Genesis 10:15. And Canaan begot Sidon, &c.— Eleven nations came out of Canaan, so frequently mentioned, and so well known in scripture, that no explanation is wanting. It is remarkable, that no mention is made of the descendants of Phut. read more
Genesis 10:21. Unto Shem also, &c.— It is observable that Moses introduces Shem in a particular manner, mentioning him as the father of the children of Eber, that is, more especially of that Hebrew race, Num 24:24 whose history he was about to compile. Eber, says Mr. Locke, signifies "beyond:" so that the sense of that text is, that Shem was the father of all those who dwelt beyond the river [Euphrates]. read more
Genesis 10:22. The children of Shem— Were five: Elam inhabited Elymais, and so Persia; Ashur, Assyria; Arphaxad, Arrapachitis or Chaldea; Lud, Lydia; Aram, Syria. read more
11. Out of that land went forth Asshur—or, as the Margin has it, "He [Nimrod] at the head of his army went forth into Assyria," that is, he pushed his conquests into that country. and builded Nineveh—opposite the town of Mosul, on the Tigris, and the other towns near it. This raid into Assyria was an invasion of the territories of Shem, and hence the name "Nimrod," signifying "rebel," is supposed to have been conferred on him from his daring revolt against the divine distribution. read more
21. Unto Shem—The historian introduces him with marked distinction as "the father of Eber," the ancestor of the Hebrews. read more
The Nations descended from NoahThis 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 people, and shows the position of Israel among the nations. Each nation is regarded as a unity, and is summed up in the person of its supposed ancestor. The nations being treated as individuals, it... read more
(11, 12) Out of that land went forth Asshur.—So the LXX., Syriac, and Vulg.; but the Targum and most modern authorities rightly translate, “Out of that land he went forth into Assyria.” We have here nothing to do with Asshur the son of Shem (see Genesis 10:22), but are occupied with Nimrod and the Hamites, who, after firmly establishing themselves in Babylonia, subsequently extended their influence northward. This is confirmed by the cuneiform inscriptions, which prove that the southern portion... read more
(13, 14) “With Mizraim are connected seven inferior African races, the names of which are given in the plural, namely:—1. The Ludim.—There were two races of this name: one Semitic, descended from Lud, the son of Shem (Genesis 10:22), and mentioned in Isaiah 66:19; the other Hamite, and subject to the Pharaohs ( Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 30:5). They seem to have inhabited the Nile valley, but their exact position is unknown.2. The Anamim.—Knobel gives some reasons for supposing this race to have... read more
(15-18) Canaan.—The meaning of this name is uncertain, as, most probably, it is a Hamitic word: if derived from a Semitic root, it may mean the lowland. Though the Canaanites spoke a Semitic tongue at the time when we find them in Palestine, yet the assertion of the Bible that they were Hamites is confirmed by the testimony of profane writers, who say that their original home was on the Indian Ocean. They had probably been driven thence by the pressure of Semitic races, with whose language they... read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 10:13
Genesis 10:13. And Mizraim begat Ludim— To return to the other sons of Ham: Mizraim was the father of eight sons, who became the heads of eight nations, or people: the Ludim, or AEthiopians; the Anamim, or Anumenians; the Lehabim, or Libyo-AEgyptians; the Naphtuhim, or people of Marmenia; the Pathrusim, or inhabitants of Pathros, or Thebais; the Casluhim, or inhabitants of Cashiotis, from whom descended the Philistines, who inhabited the maritime part of Canaan towards AEgypt; and the... read more