Genesis 10:5 kjv
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Genesis 10:5 nkjv
From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
Genesis 10:5 niv
(From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)
Genesis 10:5 esv
From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.
Genesis 10:5 nlt
Their descendants became the seafaring peoples that spread out to various lands, each identified by its own language, clan, and national identity.
Genesis 10 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 9:1 | "And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.'" | God's command to spread and populate. |
| Gen 10:1 | "Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth." | Introduction to the Table of Nations. |
| Gen 10:20 | "...These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, and in their nations." | Echoes the pattern of division. |
| Gen 10:31 | "These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, and in their nations." | Repeats the pattern for all descendants. |
| Gen 11:8-9 | "...from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth... for there the LORD confused the language of all the earth." | Divine dispersion and linguistic diversity. |
| Deut 32:8 | "When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind..." | God's role in the division of nations. |
| 1 Chr 1:5 | "The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras." | Chronicles reiterates Japheth's descendants. |
| Psa 22:27-28 | "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you..." | All nations will eventually worship God. |
| Psa 47:8 | "God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne." | God's sovereignty over all peoples. |
| Isa 42:1-4 | "He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud... until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law." | Messiah brings justice to distant nations. |
| Isa 42:6 | "I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations..." | Israel's purpose as light to the nations. |
| Isa 49:6 | "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." | Salvation extended to all peoples. |
| Isa 66:19 | "And I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away..." | The gospel will reach distant lands. |
| Zech 8:23 | "In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew..." | Future gathering of all tongues/nations. |
| Mal 1:11 | "For from the rising of the sun to its setting My name will be great among the Gentiles..." | God's glory among the nations. |
| Mt 28:19 | "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." | Great Commission to reach all peoples. |
| Acts 2:5-11 | "...there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven... speaking in our own tongues the mighty works of God." | Tongues reversing Babel, unifying peoples. |
| Acts 10:34-35 | "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.'" | God's inclusiveness of all nations. |
| Acts 14:16 | "In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways." | God permitted nations to develop distinctly. |
| Acts 17:26 | "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place..." | God's sovereignty over national boundaries. |
| Rom 3:29 | "Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also..." | God is sovereign over both Jews and Gentiles. |
| Gal 3:8 | "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.'" | Abrahamic promise for all nations. |
| Eph 2:14-16 | "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility... to create in himself one new man in place of the two..." | Christ unites all nations in Himself. |
| Rev 5:9 | "Worthy are you... for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation..." | Redemption encompasses all nations. |
| Rev 7:9 | "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages..." | Diverse multitude worshiping in heaven. |
Genesis 10 verses
Genesis 10 5 Meaning
Genesis 10:5 concludes the section detailing the descendants of Japheth. It explains that from Japheth's lineage, the coastal regions and distant lands of the "Gentiles" (nations) were populated and divided. This division was based on their specific territories, languages, family groupings, and ultimately, their distinct national identities. It signifies an orderly, yet divinely influenced, differentiation of humanity after the Flood into various ethnolinguistic groups across the earth.Genesis 10 5 Context
Genesis 10 is often referred to as the "Table of Nations" and provides a unique ethnographic account of the post-Flood world, tracing the origins of all human populations back to Noah's three sons: Japheth, Ham, and Shem. This chapter follows the account of the Flood and Noah's covenant with God, setting the stage for humanity's repopulation of the earth as commanded (Gen 9:1). Genesis 10:2-5 specifically details the descendants of Japheth, who are primarily associated with the peoples to the north and west of the ancient Near East, often linking them to Aegean, Anatolian, and European regions. The original audience would have understood this chapter as establishing their common ancestry with all humanity while simultaneously explaining the diversity of peoples and lands known to them, a theological statement against pagan polytheistic creation myths that proposed disparate origins for different peoples or limited divine scope to certain regions. The emphasis on distinct "lands," "tongues," "families," and "nations" provides a framework for understanding God's subsequent interactions with humanity, particularly His choice of one nation, Israel, from this global context. This orderly distribution, before the dramatic events of Babel (Gen 11), underscores an initial, divinely orchestrated differentiation rather than a chaotic spread.Genesis 10 5 Word analysis
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided:
- By these: Refers to the descendants of Japheth listed in the preceding verses (Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras, and their immediate offspring). Their proliferation led to the population of various regions.
- isles (Hebrew: אִיֵּי 'iyyê): Often translated as "islands," but in a broader biblical sense, it frequently refers to coastlands, distant maritime lands, or simply far-off regions accessible by sea. It denotes the territories predominantly settled by Japheth's descendants, hinting at their maritime activities and outward expansion. This broad sense emphasizes remoteness and diverse geographic areas beyond the immediate Near Eastern mainland.
- Gentiles (Hebrew: גּוֹיִם gōyim): Literally "nations" or "peoples." In the Old Testament, it initially refers to any nation, people group, or clan. Only later, especially in contrast with Israel, does it gain the connotation of non-Israelite peoples. Here, it simply means "the nations," indicating that the descendants of Japheth became distinct nations.
- divided: (Hebrew: נִפְרְדוּ nip̄rədū): To be separated, branched off, or apportioned. This suggests an orderly distribution and distinct partitioning of geographical territories and populations, implying a divine hand in their initial establishment, even before the confusion of tongues at Babel.
in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations:
- in their lands: Each group established itself in a particular geographic territory, signifying territorial claims and distinct homelands. This shows a physical, geopolitical separation.
- every one after his tongue (Hebrew: לִלְשֹׁנֹו liləšōnōw): Signifies distinct languages. While the confusion of tongues at Babel (Gen 11) is typically seen as the origin of linguistic diversity, this verse suggests an existing or nascent linguistic differentiation that contributes to national identity, possibly referring to inherent dialectal or proto-language variations that solidified. Or, it implicitly foreshadows the further diversification to occur at Babel, presenting the post-Babel reality within the pre-Babel "Table of Nations." It highlights language as a primary marker of distinction between peoples.
- after their families (Hebrew: לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם ləmiṣpəḥōtām): Indicates internal groupings and genealogical connections within the broader nations. This points to the tribal or clan structures that form the building blocks of larger national entities, emphasizing social organization and lineage.
- in their nations (Hebrew: בְּגוֹיֵהֶם bəgōyêhem): This final descriptor reaffirms the highest level of organization – fully formed national identities. It encapsulates the combined distinctions of land, language, and family into recognized national entities.