Back to the Hebrew Name Game! Genesis 10:1-12

May the mumbling commence!

Welcome back to the Hebrew Name Game!  It’s time for Noah’s family tree.  Read from Peterson’s The Message:

            This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth.  After the flood, they themselves had sons.

            The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras.

            The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, Togarmah.

            The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, Rodanim.  The seafaring peoples developed from these, each in its own place by family, each with its own language.

            The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, Canaan.

            The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabteca.

            The sons of Raamah: Sheba, Dedan.

            Cush also had Nimrod.  He was the first great warrior on Earth.  He was a great hunter before God.  There was a saying, “Like Nimrod, a great hunter before God.”  His kingdom got its start with Babel; then Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the country of Shinar.  From there he went up to Asshur and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah. (Genesis 10:1-12)

Now read the same passage from the NIV translation:

This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood. 

The sons of Japheth:

Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. 

The sons of Gomer:

Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. 

The sons of Javan:

Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim.  (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.) 

The sons of Ham:

Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. 

The sons of Cush:

Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca.

The sons of Raamah:

Sheba and Dedan. 

Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth.  He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord."  The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar.  From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. (Genesis 10:1-12)

There is very little difference between The Message and the NIV in this passage.  The place names and children’s names that are different are both reflective of the Hebrew.

The hidden nugget in this part of the genealogy is the extra attention given to Nimrod.  Nimrod was a mighty warrior and hunter before the Lord.  At first glance, that special attention would seem quite positive.  Yet, as we think about the cities of his reign, some are to be quite evil cities… like Babylon and Assyria and Nineveh.

This greatness seems to be apart from the Lord.  It’s like saying: “Look how great I am.  Look how great we are.”  Pride ruptures right relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters… and with all creation.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out