^10:6The sons of Ham were Cush,²⁰ Mizraim,²¹ Put,²² and Canaan.²³^10:7The sons of Cush were Seba,²⁴ Havilah,²⁵ Sabtah,²⁶ Raamah,²⁷ and Sabteca.²⁸ The sons of Raamah were Sheba²⁹ and Dedan.³⁰

^10:8Cush was the father of³¹ Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. ^10:9He was a mighty hunter³² before the Lord.³³ (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) ^10:10The primary regions³⁴ of his kingdom were Babel,³⁵ Erech,³⁶ Akkad,³⁷ and Calneh³⁸ in the land of Shinar.³⁹^10:11From that land he went⁴⁰ to Assyria,⁴¹ where he built Nineveh,⁴² Rehoboth-Ir,⁴³ Calah,⁴⁴^10:12and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah.⁴⁵

^10:13Mizraim⁴⁶ was the father of⁴⁷ the Ludites,⁴⁸ Anamites,⁴⁹ Lehabites,⁵⁰ Naphtuhites,⁵¹^10:14Pathrusites,⁵² Casluhites⁵³ (from whom the Philistines came),⁵⁴ and Caphtorites.⁵⁵

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Footnotes

20 The descendants of Cush settled in Nubia (Ethiopia).
21 The descendants of Mizraim settled in Upper and Lower Egypt.
22 The descendants of Put settled in Libya.
23 The descendants of Canaan lived in the region of Phoenicia (Palestine).
24 The descendants of Seba settled in Upper Egypt along the Nile.
25 The Hebrew name Havilah apparently means “stretch of sand” (see חֲוִילָה). Havilah’s descendants settled in eastern Arabia.
26 The descendants of Sabtah settled near the western shore of the Persian Gulf in ancient Hadhramaut.
27 The descendants of Raamah settled in southwest Arabia.
28 The descendants of Sabteca settled in Samudake, east toward the Persian Gulf.
29 Sheba became the name of a kingdom in southwest Arabia.
30 The name Dedan is associated with Ula in northern Arabia.
31 Heb “fathered.” Embedded within Cush’s genealogy is an account of Nimrod, a mighty warrior. There have been many attempts to identify him, but none are convincing.
32 The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).
33 Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yéhvah, “before the Lord [YHWH]”), as a means of expressing the superlative degree. In this case one may translate “Nimrod was the greatest hunter in the world.”
34 Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (), , suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.
35 Or “Babylon.”
36 Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.
37 Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.
38 No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. ).
39 Shinar is another name for Babylonia.
40 The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.
41 Heb “Asshur.”
42 Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.
43 The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.
44 Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.
45 Heb “and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; it [i.e., Calah] is the great city.”
46 Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt (cf. ).
47 Heb “fathered.”
48 The Ludites were African tribes west of the Nile Delta.
49 The Anamites lived in North Africa, west of Egypt, near Cyrene.
50 The Lehabites are identified with the Libyans.
51 The Naphtuhites lived in Lower Egypt (the Nile Delta region).
52 The Pathrusites are known in Egyptian as P-to-reshi; they resided in Upper Egypt.
53 The Casluhites lived in Crete and eventually settled east of the Egyptian Delta, between Egypt and Canaan.
54 Several commentators prefer to reverse the order of the words to put this clause after the next word, since the Philistines came from Crete (where the Caphtorites lived). But the table may suggest migration rather than lineage, and the Philistines, like the Israelites, came through the Nile Delta region of Egypt. For further discussion of the origin and migration of the Philistines, see D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 232.
55 The Caphtorites resided in Crete, but in Egyptian literature Caphtor refers to “the region beyond” the Mediterranean.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The sons of Ham:

Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

The sons of Cush:

Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah:

Sheba and Dedan.

Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

Egypt was the father of

the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Ham’s sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. Cush’s sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. And Raamah’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.

Cush fathered Nimrod, who began to be powerful in the land. He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord.” His kingdom started with Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

Mizraim fathered the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, Pathrus, Casluh (the Philistines came from them), and Caphtor.

NLTNew Living Translation

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

The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth. Since he was the greatest hunter in the world, his name became proverbial. People would say, “This man is like Nimrod, the greatest hunter in the world.” He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. From there he expanded his territory to Assyria, building the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen (the great city located between Nineveh and Calah).

Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. And Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it was said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Yahweh.” Now, the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went out to Assyria, and he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. And Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

KJV 1900King James Version

And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

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