Genesis 10:6-20

GENESIS—NOTE ON Genesis 10:6 Many of Israel’s enemies, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Philistines, and various Canaanite groups, descended from Ham. Cush and Put are regions south and west of Egypt, respectively. Cush fathered Nimrod (v. Genesis 10:8). This may seem unusual since Cush is linked geographically with Africa, and Nimrod with the great cities of Babel and Nineveh in Assyria. The military might of the Assyrians and Babylonians may account for the observations that Nimrod was a mighty man and a mighty hunter (vv. Genesis 10:8, Genesis 10:9). These descriptions are probably to be viewed negatively. Nimrod’s aggression runs totally counter to God’s intentions. Babel... in the land of Shinar (v. Genesis 10:10). These details link Nimrod with the Tower of Babel episode (Genesis 11:2, Genesis 11:9). Nimrod’s kingdom is the opposite of what God desired. The great city (Genesis 10:12) probably refers to a region that included both Nineveh and Calah (see Jonah 3:3). “Canaanite” is sometimes used to cover all the different groups mentioned in Genesis 10:15 (e.g., Genesis 28:1).