Genesis 10:2-5·~1 min
The Japhethites
The line of Japheth is traced through his sons and through the families that come from Gomer and Javan. The genealogy moves steadily outward by descent.
T2he sons of Japheth: 3The sons of Gomer: 4And the sons of Javan:
From these descendants, maritime peoples spread into their own territories, each with its own language, clans, and nations. The genealogy turns into a picture of geographic distribution.
5Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites. From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.
Section summaryJapheth’s line is named and then carried outward toward coastlands and territories. The section closes by showing these descendants separating into peoples marked by language, clan, and nation.
Role in the chapterThis first genealogy begins the chapter’s wider map of the nations. It shows one branch of Noah’s family already spreading into distinct lands and peoples.