1. The repeated phrase:
5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.
18b Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered
25a Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, (BKC The note on Eber’s son Peleg—that in his time the earth was divided—seems to pinpoint the Babel experience (11:1–9). The verb pālaḡ is used in the Old Testament to describe division into languages. So the Babel event occurred five generations after the Flood)
32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations, and from these the nations spread over the earth after the flood.
Summary: No matter the family of Japheth, Ham, or Shem, they all separated, scatter, spread over the earth after the flood. These might be the preview for ch 11 the incident of Babel
2. Special people with more than just a name:
A. The descendants of Ham included Canaan who was the father of inhabitants of Canaan v.15, and whose borders extended all the way to Sodom, Gomorrah v.19 and Cush who was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod was valiant warrior and a might hunter v.7-8. Perhaps due to his physical strength he had a kingdom and the regions cover more than 1 area (including Babel or Babylon). From that areas he went to Assyria and built multiple cities.
(BKC) The centers he established became major enemies of Israel.
B. Shem was the older brother of Japheth and the father of all the sons of Eber (NET Genesis 11 traces the line of Shem through Eber (עֵבֶר, ’ever) to Abraham the “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי, ’ivri).
(EBC) The reference to Shem and Japheth together without Ham may be significant, possibly intended to recall Noah’s blessing of Shem and Japheth in 9:26–27, where there also Canaan is excluded. If so, it is another reminder of the ways in which the author uses allusions to past narratives to retain the reader’s focus on the major points of the narrative—in this case the line of the blessing. The mention of the “sons of Eber” anticipates the genealogy that yet lies ahead, that one that results in the birth of Abraham (11:10–26)
3. Summary and Reflection: Man separated and scatter through out the earth with different language, land, and nations took place after the flood. That was emphasized in ch 10 and explained how it took place in ch 11. The book of Genesis explained the beginnings of different things, including the beginning of nations. Some of the nations thus became the enemies of another and the enemies of Israel were tied to the cursed of Ham. When the Israelites in Moses' time read this chapter, what would be their thought? My enemies were tied to the family whose ancestor was cursed by God. My conflict was more than mine. God knows ahead of me.
4. Questions
1) God made them all and He provided salvation to their ancestor so that they would survive the flood.
2) Not a cursed person with wicked descendants who became the enemies of God's nation
3) Blessed
4)
Comments