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Matthew Henry on Genesis 10:8-14
Nimrod was a great man in his day; he began to be mighty in the earth, Those before him were content to be upon the same level with their neighbours, and though every man bare rule in his own house, yet no man pretended…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:8
Nimrod. 1. His ancestral pedigree—a Cushite. 2. His early occupation—a hunter of wild beasts, a pioneer of civilization. 3. His rising ambition—he began to be a "Gibber," or mighty one. 4. His regal authority—the beginn…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:8
And Cush begat—not necessarily as immediate progenitor, any ancestor being in Hebrew styled a father—Nimrod; the rebel, from maradh, to rebel; the name of a person, not of a people;—Namuret in ancient Egyptian. Though n…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:9
He was a mighty hunter. Originally doubtless of wild beasts, which, according to Bochart, was the first step to usurping dominion over men and using them for battle. "Nempe venationum prsetextu collegit juvenum robustam…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:10
And the beginning of his kingdom. Either his first kingdom, as contrasted with his second (Knobel), or the commencement of his sovereignty (Keil, Kalisch), or the principal city of his empire (Rosenmüller); or all three…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:11
Out of that land went forth Asshur, the son of Shem (Genesis 10:22; LXX; Vulgate, Syriac, Luther, Calvin, Michaelis, Dathe, Rosenmüller, Bohlen). i.e. the early Assyrians retired from Babylon before their Cushite. invad…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:12
And Resen, i.e. Nimrod, between Kalah Shergat and Kouyunjik (Kalisch); but if Calah be Nimroud, then Rosen may be Selamiyeh, a village about half way, between Nineveh and Calah, i.e. Kouyunjik and Nimroud, ut supra (Lay…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:13
And Mizraim begat Ludim. An African tribe, a colony of the Egyptians, like the next seven, which are "nomina non singulorum hominum sed populorum" (Aben Ezra, Michaelis, Rosenmüller, Kalisch, Murphy); probably referred…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:14
And Pathrusim. Pathros in Upper Egypt. And Casluhim. The Colchians, of Egyptian origin (Bochart, Gesenius); the inhabitants of the primitive Egyptian town Chemuis, later Panoplis (Kalisch). Out of whom came Philistim. T…
Matthew Henry on Genesis 10:15-32
The posterity of Canaan were numerous, rich, and pleasantly seated; yet Canaan was under a Divine curse, and not a curse causeless. Those that are under the curse of God, may, perhaps, thrive and prosper in this world;…
Matthew Henry on Genesis 10:15-20
Observe here, 1. The account of the posterity of Canaan, of the families and nations that descended from him, and of the land they possessed, is more particular than of any other in this chapter, because these were the…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:15-19
The Canaanites. I. DESCENDANTS OF A WICKED FATHER. II. INHERITORS OF AN AWFUL CURSE. III. POSSESSORS OF A FAIR DOMAIN. IV. USURPERS OF ANOTHER'S LAND. Lessons:— 1. Wicked men and nations may greatly prosper. 2. Prosperi…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:15
And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn. A famous commercial and maritime town on the coast of Syria (1 Kings 5:6; 1 Chronicles 22:4; Isaiah 23:2, Isaiah 23:4, Isaiah 23:12; Ezekiel 27:8); here including Tyre. From the men…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:16
And the Jebusite. Settled at and around Jerusalem (Joshua 15:8; 19:10, 19:11; 1 Chronicles 11:4, 1 Chronicles 11:5). And the Amorite. On both sides of the Jordan, though dwelling chiefly in the Judaean mountains (Genesi…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:17
And the Hivite. "Villagers" (Gesenius); "settlers in cities" (Ewald); their localities are mentioned in Genesis 34:2; Joshua 9:1, Joshua 9:7; Joshua 11:3; 6:3. And the Arkite. Inhabitants of Arka, a city of Phoenicia (J…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:18
And the Arvadite,—dwelt in Arvad, Aradus, now Ruad (Josephus)—and the Zemarite,—Simyra, a city of Phoenicia (Bochart, Michaelis, Gesenius, Kalisch) whose ruins are still called Sumrah—and the Hamathite. The inhabitants…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:19
And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon (its northern boundary), as thou comest—i.e. as thou goest, in the direction of—to Gerar,—between Kadesh and Shur (Genesis 20:1)—unto Gaza (now called Guzzeh, at the south…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:20
These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations (vide Genesis 10:5).
Matthew Henry on Genesis 10:21-32
Two things especially are observable in this account of the posterity of Shem:— I. The description of Shem, v. 21. We have not only his name, Shem, which signifies a name, but two titles to distinguish him by:— 1. He wa…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:21
Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber,—as Ham of Canaan (Genesis 9:22; vide Genesis 9:24)—the brother of Japheth the elder. Either the eldest brother of Japheth (Syriac, Arabic, Vulgate, Gesenius, Rosen…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:22
The children of Shem were twenty-six in number, of whom five were sons. Elam. Elymais, a region adjoining Snaiana and Media, stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Rod Sea; the people first met with as Persians. And As…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:23
And the children of Aram; Uz, from whom was named the land of Uz (Job 1:1), south-east of Palestine, a tract of the Arabia Deserta. And Hul. In Armenia (Josephus); that part called Cholobetene, or house of Hul (Bochart)…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:24
And Arphaxad begat Salah. The nation descended from him has not been identified, though their name, "Extension," may imply that they were early colonists. And Salah begat Eber. The father of the Hebrews or Emigrants (vi…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 10:25
And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg. "Division," from palg, to divide; cf. πεì λαγος and pelagus, a division of the sea. For in his days was the earth divided. At the confusion of tongues (Bochar…