Ač 10:1-32. The Nations divided in the Earth. AČ 11:1-9. The Nations scattered abroad on the Earth.
(Chapters 10 & 11. Figure of Speech, Hysterologia, by which the dispersion of the nations [ch.10] is put before the cause of it [ch.11].)
Ač B 1-. Shem.
C -1-. Ham.
D -1. Japheth.
D 2-5. The sons of Japheth.
C 6-20. The sons of Ham.
B 21-32. The sons of Shem.Genesis 10)
1 Now these are THE GENERATIONS OF THE SONS OF NOAH, Shem (= name), Ham (= heat, black [as in evil, not color]), and Japheth (= enlargement); and to them were sons born after the flood.
2 The sons of Japeth; Gomer (= perfect, progenitor of the Celts), and Magog (= region of Gog [unknown derivative, of some northern nation. Associated with Gomer in Ezek.38:2,6.), and Madai (= middle land), and Javan (= clay), and Tubal (= the Tabali), and Meshech (= drawing out), and Tiras (= desire).
3 And the sons of Gomer; Askenas (= spreading fire), and Riphath (= spoken), and Togarmah (= probably an ancient name for Armenia).
4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah (= Elohim is salvation), and Tarshish (= established), and Kittim (= bruisers), and Dodanim (= leaders).
5 By these were the coastlands of the Gentiles divided by these were the sons of Japheth in their lands; and every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
6 And the sons of Ham, Cush (= black), and Mizraim (= red soil), and Phut (= a bow), and Canaan (= low, flat).
7 And the sons of Cush; Seba (of foreign origin?), and Havilah (= circle), and Sabtah (= striking), and Raamah (= horses mane), and Sabtechah (= striking): and the sons of Ramaah; Sheba (= seven, or an oath), and Dedan (= low country).
about 2185 B.C.
8 And Cush begat Nimrod (= to rebel, "we will rebel", or "come let us rebel"): he began to be a hero in the earth.
9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, "Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter in defiance of the Lord." (A later proverb of Semitic origin, as Yahaveh was not known in Babylon.)
The Targum of Jonathan says: "From the foundations of the world none was ever found like Nimrod, powerful in hunting, and in rebellions against the Lord."
The Jerusalem Targum says: "He was powerful in hunting and in wickedness before the Lord, for he was a hunter of the sons of men, and he said to them, 'Depart from the judgment of the Lord, and adhere to the judgment of Nimrod!' Therefore it is said: 'As Nimrod is the strong one, strong in hunting and in wickedness before the Lord.' "
The Chaldee paraphrases of 1 Chron. 1:10 says: "Cush begat Nimrod, who began to prevail in wickedness, for he shed innocent blood, and rebelled against Yahaveh."
Nimrod was the founder of Babylon (Translated instead of transliterated means "confusion"), which partook of his character as being the great antagonist of God's Truth and God's People.
We cannot fail to see, in Nimrod, Satan's first attempt to raise up a human universal ruler of men. There have been many subsequent attempts, such as Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, Napoleon, Hitler, and others. He will finally succeed in the person of the Antichrist (which means in the stead of Christ. This is the role he has been wanting to play since his creation. This will be Satan himself, not some man born of woman. He is a Cherubim, he is super-natural, and he does not need a flesh body! BEWARE of the smoke and mirrors he will use.)
10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel (= the gate of god [notice small "g"]), and Erech (= length), and Accad (= to strengthen, a fortress), and Calneh (= fortress of Anu, place in the Assyrian Empire), in the land of Shinar (= country of two rivers, Babylonia, and is to be distinguished from Assyria).
21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber (where "Hebrew" comes from), the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
22 The children of Shem; Elam (= eternity, the mountainous district east of Babylon), and Asshur (= prosper, successful), and Arphaxed (= stronghold of the Chaldees), and Lud (= strife), and Aram (= high).
23 And the children of Aram; Uz (= wooded, the country of the Sabeans and Chaldeans and Teman near Petra), and Hul (= circle), and Gether (= fear), and Mash (= drawn out).
24 And Arphaxed begat Salah (= a sprout), and Salah begat Eber (where the name Hebrew come from = beyond = the people coming from beyond the "Flood", i.e. the Euphrates, to Canaan).
25 And to Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg (= division.); for in the days was the earth divided in judgment (God's division included Zion. Man's disruption included Babylon); and his brother's name was Joktan (= small. "The name of one Peleg was because in his days the earth was divided". Gen.10:25. 1 Chron. 1:19. In both places the word is palag = to divide or cleave.)
26 And Joktan begat Almodad (= measure), and Sheleph (=a drawing forth), and Hazermaveth (= court of death), and Jerah (= the moon),
27 And Hadoran (= noble honor), and Uzal (= separate), and Diklah (= palm grove),
28 And Obal (= stripped bare), and Abimael (= the father of Mael), and Sheba (= seven, or an oath),
29 And Ophir (= abundance), and Havilah (= circle), and Jobal (= a desert): all these were sons of Joktan.
30 And their dwellings were from Mesha (= freedom), as you go to Sephar (= a numbering) a mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.