From Adam to Abraham
The genealogy opens with the earliest human line, moving from Adam through Seth to Noah in a bare, steady sequence. The names arrive without comment, establishing a long continuity from the beginning.
A1dam, Seth, Enosh, 2Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, 3Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah.
From Noah the line branches outward through Japheth and his sons. The genealogy begins to spread from a single line into peoples and families after the flood.
4The sons of Noah: 5The sons of Japheth: 6The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 7And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.
The descendants of Ham are listed through Cush, Mizraim, and Canaan, with brief notice given to Nimrod and to peoples who emerge from these lines. The names widen the map of nations surrounding Israel’s later story.
8The sons of Ham: 9The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. 10Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth. 11Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites, 12the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites. 13And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 14the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 15the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
The line of Shem is traced through Arphaxad and Eber, with Peleg and Joktan marking two branches and Joktan’s sons listed in full. The genealogy begins to move more deliberately toward the line that will matter next.
17The sons of Shem: 18Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. 19Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan. 20And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 23Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
The genealogy resumes from Shem and runs quickly through successive generations until it arrives at Abram, named here also as Abraham. The long opening movement comes to rest on one decisive name.
24So from Shem came Arphaxad, Shelah, 25Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27and Abram (that is, Abraham).