Table of Nations
I. Genesis 10 – The Table of Nations
Genesis 10 is commonly known as the "Table of Nations" and gives a genealogical record of the descendants of Noah's three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. This chapter outlines the origin of the nations that spread across the earth after the flood.
A. Overview
This chapter lists 70 nations that descended from Noah.
It is not just genealogical—it is ethnological and geopolitical.
This chapter gives the earliest known classification of nations and tribal groups by origin.
B. Descendants of Japheth (Genesis 10:2–5) – Indo-European Peoples
Genesis 10:2–5 (NKJV):
"The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations."
Gomer: Associated with the Cimmerians and later the Celts.
Magog: Ancient peoples in Scythia, north of the Black Sea.
Madai: Progenitor of the Medes, later part of the Persian Empire.
Javan: Associated with the Greeks (Ionians).
Tubal and Meshech: Early tribes in modern-day Turkey/Russia, linked with Indo-European peoples.
Tiras: Associated with the Thracians, and some link them with Etruscans of Italy.
Summary: The Japhethites are the forefathers of most European and northern Asian peoples.
C. Descendants of Ham (Genesis 10:6–20) – African and Canaanite Peoples
Genesis 10:6–7 (NKJV):
"The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan."
Cush: Represents Ethiopia/Nubia, and parts of Arabia.
Mizraim: Hebrew name for Egypt.
Put: Associated with Libya and North Africa.
Canaan: Settled in the land of Canaan—modern-day Israel, Lebanon, and western Jordan.
Notable Hamite Kingdoms:
Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10), a son of Cush, founded Babel, Erech, Accad in Shinar (Mesopotamia) and later Nineveh in Assyria.
The Canaanites became known enemies of Israel in the Book of Judges.
D. Descendants of Shem (Genesis 10:21–31) – Semitic Peoples
Genesis 10:21–22 (NKJV):
"And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram."
Elam: Ancestors of the Elamites in ancient Iran.
Asshur: Ancestors of the Assyrians.
Arphaxad: Ancestor of Eber, from whom comes Abraham and thus Israelites and Arabs.
Lud: Possibly progenitor of the Lydians in Asia Minor.
Aram: Ancestor of the Syrians (Arameans).
Genesis 10:25 (NKJV):
"To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided..."
Eber is the origin of the term Hebrew.
Through Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber → Peleg → Reu → eventually leads to Abraham (Genesis 11).
II. Nations and Peoples in the Book of Judges
In Judges, Israel is surrounded and often oppressed by nations that descended from Ham and Shem.
A. Common Enemies of Israel in Judges:
Canaanites – Descendants of Canaan, son of Ham.
Amalekites – Descended from Esau (Genesis 36:12).
Ammonites – Descended from Lot, Abraham's nephew (Genesis 19:38).
Moabites – Also descended from Lot (Genesis 19:37).
Philistines – Possibly descendants of Mizraim (Egypt), via Caphtorim (Genesis 10:13–14).
Midianites – Descendants of Midian, son of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:2).
Sidonians – Descended from Sidon, son of Canaan (Genesis 10:15).
Hivites, Perizzites, Hittites, Jebusites – Canaanite tribes (Genesis 10:15–18).
These groups were often instruments of judgment when Israel sinned, as shown in Judges 2:14:
Judges 2:14 (NKJV):
“And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them...”
III. Where Did the Arabs Come From—Esau or Ishmael?
A. The Line of Ishmael
Genesis 16:11–12 (NKJV):
"And the Angel of the Lord said to her: 'Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.'”
Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham through Hagar, an Egyptian maid.
He had 12 sons who became princes (Genesis 25:13–16).
His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, near Arabia.
B. The Line of Esau (Edomites)
Genesis 36:1 (NKJV):
"Now this is the genealogy of Esau, who is Edom."
Esau, the twin of Jacob (Israel), also had powerful descendants.
Edomites lived in Mount Seir, southeast of Israel.
Over time, Edomite tribes intermingled with other Arabian tribes.
C. So, who are the Arabs from?
Primarily from Ishmael (Genesis 25:12–18).
But also through Keturah’s sons (Midian and others) and Esau's descendants.
The term “Arab” is cultural and linguistic, not strictly genealogical.
Conclusion: The core lineage of the Arab peoples traces back to Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, but there is intermingling with Esau's line (Edom), and the sons of Keturah (Genesis 25). Today’s Arab identity encompasses multiple Semitic lines, but the Bible attributes Arab origins chiefly to Ishmael.
I. Genesis 10: The Table of Nations – The Foundation of Global Peoples
Genesis 10 sets the stage for all subsequent national and ethnic identities in Scripture. It divides humanity after the Flood into 70 original nations descending from Noah’s sons—Japheth, Ham, and Shem.
Genesis 10:32 (NKJV)
"These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood."
This chapter is descriptive, not prescriptive. It does not yet pass judgment, but it prepares the soil for God’s dealings with nations based on their moral choices and their treatment of Israel.
From this point forward, God begins to focus on one particular lineage—from Shem, through Arphaxad, Eber, Peleg, and eventually to Abram.
II. Genesis 12:1–3 – The Abrahamic Covenant and the Nations
Genesis 12:1–3 (NKJV)
"Now the Lord had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you and make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"
This covenant is both unconditional and eternally binding. It establishes several key realities:
A. A Chosen Nation (Israel)
God chose one man (Abram) to become one nation (Israel) to bring forth the Messiah, Scripture, and the revelation of God.
B. A Moral Standard for Nations
The treatment of Abraham and his descendants becomes the standard by which other nations are judged.
Blessing Israel brings blessing; cursing or attacking Israel invites divine cursing.
III. Linking the Table of Nations to the Covenant: National Futures
Each nation that descends from Genesis 10 is ultimately judged in part based on their relationship with Abraham’s seed—Israel. This becomes a moral fault line throughout the Old Testament.
Here’s how this unfolds:
IV. Old Testament Nations and Their Treatment of Israel
We now trace the major Genesis 10 nations and their treatment of Israel, and how this aligns with the Abrahamic Covenant's principle: “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.”
A. Egypt (Mizraim – Genesis 10:6)
Enslaved Israel for 400 years (Exodus 1).
Experienced ten plagues and destruction at the Red Sea (Exodus 7–14).
Fulfilled God’s word: "I will curse him who curses you."
Exodus 9:16 (NKJV)
"But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."
B. Philistines (Descendants of Mizraim – Genesis 10:13–14)
Constant enemy during the time of Judges and Kings.
Stole the Ark (1 Samuel 4), opposed Samson, Saul, and David.
Ultimately defeated by David and subdued under Solomon.
God judged them through prophets like Amos and Zephaniah.
Zephaniah 2:5 (NKJV)
"Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines..."
C. Canaanites (Ham > Canaan – Genesis 10:6, 15–19)
Occupied the Promised Land, filled with idolatry and wickedness.
God commanded Israel to drive them out (Deuteronomy 7:1–5).
Their downfall was prophesied in Genesis 9:25:
Genesis 9:25 (NKJV)
"Then he said: 'Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren.'"
God’s command to remove them wasn’t ethnic, but moral, because of their gross depravity (Leviticus 18).
D. Amalekites (From Esau – Genesis 36:12)
First nation to attack Israel after the Exodus (Exodus 17:8–16).
God declared eternal enmity against them:
Exodus 17:14 (NKJV)
"...I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."
Eventually destroyed by Saul and David (1 Samuel 15, 30), though remnants survived.
E. Moabites and Ammonites (From Lot – Genesis 19:36–38)
Often enemies of Israel (Numbers 22–25, Judges 3).
Hired Balaam to curse Israel.
God judged them but also allowed for grace: Ruth, a Moabite, becomes an ancestor of Christ.
Deuteronomy 23:3 (NKJV)
"An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord..."
F. Assyrians (From Shem > Asshur – Genesis 10:22)
Eventually rose to power and brutality, conquering Northern Israel in 722 BC.
God used them as an instrument of judgment, but later judged Assyria through Nahum and Isaiah.
Isaiah 10:5 (NKJV)
"Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger..."
G. Babylonians (Connected with Cush & Nimrod – Genesis 10:8–10)
Conquered Judah in 586 BC, destroyed the Temple, exiled the Jews.
God used Babylon as discipline, then judged Babylon in Daniel 5.
Prophets like Isaiah 13 and Jeremiah 50–51 foretold Babylon’s destruction.
Jeremiah 51:24 (NKJV)
"And I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil they have done in Zion in your sight,” says the Lord."
H. Edomites (From Esau – Genesis 36:1)
Had a bitter, jealous rivalry with Israel.
Rejoiced over Jerusalem’s fall and blocked refugees (Obadiah 1:10–14).
God promised severe judgment:
Obadiah 1:15 (NKJV)
"For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head."
V. Messianic Fulfillment: Israel as a Blessing to the Nations
Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)
"And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
The ultimate fulfillment of this promise is through Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham.
Galatians 3:8 (NKJV)
"And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.'"
Through Israel, God gave:
The Law
The Prophets
The Messiah
The Gospel
Summary: God’s Dealings with Nations (Based on Genesis 10 and the Abrahamic Covenant)
1. Egypt
Lineage: Ham → Mizraim
Treatment of Israel: Enslaved Israel for 400 years
Outcome: Judged with ten plagues and Red Sea destruction
2. Canaanites
Lineage: Ham → Canaan
Treatment of Israel: Occupied the Promised Land with idolatry and sin
Outcome: Commanded to be destroyed; cursed and displaced
3. Philistines
Lineage: Ham → Caphtorim (descendants of Mizraim)
Treatment of Israel: Long-time enemy, stole the Ark, fought David
Outcome: Repeatedly defeated; judged through prophetic oracles
4. Amalekites
Lineage: Esau (Genesis 36:12)
Treatment of Israel: First to attack after the Exodus
Outcome: Cursed by God; destined for total destruction
5. Moabites
Lineage: Lot (through incest with his daughter)
Treatment of Israel: Hired Balaam to curse Israel; seduced Israel into idolatry
Outcome: Cursed by God; later partially redeemed through Ruth
6. Ammonites
Lineage: Lot (other daughter)
Treatment of Israel: Idol worshippers and frequent enemies
Outcome: Judged by God, forbidden from temple access for generations
7. Assyrians
Lineage: Shem → Asshur
Treatment of Israel: Conquered the Northern Kingdom (Israel) in 722 BC
Outcome: Used by God for discipline, then judged and destroyed
8. Babylonians
Lineage: Nimrod (son of Cush, son of Ham)
Treatment of Israel: Conquered Judah, destroyed the Temple in 586 BC
Outcome: Instrument of judgment; later judged and overthrown
9. Edomites
Lineage: Esau (twin brother of Jacob)
Treatment of Israel: Hated Israel, rejoiced over their destruction
Outcome: Condemned in Obadiah; judged severely by God
10. Nations that Blessed Israel (e.g., Persia under Cyrus)
Lineage: Various
Treatment of Israel: Allowed Jews to return, funded temple rebuilding
Outcome: Blessed and honored in Scripture
