THE NATIONS DESCENDED FROM NOAH This section gives the origins and situations of the nations of the world, as their relationships were conceived by the early Hebrews. Before passing to the history of the chosen race, the author traces the ties by which the rest of mankind are united with his own peo... [ Continue Reading ]
It is likely that this v. in its complete form ran: 'Of these were the coasts and islands of the peoples divided. These are the sons of Japheth, in their lands, each according to his language, after their families, in their peoples.' Cp. Genesis 10:20; Genesis 10:31. 6, 7, 13-19 The sons of Ham.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAM] a name for Egypt. The 'sons of Ham' means the nations connected with Egypt geographically or politically. They were all S. of Palestine. CUSH] Ethiopia or Nubia, S. of Egypt. PHUT] probably the 'Punt' of Egyptian inscriptions, on the E. African coast.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEBA.. HAVILAH.. SABTAH.. RAAMAH.. SHEBA.. DEDAN..] all countries bordering on the African or Arabian coasts of the Red Sea. 8-12. This paragraph interrupts the connexion. Before and after it are simple genealogies. The CUSH of Genesis 10:8 is thought to be distinct from the African CUSH of Genesis... [ Continue Reading ]
BEGAT] was the progenitor of. NIMROD] the one personal figure of the chapter. Here his name is proverbial as that of a mighty hunter (Genesis 10:9). He founds both Babylonian and Assyrian civilisation (Genesis 10:10). There is no trace of Nimrod as an historical character on the monuments, and it ha... [ Continue Reading ]
BABEL] BABYLON. ERECH] Warka, on the left bank of the Euphrates. ACCAD] the ancient name of N. Babylonia; also a city, the capital of Sargon I, the earliest historical ruler of all Babylonia. CALNEH] probably the same as Nippur, the modern Niffier, recently excavated by the Pennsylvanian expedition.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF THAT LAND WENT FORTH ASSHUR] RV 'out of that land he (Nimrod) went forth into Assyria.' This v. correctly indicates that Assyria owed its civilisation to Babylonia: it was also politically dependent until the 10th cent. b.c. NINEVEH] the modern Kouyunjik on the Tigris, the ancient capital of... [ Continue Reading ]
CANAAN] Phœnicia and Palestine. The Canaanites were a Semitic race, speaking a language near akin to Hebrew. They are here assigned to Ham, perhaps contemptuously, or possibly because Palestine was a province of Egypt previous to the exodus. SIDON] the Phœnician seaport. HETH] The Hittites are now w... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BORDER OF THE CANAANITE] from ZIDON in the north, to GAZA, a Philistine city in the direction of Gerar. The other cities mentioned in Numbers 13:19 were probably, but not certainly, at the S. end of the Dead Sea. 21-31. The sons of Shem. The nations connected racially or geographically with the... [ Continue Reading ]
ELAM] NE. of Babylonia. Its capital was Susa. ASSHUR] Assyria. ARPHAXAD] RV 'Arpachshad': uncertain. Some connect it with the Kasdim or Chaldeans who lived on the Persian Gulf and became rulers of Babylonia. Lud], uncertain, possibly Lydia in Asia Minor. ARAM] Syria, NE. of Palestine. Damascus was a... [ Continue Reading ]
UZ] probably near Edom, see Job 1:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Peleg] 'divided.' IN HIS DAYS WAS THE EARTH DIVIDED] alluding perhaps to the dispersion of man described in Genesis 11.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sons of JOKTAN represent various Arabian tribes. HAZARMAVETH] Hadramaut in S. Arabia. UZAL] the capital of Yemen. SHEBA and Havilah] See prefatory remark and on Genesis 10:7. OPHIR] a famous region, the locality of which is still in dispute. Some place it in E. Africa in Mashonaland, where rema... [ Continue Reading ]