Israel’s Relationships With Nations in Genesis 10

This starts at ’s sons. is the son who “uncovered his father’s nakedness” or had sex with him. Ham’s descendant is cursed because of it. Note that the text speaks in terms of descendants, not sons and fathers. We must think in the minds of the OR when we read this list. When they read it they recognized the names and associated them with all the different nations. Israel came through , but it seems that most of Israel’s enemies came through Ham. In the mind of an Israelite, they would associate the descendants of Ham and the nations that they had become with their shameful past. Here are some of their noteworthy enemies that came through

Ham: **Canaan (southern ) **Egypt (Western Egypt) *Nimrod (Babylonia & Assyria – far future enemies) Mizraim (along Nile of Egypt) (southern Egypt) **Caphtorim (Crete – later to migrate and become the ) Sidon (of Palestine) **Heth (Hittites) ** (occupants of Jerusalem) ** (Hill country of Palestine & Ammon of the transjordan) Girgashites (Sea of Galilee) ** (Gibeonites) (Central Palestine – tricked Joshua into treaty – Josh 9:7; Shechem raped Dinah in Genesis 34:2) Arkites (Northern coastal Palestine) Sinites (City state along Mediterranean) Arvadite (Phoenician city) Zemarites (Northernmost Egyptian stronghold in Canaan) Hamathites (Inland Phoenician city)

Shem: *Asshur (Assyria – far future enemy) **Aram (enemy to north of Israel) JEber (Origin of the Hebrews?? If so then in Ur of the Chaldeans) JDiklah (possibly a town south of modern day Mecca)

Japheth: JMagog (possibly associated with the Scythians) * (Kingdom of the Medes – problem in the far future) JAshkenaz (also possibly associated with the Scythians)

bold Italics denotes direct known enemy No * or bold italics denotes implied or assumed enemy * = future enemy ** = imminent or present enemy J = point of interest

Of the three brothers, Ham has 19 total enemies – 8 direct enemies - 7 of which are imminent or present enemies; Shem has 2 enemies-1 of which is imminent; has 1 far future indirect enemy

The nations that God wanted Israel to destroy and take their land was the Canaanites, Philistines, Phoenicians, Geshurites, and the Maacahites. The surrounding nations whose land God did not give the was the Arameans (north), the Ammonites (east), Moabites (southeast), and Edomites (south).

Moody Atlas of Bible Lands, Barry J. Beitzel, Moody Press Chicago 1985