Genesis 10:2

Genesis tells us the less important families first. After that, it tells us the more important ones. Shem’s family is the most important because Shem was the oldest son. So Genesis tells us the family of the youngest son, Japheth, first. Then it tells us the family of Ham. When it has done that, it tells us the more important family of Shem.

v6 Ham’s sons were Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. v7 Cush’s sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. Raamah’s sons were Sheba and Dedan. v8 Cush became the father of Nimrod. Nimrod was the first strong man on the earth. v9 He was a great hunter by the *Lord’s strength. Therefore people say, ‘Like Nimrod, who is a great hunter by the *Lord’s strength.’ v10 Nimrod was the king of Babel, Erech and Accad. All these cities are in the country that is called Shinar. v11 From Shinar Nimrod went into Assyria. He built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah and Resen. v12 Resen is a great city and it is between Nineveh and Calah. v13 Egypt became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, v14 Pathrusim, Casluhim and Caphtorim. The *Philistines were Casluhim’s *descendants.

v15 Canaan became the father of Sidon and Heth. Sidon was Canaan’s oldest son. v16 Canaan was also the father of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, v17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, v18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites. Later the *Canaanite families scattered. v19 And the *Canaanites’ land stretched from Sidon to Gaza. (Gaza is on the way to Gerar.) It also stretched to Lasha. (Lasha is on the way to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim.) v20 These are Ham’s sons in their families. Each family lived in its own country. And each family spoke its own language.