Genesis 10

Gn 10.1Hae sunt generātiōnēs fīliōrum Noë, Sem, Cham et Iapheth: nātīque sunt eīs fīliī post dīluvium.

These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth: and born to them were sons after the deluge.

Note. Hae sunt generātiōnēs: the formula that opens each new section of Genesis, 'these are the generations (i.e. the family history) of'. Chapter 10 is often called the Table of Nations: it lists seventy descendants of Noah, many of them names of peoples or places rather than individuals.

Gn 10.2Fīliī Iapheth: Gomer, et Magog, et Madai, et Iavan, et Thubal, et Mosoch, et Thiras.

Sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

Note. Fīliī Iapheth: supply sunt. Most of the names are Hebrew and indeclinable, so their case can only be told from the sentence. The descendants of Japheth are generally linked with peoples to the north and west of Israel.

Gn 10.3Porrō fīliī Gomer: Ascenez et Riphath et Thogorma.

Further, sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.

Gn 10.4Fīliī autem Iavan: Elisa et Tharsis, Cetthim et Dodanim.

Sons, however, of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.

Gn 10.5Ab hīs dīvīsae sunt īnsulae gentium in regiōnibus suīs, ūnusquisque secundum linguam suam et familiās suās in nātiōnibus suīs.

From these were divided the islands of the nations in their regions, each one according to his tongue, and their families in their nations.

Note. īnsulae gentium: 'the islands (or coastlands) of the nations', the lands across the sea. ūnusquisque secundum linguam suam: 'each according to his own language', which looks ahead to the scattering at Babel.

Gn 10.6Fīliī autem Cham: Chus, et Mesraim, et Phuth, et Chanaan.

Sons, however, of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.

Note. Mesraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt, and Chanaan the land later promised to Abram's descendants; the sons of Ham are mostly linked with peoples to the south.

Gn 10.7Fīliī Chus: Saba, et Hevila, et Sabatha, et Regma, et Sabatacha. Fīliī Regma: Saba et Dadan.

Sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca. Sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

Note. The same name can belong to different people in these lists: Saba and Hevila appear again among the sons of Joktan in verses 56–57.

Gn 10.8Porrō Chus genuit Nemrod: ipse coepit esse potēns in terrā,

Further, Cush begot Nimrod: he himself began to be powerful in the earth,

Note. genuit: perfect of gignō, 'begot', 'fathered'; it is the key verb of every genealogy. ipse coepit esse potēns: ipse picks out Nimrod, 'he was the first to be mighty'.

Gn 10.9et erat rōbustus vēnātor cōram Dominō. Ob hoc exīvit prōverbium: Quasi Nemrod rōbustus vēnātor cōram Dominō.

and he was a sturdy hunter in the presence of the Lord. Because of this a saying went out: Like Nimrod, a sturdy hunter in the presence of the Lord.

Note. rōbustus vēnātor cōram Dominō: cōram + ablative, 'in the presence of', 'before'. Ob hoc exīvit prōverbium: 'because of this a saying went out', followed by the saying itself, introduced by quasi, 'like'.

Gn 10.10Fuit autem prīncipium regnī eius Babylōn, et Arach et Achad, et Chalanne, in terrā Sennaar.

Now the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Erech and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Note. prīncipium regnī eius: 'the beginning of his kingdom', i.e. its first cities. Babylon, Erech and Accad were ancient cities of Mesopotamia; terra Sennaar is the plain of Babylonia.

Gn 10.11Dē terrā illā ēgressus est Assur, et aedificāvit Ninivēn, et platēās cīvitātis, et Chale.

From that land went out Asshur, and he built Nineveh, and the open streets of the city, and Calah.

Note. Ninivēn: a Greek accusative in -ēn from Ninivē. Nineveh on the Tigris later became the capital of Assyria, named after Assur.

Gn 10.12Resen quoque inter Ninivēn et Chale: haec est cīvitās magna.

Resen also, between Nineveh and Calah: this is the great city.

Gn 10.13At vērō Mesraim genuit Ludim, et Anamim et Laabim, Nephthuim,

But Mizraim begot Ludim, and Anamim and Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

Note. The names ending in -im (Ludim, Anamim) are Hebrew plurals, names of peoples presented as sons. The text treats them as individual sons of Mesraim, so they are analysed here as singular.

Gn 10.14et Phetrusim, et Chasluim: dē quibus ēgressī sunt Philisthiim et Caphtorim.

and Pathrusim, and Casluhim: from whom went out the Philistines and the Caphtorim.

Note. dē quibus ēgressī sunt Philisthiim: 'from whom came out the Philistines'; the plural participle shows that Philisthiim is a people.

Gn 10.15Chanaan autem genuit Sīdōnem prīmōgenitum suum. Hethaeum,

Canaan, however, begot Sidon, his first-born. The Hittite,

Note. Hethaeum: from here to verse 46 the sons of Canaan are given as peoples in the singular, 'the Hittite', 'the Jebusite', meaning the ancestor of each people. They are all accusative objects of genuit.

Gn 10.16et Iebūsaeum, et Amorrhaeum, Gergesaeum,

and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, the Girgashite,

Gn 10.17Hevaeum, et Aracaeum: Sīnaeum,

the Hivite, and the Arkite: the Sinite,

Gn 10.18et Aradium, Samaraeum, et Amathaeum: et post haec dissēminātī sunt populī Chananaeōrum.

and the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and after these things the peoples of the Canaanites were sown abroad.

Note. post haec dissēminātī sunt populī Chananaeōrum: 'after these (births) the peoples of the Canaanites were spread abroad'.

Gn 10.19Factīque sunt terminī Chanaan venientibus ā Sīdōne Geraram usque Gazam, dōnec ingrediāris Sodomam et Gomorrham, et Adamam, et Seboim usque Lesa.

And made were the boundaries of Canaan, for those coming from Sidon, to Gerar as far as Gaza, until you go in to Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

Note. venientibus ā Sīdōne: a dative of reference, 'for those coming from Sidon', i.e. 'as one goes from Sidon'. dōnec ingrediāris: the second person is general, 'until you come to'. The towns mark the borders of Canaan from the coast to the Dead Sea.

Gn 10.20Hī sunt fīliī Cham in cognātiōnibus, et linguīs, et generātiōnibus, terrīsque et gentibus suīs.

These are the sons of Ham in their kinships, and tongues, and generations, and in their lands and nations.

Note. in cognātiōnibus, et linguīs: the closing formula for each of Noah's three sons; compare verses 33 and 59.

Gn 10.21Dē Sem quoque nātī sunt, patre omnium fīliōrum Heber, frātre Iapheth maiōre.

From Shem also were born, the father of all the sons of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth.

Note. patre omnium fīliōrum Heber: an ablative in apposition to Sem, 'Shem, the father of all the sons of Eber'. Heber (Eber) is the ancestor whose name the Hebrews were thought to carry. frātre Iapheth maiōre: 'the elder brother of Japheth'.

Gn 10.22Fīliī Sem: Aelam, et Assur, et Arphaxad, et Lud, et Aram.

Sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram.

Gn 10.23Fīliī Aram: Us, et Hul, et Gether, et Mes.

Sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

Gn 10.24At vērō Arphaxad genuit Sale, dē quō ortus est Heber.

But Arpachshad begot Shelah, from whom arose Eber.

Gn 10.25Nātīque sunt Heber fīliī duo: nōmen ūnī Phaleg, eō quod in diēbus eius dīvīsa sit terra: et nōmen frātris eius Iectan.

And born to Eber were two sons: the name to one, Peleg, for the reason that in his days the earth was divided: and the name of his brother, Joktan.

Note. nōmen ūnī Phaleg: dative of possession with est understood, 'the name to one (was) Peleg'. eō quod + subjunctive: 'for the reason that', a Vulgate favourite for 'because'. The name Peleg sounds like the Hebrew for 'division'.

Gn 10.26Quī Iectan genuit Elmodad, et Saleph, et Asarmoth, Iare,

Which Joktan begot Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

Note. Quī Iectan: a connecting relative, 'this Joktan'. The sons of Joktan are linked with peoples of Arabia.

Gn 10.27et Aduram, et Uzal, et Decla,

and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,

Gn 10.28et Ebal, et Abimaël, Saba,

and Obal, and Abimael, Sheba,

Gn 10.29et Ophir, et Hevila, et Iobab: omnēs istī, fīliī Iectan.

and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these, sons of Joktan.

Gn 10.30Et facta est habitātiō eōrum dē Messā pergentibus usque Sephar montem orientālem.

And made was their dwelling from Mesha, for those proceeding, as far as Sephar, an eastern mountain.

Note. dē Messā pergentibus ūsque Sephar: 'from Mesha as one goes as far as Sephar'; pergentibus is a dative of reference like venientibus in verse 47.

Gn 10.31Istī fīliī Sem secundum cognātiōnēs, et linguās, et regiōnēs in gentibus suīs.

These are the sons of Shem according to kinships, and tongues, and regions in their nations.

Gn 10.32Hae familiae Noë iūxtā populōs et nātiōnēs suās. Ab hīs dīvīsae sunt gentēs in terrā post dīluvium.

These are the families of Noah according to their peoples and nations. From these the nations were divided on the earth after the deluge.

Note. Hae familiae Noë: supply sunt. With this summary the Table of Nations ends, and the next chapter explains how the one family came to speak many languages.