the Torah.

And the Khivi, and the Arki, and the Sini

17 וְאֶת־הַחִוִּי וְאֶת־הַעַרְקִי וְאֶת־הַסִּינִי׃

יז

VeEt-HaKhivi | VeEt-HaArki | VeEt-HaSini

Descendant Names Meanings

Khivi/Hivites = "villagers" 6th generation of descendants of Canaan, the son of Kham, who were living in northern Canaan near Mount Hermon at the time of the conquest.

Arki/Arkites = "gnawing (by persistently worrying or distressing.)"

Sini/Sinites = "thorn" or "clay" Cananaates inhabiting the northern part of the Lebanon district.

And the Arvadi, and the Tzemari, and the Khamati. And then the Canaanite families were scattered.

18 וְאֶת־הָאַרְוָדִי וְאֶת־הַצְּמָרִי וְאֶת־הַחֲמָתִי וְאַחַר נָפֹצוּ מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי׃

יח

Descendant Names Meanings

Arvadi/Arvadites = "I shall break loose" the descendants of Arvad (Arvad means Wandering, Fugitive)

Tzemari/Tzemari = "double woolens" From the noun צמר (tzemer), wool. It's not clear what the unused verb צמר (tzamar) might have meant, but the noun צמר (tzemer) means wool, and the noun צמרת (tzammeret) describes the top of a particularly wooly tree (or so it assumed).

Kjamati/Jamatite = “People Of Fortification, Hotness, Waterskin” from the verb חמם (hamam), to be hot and is sometimes used to describe mental agitation. Nouns חם (hom) and חמה (hamma) mean heat. Adjective חם (ham) means hot. The noun חמן (hamman) denotes a mysterious small pillar (perhaps a device?). Noun חמת (hemet) means waterskin and may derive from a different verb. Still, the verb נהר (nahar) means both to flow (of water) and to shine (of light), and a waterskin filled with water is not unlike a kiln containing a very warm fire.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: And then the Canaanite families were scattered. The ones mentioned previously, i.e., the Canaanites, were scattered to a different region, to the land called afterward” the land of Canaan.” After the languages were confused.

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: From these, many families were spread abroad (besides those already mentioned in this chapter in verses 5 and 15 through 18).

Siftei Chakhamim (1641–1718) Commentary: Many families. ואחר נפצו/And then scattered cannot refer to the above-mentioned descendants of Canaan, [saying that they spread across the earth,] for then it should say just ואחר נפצו/And then scattered and omit משפחות הכנעני/Canaanite families. For it clearly would refer back to those above. Perforce, it says משפחות הכנעני/Canaanite families to tell us that “from these, many other families branched out.” This resembles Noakh’s three sons [from whom many families branched out]. (Re’m)

Why do I think the Torah bothers to tell us that these families or nations were scattered? These are my thoughts. The Torah tells us that Kham was the sinning man out of Noakh’s three sons, and like I previously mentioned, sin must exist all the way to the Messiah’s coming. So, these sinning nations, descendants of Kham, must scatter all over the other nations for sin to exist in all the nations. This is not to say that a member of Shem or Yafet’s family cannot sin, but I believe that HaShem, our God, had a purpose for letting Kham survive the Great Flood. We know that Adonai HaShem is all-knowing and knows the past, present, and future of all and everyone. So He knew Kham and his evil heart and still let Kham survive the Flood even though he, too, should have perished with the other sinful people from before the Flood. As I have said before, evil must exist in this world so that we can be tested and grow as a God-fearing person. We must show our God, HaShem, that we love Him and will follow His Law by not doing evil even though evil exist all around us. Evil people must exist to tempt us and show us the wrong way so that we can make a decision. Follow Y-H-V-H God or follow the easy life of sin and meaningless pleasure. Nobody can save you but yourself. This is the choice that the true God of all in existence gives you to live or die; it is your choice. Your life is in your hands and no one else.

And the borders of the Kenaani/Canaanites were from Tzidon/Sidon in the direction of Gerar/Gerar as far as Aza/Gaza and in the direction of Sedoma/Sodom, Amora/Gomorrah, Adema/Admah, and Tzeboyim/Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

19 וַיְהִי גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי מִצִּידֹן בֹּאֲכָה גְרָרָה עַד־עַזָּה בֹּאֲכָה סְדֹמָה וַעֲמֹרָה וְאַדְמָה וּצְבֹיִם עַד־לָשַׁע׃

יט

Chizkuni (13th century) Commentary: ויהי גבול הכנעני וגו, “and the boundaries of the territory ruled over by the Canaanite were, etc.” The details of the Torah provided here are exceptional and are listed only because, in the future, the Israelites would inherit the lands owned by the Canaanites.

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: Now the Torah mentions the territorial boundaries extending from Tzidon to Sodom but fails to list all the boundaries, seeing that these will be mentioned independently on future occasions. The story here has as its function to inform us that it had been G’d’s will that the Canaanites settle permanently in one region until the time came for their destruction in the days of Moses and Joshua, seeing that G’d had chosen the Israelites to dwell in that land. The settlement of the Canaanite tribes in the land later became the land of Israel for the sake of the Israelites. When the Israelites took over that country, which had been developed agriculturally and in which most of the infrastructure of a wealthy nation remained, it saved them the trouble of developing virgin land, [as did the Europeans who settled in America. Ed.] The Torah points that out specifically in Deuteronomy 6:11.

Deuteronomy 6:10-14

“And when YHVH your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget YHVH, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is YHVH, your God, you shall fear. Him you shall serve, and by his name, you shall swear.”

G’d brought the Jewish people to a land with beautiful cities they did not have to build, houses full of every good thing that the Jews did not have to accumulate, water cisterns full of drinking water supplies, etc. It is clear from the verse in Deut. 32:8.

Deuteronomy 32:8

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.

To this, we already referred to the fact that the sections of territory occupied by the Canaanites had been designed from the outset as the territory that would when the time was ripe, be allocated to the 12 tribes of the Jewish people. The Canaanites preceded the Israelites, seeing that they had been cursed to be slaves to the descendants of Shem, i.e., Israel. A slave prepares things so that his master can subsequently enjoy them.

These are the sons of Kham to their families, to their languages, in their land, in their nations.

20 אֵלֶּה בְנֵי־חָם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִלְשֹׁנֹתָם בְּאַרְצֹתָם בְּגוֹיֵהֶם׃

כ

Even though they were from the same father, all the sons of Kham had their own language and separated from each other to form their nations in the land of Canaan.

Shem’s Descendants

And for Shem, brother of Yafet the oldest, he, also begot, he fathered all the sons of Ever.

21 וּלְשֵׁם יֻלַּד גַּם־הוּא אֲבִי כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵבֶר אֲחִי יֶפֶת הַגָּדוֹל׃

כא

Ever was Shem’s grandson. Shem begot Arpakhshad, Arpakhshad begot Shalakh, and Shalakh begot Ever, from Ever’s descendants Abraham came.

Ibn Ezra (c. 1089/1092 - c. 1164/1167) Commentary: THESE ARE THE SONS OF KHAM, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES, AFTER THEIR TONGUES. Scripture says the same concerning the children of Yafet and the children of Shem.

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: AFTER THEIR TONGUES, IN THEIR LANDS — Although these were of different tongues and lands, they are all sons of Kham.

Although we are getting an account of the genealogies of the three sons of Noakh, the dispersion, and the different languages will be explained in the next chapter. Languages were different even within the same genealogies of the same parent. Farther separating the nations even with the same father that came from Noakh.

The sons of Shem were Eylam, Ashur, Arpakhshad, Lud, and Aram

22 בְּנֵי שֵׁם עֵילָם וְאַשּׁוּר וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁד וְלוּד וַאֲרָם׃

כב

Names Meanings

Elam = "Hidden" The name Elam comes from the Hebrew verb עלם ('alam) and can be derived from any of the following: The verb עלם ('alam) means to be hidden or concealed, and the noun תעלמה (ta'alumma) describes a hidden thing, but all this with an emphasis on potential coming out rather than hiding form, say, safety or mysteriousness. Noun עלם ('elem) describes a young man, עלמה ('alma) a young woman, and עלומים ('alumim) youth(s) in general, which appears to appeal to the still "hidden" potential of youth. Likewise, the noun עולם (olam), which means forever or everlasting, appears to refer to the potential of any present situation, which may be realized when time is unlimited.

Ashur = “Level Plain, Step, Happy, Just” From the verb אשר ('asher), to go (straight) on, or ישר (yashar), to be level, straight up, just.

Arpakhshat = "I shall fail as the breast: he cursed the breast-bottle or perhaps from comparable cognate words meaning Boundary Of The Chaldeans." Whatever the name Arpakhshad may mean, the meaning is deeply hidden.

Lud = “Bending, Almond Tree, Twisted, Productivity.” Lud is one of the very few names with no meaning in Hebrew. Taking this name to be the same as LUZ, reads Bending.

Aram = “Elevated, Exalted” From the verb רום (rum), to be high.

Steinsaltz (1937-2020) Commentary: The sons of Shem were Elam, Ashur, and Arpakhshad (whom some consider the father of the Chaldeans, the Babylonians) and Lud. The name Lud might be related to Lydia, a region in Asia Minor, not the Ludim, mentioned above among the children of Mitzrayim. And Shem's last son is Aram.

And the sons of Aram: Utz, Khul, Geter, and Mash.

23 וּבְנֵי אֲרָם עוּץ וְחוּל וְגֶתֶר וָמַשׁ׃

כג

Names Meanings

Utz = "wooded"

Khul = to be born. To twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), that is, to dance, to writhe in pain; to wait, to pervert:- bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, form. the country of Job, probably east and southeast of Palestine somewhere in the Arabian desert.

Geter = “Fear”

Mash = "drawn out"

Steinsaltz (1937-2020) Commentary: The sons of Aram were Utz (who appears in the book of Job and elsewhere), Hul, Geter, and Mash.

I have heard that the Book of Job is probably even older than all the other books in the Bible. It is the 28th book in the Bible/Tanakh, but if we take these words into account, the story of Job took place around the time of the dispersion or after and before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The time when the book was written is unknown, and the author who wrote it is also unknown, but it is said that the author might have been Moses, Job himself, who could have best recalled his own words, or Elihu, the fourth friend who spoke toward the end of the story.

And Arpakhshad begot Shalakh, and Shalakh begot Ever.

24 וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁד יָלַד אֶת־שָׁלַח וְשֶׁלַח יָלַד אֶת־עֵבֶר׃

כד

Names Meanings

Shalakh = “sprout, or send.” The verb שלח (shalah) basically means to send. It's most used to describe the action of one person who sends another person somewhere or to do something (Genesis 42:4, Numbers 22:15). But it also frequently describes God sending someone (Exodus 3:12, 2 Samuel 12:1), an angelic messenger (Genesis 24:7), or some other agent (Psalm 43:3). Our verb may also be used in the sense of stretching out, especially of a hand towards something or against someone (Genesis 37:22, 1 Kings 13:4, Job 1:12). Our verb may also mean to send away (Judges 11:38), divorce (Isaiah 50:1), let loose (Psalm 50:19), set free (Genesis 8:7), shoot (arrows - 1 Samuel 20:20, or branches - Jeremiah 17:8), or let down (Jeremiah 38:6).

Ever = “The Region Beyond, One From Beyond, He Who Passed Over.” The important verb עבר ('abar) means to pass or cross over (a river, border, obstacle or terrain). The derived noun עבר ('eber) describes what or where you end up when you do the verb: the other side or region beyond.

Steinsaltz (1937-2020) Commentary: And Arpakhshad begot Shela; and Shela begot Ever. This family line is most significant for the continuation of the story of the children of Shem because Abraham came from them.

The name Shalakh means sending someone or God sending someone, and, curiously, this is what HaShem did for Abraham. HaShem told Abraham to separate, a term that could be said to be a divorce from, which is also one of the meanings of the name of Shalakh, from his father’s house and sent him over the river to a land that God would show him. He was later told by HaShem that the land he was wondering about was to be an inheritance for his descendants forever, this land being the land of the Canaanites.
The name Ever means to pass or cross over or describes where you end up when you cross over. When Abraham went to Canaan at HaShem's command, he crossed, I believe, the River Euphrates to get to the land of Canaan. This is why he was called an Ivrit/Hebrew, which means from the other side or to cross over, by the Canaanites because he came from the other side of the river. HaShem knows everything ahead of time, and He guides this world to the end that He planned ahead of time. And also, can you see that just reading the Bible is not enough? You have to study and immerse yourself in the Torah. If you do, you will see God’s plan and His love for us and how He guides this world to an end that He has seen when He formed this rock called Earth for us all.

And for Ever also begot two sons. The name of the one (it says one here and not first) was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Yoktan.

25 וּלְעֵבֶר יֻלַּד שְׁנֵי בָנִים שֵׁם הָאֶחָד פֶּלֶג כִּי בְיָמָיו נִפְלְגָה הָאָרֶץ וְשֵׁם אָחִיו יָקְטָן׃

כה

Names Meanings

Peleg = “Division” The name Peleg comes from the verb פלג (palag), to split or divide. The noun פלג (peleg) means channel or canal and noun פלגה (pelagga) means stream or division. Nouns פלגה (pelugga) and noun מפלגה (miplagga) mean division.

Yoktan = “the little one, Smallness, or He Will Be Small.” The verb קטן (qaton) means to be small or insignificant. Adjectives קטן (qatan) and קטן (qaton) mean small, young or insignificant. Noun קטן (qeton) refers to the little finger.

Chizkuni (13th century) Commentary: פלג, כי בימיו נפלגה הארץ/for in his days the earth was divided, “Peleg,” so-called as during his lifetime the population of the earth was split up. According to Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel (10 BCE - 70 CE), Bereshit Rabbah 37:7 states that former generations who had been prophets were able to name their children in a manner that reflected important acts that they would perform in the future, whereas we who are not “prophets” and who did not know, i.e., we did not witness the deeds which made our forefathers famous, (as the lifespan had been so drastically curtailed) must name our children after our ancestors to keep alive at least some knowledge of their importance during their lifetime.

Radak (1160 – 1235) Commentary: שם האחד פלג/The name of the one was Peleg; the Torah immediately supplies the reason for this strange-sounding name, i.e., hardly a good omen, by writing that the split in the unity of mankind when the languages were confused occurred during his lifetime [this will happen on the next chapter. The accounts in that next chapter will happen during the time of Peleg’s life].

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: נפלגה/WAS DIVIDED [meaning THE EARTH, this will happen in the next chapter] — The languages became confounded and they (the peoples) were scattered abroad from the plain of Shinar, and were dispersed throughout the whole world. We may learn from this that Eber was a prophet, for he gave his son the name פלג/Peleg, “division” after an event that was to happen in the future (Genesis Rabbah 37:7). For we learn in Seder Olam [A 2nd-century CE Hebrew language chronology detailing the dates of biblical events from creation to Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia.] that it was during the last of his days that they were dispersed abroad. For if you argue that this happened early in his life (and that, therefore, he was not anticipating the future in so naming his son, but that the name referred to an event that had already happened), behold, his brother Joktan was younger than he and he had begotten many families previous to the dispersion, as it is said (10:26) “And Joktan begot, etc.” and only afterward is it stated “And the whole earth was etc.” (regarding the dispersion). If, on the other hand, you argue that the dispersal happened in the middle period of his life, then I reply that the verse surely does not intend to refer to the time when the dispersion took place in an indefinite manner but to state quite definitely when it was. Hence, you may learn that they were dispersed in the year of Peleg’s death.

Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: יקטן/JOKTAN — He was so called (“the little one”) because he was so humble and thought little (ומקטין) of himself; therefore, he merited the privilege of rearing all these families (Genesis Rabbah 37:7).

Siftei Chakhamim (1641–1718) Commentary: And thought little of himself. Rashi is answering the question: Why does Scripture change the style of its text when telling about the birth of Ever’s sons? For it is written: “Two sons were born to Ever.” This is unlike other births, where it says, for instance, “Arpachshad produced Shelach,” and “Yakton produced Almodad, Shelef.” Perforce Scripture changed the style of its text and writes, “Two sons were born to Ever,” [because] he named them on account of an event. But the question is: Indeed, Scripture gave a reason for naming Peleg so. But why was Yakton named so? It must be because he thought little of himself. Ever saw all this prophetically. But the Re’m written that Rashi especially explains Yakton because it is derived from קטן/little [a Hebrew word].

And Yoktan begot Almodad, Shalef, Khatzarmavet, Yarakh,

26 וְיָקְטָן יָלַד אֶת־אַלְמוֹדָד וְאֶת־שָׁלֶף וְאֶת־חֲצַרְמָוֶת וְאֶת־יָרַח׃

כו

Names Meanings

Almodad = “Immeasurable, God Is Beloved, How God Loves!”

Shalef = “a drawing forth or Drawn Out.” The name Shelef comes from the verb שלף (shalap), meaning to draw out or off. The verb שלף (shalap) means to draw out (a foot from a sandal, a sword from its sheath, grass from a rooftop). It has no derivatives.

Khatzarmavet = “Village Of Death, Court Of Death” From (1) the noun חצר (haser), court or village, and (2) the noun מות (mawet), death, from the verb מות (mut), to die.
Radak (1160 – 1235) Commentary: This name is one word, though it may sound as if it should be two words.
Rashi (c. 1040 - 1105) Commentary: He was the so-called (Court of Death) after his city. So is the statement of the Aggadah.
Siftei Chakhamim (1641–1718) Commentary: He was so-called because of his city. [The Aggadah explains that] the people of that city awaited death [מות/death] every day because they [were very poor] and ate animal fodder.

Yarakh = “new moon”

Hadoram, Uzal, Dikla,

27 וְאֶת־הֲדוֹרָם וְאֶת־אוּזָל וְאֶת־דִּקְלָה׃

כז

VeEt-HaDoram | VeEt-Uzal | VeEt-Dikla

Names Meanings

Hadoram = “noble honour"

Uzal = “I shall be flooded, Vanish, Going Away"

Dikla = "palm grove"

Oval, Avimael, Sheval,

28 וְאֶת־עוֹבָל וְאֶת־אֲבִימָאֵל וְאֶת־שְׁבָא׃

כח

VeEt-Oval | VeEt-Avimael | VeEt-Sheva,

Names Meanings

Oval = "stripped bare." The name Oval may originally have meant To Be Bare, but for a Hebrew audience, it may have sounded like No Cloud / Clear Skies.

Avimael = "My father is El (God), God Is Father, A Father Is El, My Father From God." From (1) the noun אב ('ab), father, (2) the letter מ, "from," and (3) the word אל ('el), God.

Sheval = "seven" or "an oath."

Ofil, Khavila, and Yovav all these are the sons of Yoktan.

29 וְאֶת־אוֹפִר וְאֶת־חֲוִילָה וְאֶת־יוֹבָב כָּל־אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי יָקְטָן׃

כט

Names Meanings

Ofil = "reducing to ashes"

Khavila = "circle" or “district” From the verb חול (hul), to whirl.

Yovav = “desert”

And their dwelling was from Mesha to Sefara, the hill/mountain country to the east.

30 וַיְהִי מוֹשָׁבָם מִמֵּשָׁא בֹּאֲכָה סְפָרָה הַר הַקֶּדֶם׃

ל

Steinsaltz (1937-2020) Commentary: These tribes settled in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.

These are the sons of Shem, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

31 אֵלֶּה בְנֵי־שֵׁם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִלְשֹׁנֹתָם בְּאַרְצֹתָם לְגוֹיֵהֶם׃

לא

Steinsaltz (1937 - 2020) Commentary: These are the sons of Shem, as they gradually spread: After their families, clans, and tribes; after their tongues, as each family developed a language of its own; in their lands, since afterward they spread out over a geographical expanse; and after their nations, for each became a nation in its own right.

These are the families of the sons of Noakh, according to their generations, in their nations, and from these, these nations they divided on the earth after the flood.

32 אֵלֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹת בְּנֵי־נֹחַ לְתוֹלְדֹתָם בְּגוֹיֵהֶם וּמֵאֵלֶּה נִפְרְדוּ הַגּוֹיִם בָּאָרֶץ אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל׃

לב

Chizkuni (13th century) Commentary: אלה משפחות בני נח, “these are the families of Noakh’s sons;” in this paragraph, we find 70 descendants; 14 descendants of Yafet; 30 of Kham, and 26 of Shem. These are the founding fathers of the famous “70 nations” of the earth. All the nations that stem from them bear the names of these founding fathers. For instance, we already read in Genesis 4:17 when Kayin built the first city for his son, and he named the city after his son. Compare Psalms: 49:12 בשמותם עלי אדמות, “after the names of those who had been famous on earth.”

Radak (1160–1235) Commentary: אלה..אחר המבול/These.. after the flood, what does the deluge have to do with this, seeing the people were not dispersed until after they built the Tower [next chapter] [approximately 300 years later. Ed.]? The meaning of this verse is that all these families of Noakh’s children were born after the deluge, only to be scattered all over the globe, something which occurred after the building of the Tower [next chapter].

NOAKH’S DESCENDENTS