Genesis 10:6-20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 10:6-14

That which is observable and improvable in these verses is the account here given of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. He is here represented as a great man in his day: He began to be a mighty one in the earth, that is, whereas those that went before him were content to stand upon the same level with their neighbours, and though every man bore rule in his own house yet no man pretended any further, Nimrod's aspiring mind could not rest here; he was resolved to tower above his neighbours, not only to be... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 10:15-20

Observe here, 1. The account of the posterity of Canaan, of the families and nations that descended from him, and of the land they possessed, is more particular than of any other in this chapter, because these were the nations that were to be subdued before Israel, and their land was in process of time to become the holy land, Immanuel's land; and this God had an eye to when, in the mean time, he cast the lot of that accursed devoted race in that spot of ground which he had selected for his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:6

And the sons of Ham ,.... Next to the sons of Japheth, the sons of Ham are reckoned; these, Josephus F26 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect 1.) says, possessed the land from Syria, and the mountains of Amanus and Lebanon; laying hold on whatever was towards the sea, claiming to themselves the countries unto the ocean, whose names, some of them, are entirely lost, and others so greatly changed and deflected into other tongues, that they can scarcely be known, and few whose names are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:7

And the sons of Cush ,.... The first born of Ham, who had five sons, next mentioned, besides Nimrod, spoken of afterwards by himself: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha ; the first of these is Seba, the founder of the Sabaeans, according to Josephus F16 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 1.) , a people seated in Arabia Deserta, which seem to be the Sabaeans brought from the wilderness, Ezekiel 23:42 and very probably the same that plundered Job of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:8

And Cush begat Nimrod ,.... Besides the other five sons before mentioned; and probably this was his youngest son, being mentioned last; or however he is reserved to this place, because more was to be spoken of him than of any of the rest. Sir Walter Raleigh F9 History of the World, B. 1. ch. 10. sect. 1. p. 109. thinks that Nimrod was begotten by Cush after his other children were become fathers, and of a later time than some of his grandchildren and nephews: and indeed the sons of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:9

He was a mighty hunter before the Lord ,.... Which might be literally true; for, from the time of the flood to his days, wild beasts might increase very much, and greatly annoy men who dwelt very likely for the most part in tents scattered up and down in divers places: so that he did a good office in hunting and destroying them. An Arabic writer F15 Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 18. , of some authority in the eastern parts, says, that by hunting he got food sufficient for the builders... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:10

And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel ,.... The city of Babel, or Babylon, which was built by his direction; for though Babylon is by some writers said to be built by Semiramis, the wife of Ninus, and others by Ninus himself, yet the truest account is, that it was built by Belus, the same with Nimrod. Curtius F20 Hist. l. 5. c. 1. says, Semiramis built it; or, as most believe, adds he, Belus, whose royal palace is shown: and Berosus F21 Apud Joseph. contra Apion. l. 1. c. 20. ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:11

Out of that land went forth Ashur ,.... It is a question whether Ashur is the name of a man or of a country; some take it in the latter sense, and render the words, "and out of that land he went forth into Assyria"; so Onkelos; and in this way go Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Bochart, Cocceius, and others, and the margin of our Bible, and interpret it of Nimrod; and the Targum of Jonathan is express for him, which is this:"out of that land went forth Nimrod, and reigned in Assyria,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:12

And Resen, between Nineveh and Calah ,.... This was another city built by Ashur, situated between those two cities mentioned: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem call it Talsar, or Thalassar, see Isaiah 37:12 The conjecture of Bochart F2 Phaleg. l. 4. c. 23. is more probable, that it is the Larissa of Xenophon, situated on the Tigris; though Junius thinks it is either Bassora, or Belcina, which Ptolemy F3 Ut supra. (Geograph. l. 5. c. 19.) places on the Tigris, near Nineveh: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 10:13

And Mizraim begat Ludim ,.... Mizraim was the second son of Ham, of whom See Gill on Genesis 10:6 . Ludim he is said to beget, the word being plural, is not the name of a man, but of his posterity; and the sense is, that Mizraim begat the father of the Ludim, whose name very probably was Lud, which name is preserved in Isaiah 66:19 . These Ludim are the same with the Lydians, Jeremiah 46:9 and whose country is called Lydia, Ezekiel 30:5 but to be distinguished from Lydia in Asia... read more

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