How does Peleg's time relate to God's plan for nations in Genesis 10? Peleg: A Name That Marks a Turning Point • 1 Chronicles 1:19—“Two sons were born to Eber: one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.” • Genesis 10:25 repeats the same note, positioning Peleg inside Noah’s line through Shem. • The genealogy is historical, anchoring Peleg in real time and space between the Flood and Abraham. What Does “the Earth Was Divided” Mean? • The Hebrew root (plg) points to separation, partition, or channeling out. • The literal reading ties the division to the scattering at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). • Genesis 11:9—“Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” Link to Genesis 10: God Organizes the Nations • Genesis 10 is the “Table of Nations,” listing 70 distinct family groups. • Three refrains mark its structure: – v. 5—“by their clans and their languages...” (descendants of Japheth) – v. 20—“by their clans and their languages...” (Ham) – v. 31—“by their clans and their languages...” (Shem) • Genesis 10:32 summarizes: “From these the nations of the earth spread out after the flood.” • Peleg’s lifetime fits chronologically between this listing and the language-confusion event that locks those distinctions in place. God’s Sovereign Purpose in the Division • Fulfills Genesis 9:1—“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Humans had stalled at Babel; God ensured obedience by dividing. • Restrains unified rebellion (cf. Genesis 11:6). • Establishes ethnic boundaries so that all peoples might “seek Him” (Acts 17:26-27). • Deuteronomy 32:8—“When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.” From Divided Nations to Covenant Promise • Peleg’s line: Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber → Peleg → Reu → Serug → Nahor → Terah → Abraham (Genesis 11:10-26). • As God scatters the nations, He simultaneously preserves a single family line through which He will bless those same nations (Genesis 12:1-3). • The division sets the stage for a missionary plan—Israel chosen, Messiah promised, gospel ultimately preached “to every nation, tribe, people and tongue” (Revelation 7:9). Key Takeaways • Peleg’s era records the moment God literally divided human society. • The event explains the shift from one speech to many nations in Genesis 10-11. • God’s governance over history is meticulous: scattering to curb sin, yet structuring history to redeem all peoples through Abraham’s Seed. |
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