The Table of Nations

The words

1. Ashkenaz

   Also spelled Ashchenaz in the KJV.

   Ashkenaz is listed with Riphath and Togarmah as a son of Gomer, making him a grandson of Japheth in the chapter’s family sequence.

   Did you know?

   In Jeremiah 51, the variant Ashchenaz names a kingdom alongside Ararat and Minni, a different use from the ancestor listed here.

   Genesis 10:2–3 (opens a new tab) · 1 Chronicles 1:6 (opens a new tab) · Jeremiah 51:27 (opens a new tab)

2. Divided

   The chapter uses divided for the peoples’ lands and again when explaining Peleg’s name, within its account of families and nations.

   Did you know?

   The KJV’s divided translates parad in verse 5 and palag in verse 25, using two Hebrew verbs for the same English word.

   Genesis 10:5 (opens a new tab) · Genesis 10:25 (opens a new tab) · Genesis 10:32 (opens a new tab) · Strong’s H6504 (divide, separate) (opens a new tab) · Strong’s H6385 (divide) (opens a new tab)

3. Families

   Families is one of the chapter’s repeated organizing words, listed beside tongues, countries and nations in the summaries of Ham’s and Shem’s descendants.

   Genesis 10:20 (opens a new tab) · Genesis 10:31 (opens a new tab)

4. Gentiles

   Here, peoples or nations.

   The KJV places the Gentiles in the summary of Japheth’s descendants, arranging their lands by tongue, family and nation.

   Genesis 10:2–5 (opens a new tab) · Strong’s H1471 (nation, people) (opens a new tab)

5. Isles

   Islands and coastlands.

   The isles appear in the summary of Japheth’s family, where peoples are distributed among lands and distinguished by their languages.

   Genesis 10:2–5 (opens a new tab) · Strong’s H339 (island, coastland) (opens a new tab)

6. Javan

   Javan is listed among Japheth’s sons, then appears as father of Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim in the next family list.

   Did you know?

   Brown-Driver-Briggs links Javan with Ionia and Greece; the name is used for a people as well as a figure in Genesis.

   Genesis 10:2 (opens a new tab) · Genesis 10:4 (opens a new tab) · BDB H3120 (Javan) (opens a new tab)

7. Madai

   Madai is named between Magog and Javan in Japheth’s family, before the chapter moves on to the sons of Gomer and Javan.

   Did you know?

   Elsewhere, the KJV uses this same Hebrew name for Media or the Medes, placing it in the world of ancient kingdoms.

   Genesis 10:2–4 (opens a new tab) · Strong’s H4074 (Madai, Media) (opens a new tab)

8. Magog

   Magog is named between Gomer and Madai in the list of Japheth’s sons, before the chapter traces selected descendants.

   Genesis 10:2–4 (opens a new tab)

9. Meshech

   Meshech is one of the seven sons named for Japheth, appearing after Tubal and before Tiras in this family list.

   Genesis 10:2 (opens a new tab)

10. Nations

    The closing verse describes the nations as divided in the earth after the flood, linking the chapter’s peoples to Noah’s family.

    Genesis 10:1 (opens a new tab) · Genesis 10:32 (opens a new tab)

11. Peleg

    Eber’s two sons include Peleg, whose name is explained by the earth’s division in his days; the other son is Joktan.

    Did you know?

    Genesis 11 follows the family line through Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor and Terah, leading toward Abram’s story.

    Genesis 10:25 (opens a new tab) · Genesis 11:18–26 (opens a new tab)

12. Riphath

    Riphath is one of Gomer’s three named sons, alongside Ashkenaz and Togarmah, placing him in the family traced through Japheth.

    Genesis 10:2–3 (opens a new tab)

13. Tiras

    Tiras completes the seven-name list of Japheth’s sons; the next verses follow the families of Gomer and Javan.

    Genesis 10:2–4 (opens a new tab)

14. Tongues

    Here, languages.

    The chapter uses tongues alongside families and lands to organize the peoples, repeating the pattern in the summaries of Ham and Shem.

    Genesis 10:20 (opens a new tab) · Genesis 10:31 (opens a new tab) · Strong’s H3956 (tongue, language) (opens a new tab)

15. Tubal

    Tubal is named alongside Javan and Meshech among the sons of Japheth, placing the name within the chapter’s first family branch.

    Genesis 10:1–2 (opens a new tab)