Genesis 10:6 kjv

And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6 nkjv

The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6 niv

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6 esv

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6 nlt

The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10 verses

Genesis 10 6 Meaning

Genesis 10:6 records four primary sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. This verse establishes the foundational lineages for the nations descended from Ham, forming a crucial part of the "Table of Nations" which maps the post-Flood dispersion of humanity. It delineates the peoples who settled primarily to the south and west of the ancient Near East, encompassing areas known later as Ethiopia/Nubia, Egypt, Libya, and the Levant, laying the genealogical groundwork for their roles in later biblical history.

Genesis 10 6 Context

Genesis chapter 10 is often referred to as the "Table of Nations," serving as a critical genealogical record of the world's populations descending from Noah's three sons after the Flood. It lists 70 nations, providing a framework for understanding global human diversity and distribution. This verse, Gen 10:6, specifically details the initial offspring of Ham, whose descendants largely populate regions to the south and west of the ancient Near East, crucial areas that would significantly interact with Abraham's lineage and the future nation of Israel. The preceding chapter (Gen 9) concludes with Noah's curse upon Canaan, highlighting a particular future significance for this branch of Ham's descendants in relation to Israel's promised land. Chapter 10 immediately precedes the account of the Tower of Babel in chapter 11, which explains the linguistic diversification and further dispersion of these listed peoples. The entire chapter underscores a universal, single origin of humanity, contrasting with pagan mythologies of diverse, unconnected origins.

Genesis 10 6 Word analysis

• sons (בְּנֵי, bə·nê): A common Hebrew plural noun meaning male children, offspring, or descendants. Here, it signifies the immediate, prominent male issue of Ham who become the patriarchs of distinct peoples or regions.
• Ham (חָ֔ם, ḥām): The Hebrew proper name of Noah's second son. Its root might mean "hot" or "sunburnt," potentially referencing the regions his descendants inhabited, known for their warm climates. Biblically, Ham is pivotal as the ancestor of peoples often associated with powerful, idolatrous nations such as Egypt and the problematic Canaanites, crucial adversaries and neighbors for Israel throughout its history.
• Cush (כּ֥וּשׁ, Kûš): This proper name identifies the ancestor of a major nation. Cush is primarily associated with ancient Ethiopia or Nubia, a vast region south of Egypt along the Nile, encompassing modern-day Sudan and parts of Ethiopia. Biblically, the Cushites are often depicted as strong warriors or traders.
• Mizraim (מִצְרַ֖יִם, Miṣ·ra·yim): This Hebrew proper name specifically refers to Egypt. The dual ending (-ayim) suggests a reference to the "Two Lands" of ancient Egypt—Upper and Lower Egypt, or its two primary geographic divisions. Mizraim is the direct ancestral father of various Egyptian sub-groups, establishing the deep historical link between this name and the nation of Egypt, which played an outsized role in Israel's history as both oppressor and, at times, refuge.
• Put (פּ֖וּט, Pūṭ): This proper name is generally identified with ancient Libya, situated to the west of Egypt. Its people are often mentioned in prophetic texts alongside Cush and Egypt, indicating its geographical proximity and strategic alignment in various regional conflicts.
• Canaan (כְּנָֽעַן, Kə·nā·‘an): This proper name refers to the ancestor of the Canaanite peoples, who inhabited the land later promised to Abraham and his descendants. Canaan is unique among Ham's sons in this verse because Noah specifically cursed him (Gen 9:25), which has profound implications for Israel's divine commission to dispossess the Canaanites from the land promised to them.

Words-group analysis:

• The sons of Ham: This phrase precisely delimits the scope of the genealogy presented in this verse, focusing on a particular branch of humanity. It establishes Ham as the patriarch whose direct male descendants form significant foundational nations, many of whom would later have direct and often adversarial relationships with the descendants of Shem. This setup also highlights the unity of humankind originating from one family post-flood, even as it categorizes major ethnic and geographical groups.

Genesis 10 6 Bonus section

The "Table of Nations" (Gen 10), initiated in this context, challenges ancient mythological views prevalent at the time which often posited disparate origins for different peoples or divine intervention in the creation of various tribes without a unified source. Genesis presents a clear, concise genealogy affirming that all humanity, regardless of their subsequent national or ethnic identity, sprang from one source – Noah's family after the Flood. This provides a foundation for the universal reach of God's redemptive plan and highlights that despite the diverse languages and geographical distributions, all peoples share a common ancestry and therefore, a common need for God's grace. Furthermore, the inclusion of Cush and Put along with Mizraim and Canaan illustrates the ancient biblical authors' geographical awareness, encompassing significant parts of Africa in their understanding of post-Flood population dispersal. This comprehensive view underlines that God's covenant with Noah extended to all his descendants and therefore to all humankind, forming a global community even before their diversification into nations and languages.

Genesis 10 6 Commentary

Genesis 10:6 is more than a simple list of names; it is a profound historical and theological statement that lays the groundwork for understanding the ethnic and geographical tapestry of the ancient world from a biblical perspective. It identifies the immediate post-Flood ancestors of pivotal nations: Cush (Ethiopia/Nubia), Mizraim (Egypt), Put (Libya), and Canaan. These nations primarily settled in Africa and the Levant. The prominence of Mizraim (Egypt) is clear, given its later historical interactions with Israel. The inclusion of Canaan is especially significant due to Noah's prophecy in Gen 9:25-27, which marked Canaan for servitude, setting the stage for future divine judgment against the Canaanites and Israel's conquest of their land. The verse affirms the singular origin of humanity while categorizing early national groupings according to patriarchal lineage, preparing the reader for subsequent narratives focusing on these peoples in divine history. It reflects God's sovereign ordering of nations and sets the geopolitical landscape for the unfolding drama of redemption, particularly concerning the lineage of Shem and Abraham.