Genesis 10:32 kjv

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.

Genesis 10:32 nkjv

These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

Genesis 10:32 niv

These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

Genesis 10:32 esv

These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

Genesis 10:32 nlt

These are the clans that descended from Noah's sons, arranged by nation according to their lines of descent. All the nations of the earth descended from these clans after the great flood.

Genesis 10 verses

Genesis 10 32 Meaning

Genesis 10:32 serves as the concluding summary of the "Table of Nations," enumerating the descendants of Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. It emphatically states that from these families, nations were spread and geographically separated across the entire earth after the Great Flood. This verse highlights the unified origin of all humanity from a single family line, even as it affirms the divine orchestration of the diversity and distinct territories of the nations known in ancient times and beyond. It underpins the biblical perspective that despite cultural and linguistic differences, all peoples share a common ancestry rooted in Noah's household.

Genesis 10 32 Context

Genesis 10 is popularly known as the "Table of Nations," serving as a critical genealogical record and ethnological outline of humanity in the post-Flood world. It systematically lists the descendants of Noah's three sons—Japheth (10:2-5), Ham (10:6-20), and Shem (10:21-31)—from whom all the known nations of the world descended. The chapter transitions from individual descendants to "families," "clans," and ultimately "nations" (גּוֹיִם, goyim), highlighting their geographical distribution and distinct languages, as hinted throughout. Verse 32 provides a powerful colophon or summary statement, affirming that the detailed lineages preceding it account for the spread and diversification of all the earth's nations after the universal deluge. This establishes a foundational truth about human origins: all people stem from a single lineage from Noah, serving as a backdrop to God's universal plan for humanity and directly preceding the account of the confusion of languages at Babel in Genesis 11, which explains the how of the language and intensified geographical dispersion implied in Chapter 10.

Genesis 10 32 Word analysis

• אֵלֶּה (elleh) - "These": This demonstrative pronoun points back to the extensive genealogical list detailed in Genesis 10:1-31. It signifies the collective subject of the verse, encompassing all the enumerated families and individuals, ensuring continuity and conclusion to the preceding record.
• מִשְׁפְּחֹת (mishpekhoth) - "families": The plural construct of מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah), which typically denotes a family unit, clan, or extended household. It emphasizes the foundational social structure from which larger national groups developed. This indicates that national identity emerged from kinship bonds.
• בְּנֵי (bene) - "sons of": Literally "sons of." Here it functions as a relational indicator, affirming direct lineage from Noah, underscoring humanity's singular ancestry post-Flood.
• נֹחַ (Noach) - "Noah": The universal human ancestor after the Flood, establishing a common patriarchal root for all peoples mentioned.
• תּוֹלְדֹתָם (toldothām) - "their generations / their descents": This key term in Genesis ("toledot" or "generations of") functions as a heading or a concluding colophon for significant sections. It highlights a chronicle of begettings, showing a development through time and progeny. Its use here reinforces that the nations are not disparate creations but genetically linked lineages from Noah.
• בְּגוֹיֵהֶם (b'goyehêm) - "in their nations" / "among their peoples": From גּוֹי (goy), meaning "nation" or "people." The prefix "בְּ" (bə) means "in" or "among." This signifies the establishment of distinct national or ethnic identities as part of their inherent structure. The repetition from earlier in the chapter (e.g., v.5, 20, 31) emphasizes this classification by nationality.
• וּמֵאֵלֶּה (u'mee-elleh) - "And from these": The conjunction וּ (u, "and") links this summary statement to the preceding information. "מֵאֵלֶּה" (mee-elleh) means "from these [families/descendants]," pointing again to the source of global populations.
• נָפְרְדוּ (nipredoo) - "they were separated / divided": This is a Niphal (passive) form of the verb פָּרַד (parad), meaning "to divide," "to separate." The passive voice suggests either a natural progression (they separated themselves) or, more biblically significant, a divinely ordained process or outcome (they were separated). This separation is not just geographical but implies distinctions in identity, culture, and, as Gen 11 clarifies, language.
• הַגּוֹיִם (ha'goyim) - "the nations": The definite article הַ (ha) emphasizes "all" or "the specific" nations that came into existence.
• בָאָרֶץ (ba'aretz) - "on the earth": Denotes the universal scope of the division and settlement. The entire land/world was affected.
• אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל (akhar ha'mabbul) - "after the flood": This precise chronological marker fixes the origin and spread of all nations to the post-deluge era, emphasizing a new beginning for humanity and distinguishing this phase from the antediluvian world. It roots the origin of all nations firmly within this new divine reset.

Words-group Analysis:

• "These are the families of the sons of Noah": Establishes a universal genealogical baseline for all human populations, rooting all subsequent national identities in a common, post-Flood ancestry. It stresses familial origin for broader groups.
• "according to their generations, in their lands, in their nations": This phrase highlights a multifaceted classification system:
  • Generations: Lineage and family tree development.
  • Lands: Geographical settlement and territorial definition.
  • Nations: The emergence of distinct ethno-political groups, classified by shared characteristics including, implicitly, language (as suggested by the previous verses in the chapter and explicitly in Gen 11). This demonstrates an orderly and divinely permitted expansion and differentiation of peoples.
• "and from these they were separated on the earth after the flood": This climactic summary confirms the origin and distribution of humanity. The passive "were separated" can imply both an active spread as humanity multiplied (fulfilling the divine command to "fill the earth") and a sovereign, divinely ordered diversification (leading into the narrative of Babel in chapter 11 where the division of languages serves to accelerate geographical separation). It places the historical moment firmly in the post-Flood era, marking the start of a new phase of human history defined by national distinctiveness. This directly contradicts ancient mythological accounts that often described multiple origins for different peoples or races.

Genesis 10 32 Bonus section

The Table of Nations, concluding with Gen 10:32, implicitly carries a polemic against ancient cosmogonies and myths prevalent in the Ancient Near East. Many of these believed in multiple divine creations of distinct groups of humans or explained national origins through localized legends and myths. Genesis 10:32, in affirming a singular human ancestry from Noah after a global flood, establishes the unique biblical perspective of one human family created by one God, later diversifying into nations. This also sets the stage for the universal scope of God's redemptive plan in Christ, as the common origin means all nations are subject to God and eligible for His grace, as later affirmed in the New Testament by apostles like Paul (Acts 17:26). The phrase "according to their lands, in their nations" hints at geographical and political distinctions that would become significant for Israel's later interactions with surrounding peoples, whose origins are explicitly traced back to Noah's descendants in this very chapter.

Genesis 10 32 Commentary

Genesis 10:32 acts as a powerful concluding statement for the "Table of Nations," not just summarizing the detailed lineages but articulating the theological significance of humanity's spread and diversification. It teaches that despite the profound cultural, linguistic, and geographical distinctions among the world's peoples, all humanity stems from a single ancestral family through Noah. This foundational unity counters any notion of separate or independent origins for different "races" or peoples, establishing a common kinship and shared heritage before God. The phrase "they were separated" suggests an inherent, and potentially divinely guided, tendency towards differentiation, a movement from an initially unified familial group towards distinct national identities. This orderly spread stands in stark contrast to the chaotic attempt at forced unity at Babel, underscoring God's design for humanity to fill the earth in diverse national forms, each accountable to Him. This verse sets the stage for God's redemptive plan, which, while focusing on Abraham's chosen family (Gen 12), ultimately extends salvation and knowledge of Him to "all the families of the earth" (Gen 12:3), highlighting that His purpose involves every nation detailed in this chapter.