The Table of Nations
(1 Chronicles 1:4–27)

1This is the account of Noah’s (comfort) sons Shem (name), Ham (hot), and Japheth (expand), who also had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites

2The sons of Japheth (expand):

Gomer (complete), Magog (land of Gog), Madai (middle land), Javan (Greece), Tubal (brought), Meshech (drawing out), and Tiras (desire).

3The sons of Gomer (complete):

Ashkenaz, Riphath (spoken), and Togarmah (You will break her).

4And the sons of Javan (Greece):

Elishah (God saves), Tarshish (yellow jasper), the Kittites (bruisers), and the Rodanites [Dodanites].a 5From these, the maritime peoples (nations) separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.

The Hamites

6The sons of Ham (hot):

Cush (black), Mizraim (Egypt), Put (a bow), and Canaan (sorrow).

7The sons of Cush (black):

Seba (drink you), Havilah (circle), Sabtah (Sabta),b Raamah (horse's mane), and Sabteca (striking).

And the sons of Raamah:

Sheba (seven) and Dedan (low country).

8Cush (black) was the father of Nimrod (rebellion), who began to be a mighty one (a mighty warrior)c on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before (in defiance of)d the LORD {YHWH}; so it is said, “Like Nimrod (rebellion), a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10His kingdom began in Babylon (confusion by mixing), Erech (long), Accad (subtle), and Calneh (fortress of Anu), in the land of Shinar (Babylonia).e 11From that land he went forth into Assyria (a step), where he built Nineveh (abode of Ninus), Rehoboth-Ir (broad places of a city), Calah (vigor), 12and Resen (bridle), which is between Nineveh (abode of Ninus) and the great city of Calah (vigor).

13Mizraim (land of bondage) was the father of the Ludites (to the firebrands), the Anamites (affliction of the waters), the Lehabites (flames), the Naphtuhites (openings), 14the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (fortified) (from whom the Philistines (immigrants) came), and the Caphtorites.f

15And Canaan (sorrow) was the father of Sidon (hunting) his firstborn,g and of the Hittites (terror), 16the Jebusites (Jerusalemites), the Amorites (a sayer), the Girgashites (dwelling on clay), 17the Hivites (villagers), the Arkites, the Sinites, 18the Arvadites (I shall break loose), the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

Later the Canaanite (merchant) clans were scattered, 19and the borders of Canaan (lowland) extended from Sidon (hunting) toward Gerar (a lodging place) as far as Gaza (the strong), and then toward Sodom (burning), Gomorrah (submersion), Admah (red earth), and Zeboiim (gazelles), as far as Lasha (fissure).

20These are the sons of Ham (hot) according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.

The Semites

21And sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth (Shem, whose older brother was Japheth);h Shem was the forefather of all the sons of Eber (the region beyond).

22The sons of Shem (name):

Elam (eternity), Asshur (a step), Arphaxad (I fail as the breast), Lud (strife), and Aram (exalted).

23The sons of Aram (exalted):

Uz (wooded), Hul (circle), Gether (fear), and Mash [Meshech].i

24Arphaxad [was the father of Cainan, and Cainan] was the father of Shelah,j and Shelah (sprout) was the father of Eber (the region beyond).

25Two sons were born to Eber (the region beyond): One was named Peleg (division),k because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan (smallness).

26And Joktan (smallness) was the father of Almodad (not measured), Sheleph (a drawing forth), Hazarmaveth (village of death), Jerah (new moon), 27Hadoram (noble honor), Uzal (I shall be flooded), Diklah (palm grove), 28Obal (stripped bare), Abimael (my father is God), Sheba (seven), 29Ophir (reducing to ashes), Havilah (circle), and Jobab (a desert). All these were sons of Joktan (smallness). 30Their territory extended from Mesha (freedom) to Sephar (a numbering), in the eastern hill country.

31These are the sons of Shem (name), according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.

32All these are the clans of Noah’s (comfort) sons, according to their generations and nations. From these the nations of the earth spread out after the flood.