Chapter 10

1And these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and sons were born to them after the Flood.   אוְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת בְּנֵי־נֹ֔חַ שֵׁ֖ם חָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת וַיִּוָּֽלְד֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם בָּנִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל:
2The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal, and Meshech and Tiras.   בבְּנֵ֣י יֶ֔פֶת גֹּ֣מֶר וּמָג֔וֹג וּמָדַ֖י וְיָוָ֣ן וְתֻבָ֑ל וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ וְתִירָֽס:
Tiras. This is Persia. — [from Gen. Rabbah ad loc., Yoma 10a]   וְתִירָֽס.  זוֹ פָּרַס (ב"ר):
3And the sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.   גוּבְנֵ֖י גֹּ֑מֶר אַשְׁכְּנַ֥ז וְרִיפַ֖ת וְתֹֽגַרְמָֽה:
4And the sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.   דוּבְנֵ֥י יָוָ֖ן אֱלִישָׁ֣ה וְתַרְשִׁ֑ישׁ כִּתִּ֖ים וְדֹֽדָנִֽים:
5From these, the islands of the nations separated in their lands, each one to his language, according to their families, in their nations.   המֵאֵ֠לֶּה נִפְרְד֞וּ אִיֵּ֤י הַגּוֹיִם֙ בְּאַרְצֹתָ֔ם אִ֖ישׁ לִלְשֹׁנ֑וֹ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם בְּגֽוֹיֵהֶֽם:
6And the sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.   ווּבְנֵ֖י חָ֑ם כּ֥וּשׁ וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּפ֥וּט וּכְנָֽעַן:
7And the sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabta and Raamah and Sabtecha, and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.   זוּבְנֵ֣י כ֔וּשׁ סְבָא֙ וַֽחֲוִילָ֔ה וְסַבְתָּ֥ה וְרַעְמָ֖ה וְסַבְתְּכָ֑א וּבְנֵ֥י רַעְמָ֖ה שְׁבָ֥א וּדְדָֽן:
8And Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty man in the land.   חוְכ֖וּשׁ יָלַ֣ד אֶת־נִמְרֹ֑ד ה֣וּא הֵחֵ֔ל לִֽהְי֥וֹת גִּבֹּ֖ר בָּאָֽרֶץ:
he began to be a mighty man. to cause the entire world to rebel against the Holy One, blessed be He, with the plan of the Generation of the Dispersion. — [from Eruv. 53a, Chul. 89a]   לִֽהְיוֹת גבור.  לְהַמְרִיד כָּל הָעוֹלָם עַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּעֲצַת דוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה:
9He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord."   טהֽוּא־הָיָ֥ה גִּבֹּֽר־צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֙ יֵֽאָמַ֔ר כְּנִמְרֹ֛ד גִּבּ֥וֹר צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
a mighty hunter. He ensnared people’s minds with his speech and misled them to rebel against the Omnipresent. — [from Gen. Rabbah 37:2]   גִּבֹּֽר־צַיִד.  צָד דַּעְתָּן שֶׁל בְּרִיוֹת בְּפִיו, וּמַטְעָן לִמְרֹד בַּמָּקוֹם:
before the Lord. He intended to provoke Him to His face. — [from Sifra Bechukkothai 2:2]   לִפְנֵי ה'.  מִתְכַּוֵן לְהַקְנִיטוֹ עַל פָּנָיו:
therefore it is said. About any man who is brazenly wicked, who recognizes his Master and intends to rebel [לִמְרֹד] against Him, it is said, “This one is like Nimrod [נִמְרֹד], a mighty hunter.”   עַל־כֵּן יֵֽאָמַר.  עַל כָּל אָדָם מַרְשִׁיעַ בְּעַזּוּת פָּנִים, יוֹדֵע רִבּוֹנוֹ וּמִתְכַּוֵּן לִמְרֹד בּוֹ, יֵאָמֵר זֶה כְּנִמְרֹד גִּבּוֹר צַיִד:
10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.   יוַתְּהִ֨י רֵאשִׁ֤ית מַמְלַכְתּוֹ֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְאֶ֖רֶךְ וְאַכַּ֣ד וְכַלְנֵ֑ה בְּאֶ֖רֶץ שִׁנְעָֽר:
11From that land emerged Asshur, and he built Nineveh and Rehoboth ir and Calah.   יאמִן־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַהִ֖וא יָצָ֣א אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיִּ֨בֶן֙ אֶת־נִ֣ינְוֵ֔ה וְאֶת־רְחֹבֹ֥ת עִ֖יר וְאֶת־כָּֽלַח:
From that land. Since Asshur saw his sons obeying Nimrod and rebelling against the Omnipresent by building the tower, he departed from their midst. — [from Gen. Rabbah 37:4]   מִן־הָאָרֶץ וגו'.  כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אַשּׁוּר אֶת בָּנָיו שׁוֹמְעִין לְנִמְרוֹד וּמוֹרְדִין בַּמָקוֹם לִבְנוֹת הַמִּגְדָּל יָצָא מִתּוֹכָם:
12And Resen, between Nineveh and between Calah; that is the great city.   יבוְאֶת־רֶ֕סֶן בֵּ֥ין נִֽינְוֵ֖ה וּבֵ֣ין כָּ֑לַח הִ֖וא הָעִ֥יר הַגְּדֹלָֽה:
the great city. This is Nineveh, as it is said (Jonah 3: 3): “Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city to God.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 37:4, Yoma 10a] [i.e., Scripture is referring to Nineveh, not to Resen or Calah.]   הָעִיר הַגְּדֹלָֽה.  הִיא נִינְוֵה שֶׁנֶּ' וְנִינְוֵה הָיְתָה עִיר גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים (יונה ג'):
13And Mizraim begot the Ludim and the Anamim and the Lehabim and the Naphtuhim,   יגוּמִצְרַ֡יִם יָלַ֞ד אֶת־לוּדִ֧ים וְאֶת־עֲנָמִ֛ים וְאֶת־לְהָבִ֖ים וְאֶת־נַפְתֻּחִֽים:
Lehabim. Heb. לְהָבִים [people] whose faces were like flames (לַהַב).   לְהָבִים.  שֶׁפְּנֵיהֶם דּוֹמִים לְלַהַב:
14And the Pathrusim and the Casluhim, from whom the Philistines emerged, and the Caphtorim.   ידוְאֶת־פַּתְרֻסִ֞ים וְאֶת־כַּסְלֻחִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָֽצְא֥וּ מִשָּׁ֛ם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים וְאֶת־כַּפְתֹּרִֽים:
And the Pathrusim and the Casluhim, from whom the Philistines emerged. They [the Philistines] descended from them both, for the Pathrusim and the Casluhim exchanged the intimacy of their wives with each other, and the Philistines descended from them. — [from Gen. Rabbah 37:5]   פַּתְרֻסִים וְאֶת־כַּסְלֻחִים אֲשֶׁר יָֽצְאוּ מִשָּׁם פְּלִשְׁתִּים.  מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם יָצְאוּ, שֶׁהָיוּ פַּתְרוּסִים וְכַסְלוּחִים מַחֲלִיפִין מִשְׁכַּב נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם אֵלּוּ לָאֵלּוּ וְיָצְאוּ מֵהֶם פְּלִשְׁתִּים:
15And Canaan begot Zidon his firstborn and Heth.   טווּכְנַ֗עַן יָלַ֛ד אֶת־צִידֹ֥ן בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־חֵֽת:
16And the Jebusites and the Amorites and the Girgashites.   טזוְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִי֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י וְאֵ֖ת הַגִּרְגָּשִֽׁי:
17And the Hivvites and the Arkites and the Sinites.   יזוְאֶת־הַֽחִוִּ֥י וְאֶת־הָֽעַרְקִ֖י וְאֶת־הַסִּינִֽי:
18And the Arvadites and the Zemarites and the Hamathites, and afterwards the families of the Canaanites were scattered.   יחוְאֶת־הָֽאַרְוָדִ֥י וְאֶת־הַצְּמָרִ֖י וְאֶת־הַֽחֲמָתִ֑י וְאַחַ֣ר נָפֹ֔צוּ מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת הַכְּנַֽעֲנִֽי:
and afterwards…were scattered. From these were scattered many families.   וְאַחַר נפוצו.  מֵאֵלֶּה נָפוֹצוּ מִשְׁפָּחוֹת הַרְבֵּה:
19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you come to Gerar, until Gaza, as you come to Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboiim, until Lesha.   יטוַיְהִ֞י גְּב֤וּל הַכְּנַֽעֲנִי֙ מִצִּידֹ֔ן בֹּֽאֲכָ֥ה גְרָ֖רָה עַד־עַזָּ֑ה בֹּֽאֲכָ֞ה סְדֹ֧מָה וַֽעֲמֹרָ֛ה וְאַדְמָ֥ה וּצְבוֹיִ֖ם (כתיב וּצְבֹיִ֖ם) עַד־לָֽשַׁע:
the border of the Canaanites. Heb. גְּבוּל, the end of his land. Every mention of גְּבוּל denotes an end and an edge.   גְּבוּל הַכְּנַֽעֲנִי.  סוֹף אַרְצוֹ. כָּל גְּבוּל לְשׁוֹן סוֹף וְקָצֶה:
as you come. Heb. בֹּאֲכָה is a noun [i.e., the approach to]. And it appears to me that [it is an expression] as when a person says to his friend, “This border extends until you come to such and such a border.”   בֹּֽאֲכָה.  שֵׁם דָּבָר. וְלִי נִרְאֶה כְּאָדָם הָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ, גְּבוּל זֶה מַגִּיעַ עַד אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹא לִגְבוּל פְּלוֹנִי:
20These are the sons of Ham according to their families, and their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.   כאֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵי־חָ֔ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לִלְשֹֽׁנֹתָ֑ם בְּאַרְצֹתָ֖ם בְּגֽוֹיֵהֶֽם:
according to…their tongues, in their lands. Although they were divided into tongues and lands, they are all the sons of Ham.   ללשונותם בארצותם.  אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ לִלְשׁוֹנוֹת וַאֲרָצוֹת, כֻּלָּם בְּנֵי חָם הֵם:
21And to Shem were also born [children; he was] the father of all the people of the other side [of the river], the brother of Japheth the elder.   כאוּלְשֵׁ֥ם יֻלַּ֖ד גַּם־ה֑וּא אֲבִי֙ כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵ֔בֶר אֲחִ֖י יֶ֥פֶת הַגָּדֽוֹל:
the father of all the people of the other side. of the river was Shem. See below 14:13.   אֲבִי כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵבֶר.  הַנָּהָר הָיָה שֵׁם:
the brother of Japheth, the elder. I do not know [from the wording of the verse] whether Japheth is the elder or Shem. [The verse may be rendered: the elder brother of Japheth.] When Scripture says (11:10): “Shem was a hundred years old, etc.” two years after the Flood, you must say that Japheth was the elder, because Noah was five hundred years old when he first had children, and the Flood came to pass in the six hundredth year. Consequently, the eldest of his sons was a hundred years old [at the time of the Flood], and Shem did not reach [the age of] a hundred until two years after the Flood. — [from Gen. Rabbah 37:7]   אֲחִי יֶפֶת הַגָּדֽוֹל.  אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם יֶפֶת הַגָּדוֹל אִם שֵׁם, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר שֵׁם בֶּן מְאַת שָׁנָה וְגוֹ' שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר יֶפֶת הַגָּדוֹל, שֶׁהֲרֵי בֶּן ת"ק שָׁנָה הָיָה נֹחַ כְּשֶׁהִתְחִיל לְהוֹלִיד, וְהַמַּבּוּל הָיָה בִּשְׁנַת שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, נִמְצָא שֶׁהַגָּדוֹל בְּבָנָיו הָיָה בֶן מֵאָה שָׁנָה, וְשֵׁם לֹא הִגִּיע לְמֵאָה עַד שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל:
the brother of Japheth. But not the brother of Ham, for these two honored their father, and that one [Ham] disgraced him. [See Targum Jonathan, which renders: the brother of Japheth, who was great in the fear of the Lord. Perhaps this was Rashi’s source, but it is unlikely.]   אֲחִי יֶפֶת.  וְלֹא אֲחִי חָם? שֶׁאֵלּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם כִּבְּדוּ אֶת אֲבִיהֶם, וְזֶה בִּזָּהוּ:
22The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram.   כבבְּנֵ֥י שֵׁ֖ם עֵילָ֣ם וְאַשּׁ֑וּר וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד וְל֥וּד וַֽאֲרָֽם:
23And the sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.   כגוּבְנֵ֖י אֲרָ֑ם ע֥וּץ וְח֖וּל וְגֶ֥תֶר וָמַֽשׁ:
24And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.   כדוְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד יָלַ֣ד אֶת־שָׁ֑לַח וְשֶׁ֖לַח יָלַ֥ד אֶת־עֵֽבֶר:
25And to Eber were born two sons: one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Joktan.   כהוּלְעֵ֥בֶר יֻלַּ֖ד שְׁנֵ֣י בָנִ֑ים שֵׁ֣ם הָֽאֶחָ֞ד פֶּ֗לֶג כִּ֤י בְיָמָיו֙ נִפְלְגָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ וְשֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יָקְטָֽן:
was divided. The tongues became confused, and they were scattered from the valley and were dispersed throughout the entire world. We learn that Eber was a prophet, since he named his son for a future event [i.e. פֶּלֶג resembles the word נִפְלְגָה meaning “dispersed”]. And we learned in Seder Olam (ch. 1) that at the end of his [Peleg’s] days, they were dispersed. For if you say that [they were dispersed] at the beginning of his days, behold his brother Joktan was his junior, and he begot many families before that, as it is said (verse 26): “And Joktan begot, etc.,” and [only] afterwards [is it written] (11:1): “And the whole earth was one language.” Now if you say [that they were dispersed] in the middle of his [Peleg’s] days, [this is not so, because] Scripture does not come to make things obscure but to explain. Hence, you learn that in the year of Peleg’s death, they were dispersed.   נִפְלְגָה.  נִתְבַּלְבְּלוּ הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת וְנָפוֹצוּ מִן הַבִּקְעָה וְנִתְפַּלְּגוּ בְכָל הָעוֹלָם. לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה עֵבֶר נָבִיא, שֶׁקָּרָא שֵׁם בְּנוֹ עַל שֵׁם הֶעָתִיד; וְשָׁנִינוּ בְסֵדֶר עוֹלָם שֶׁבְּסוֹף יָמָיו נִתְפַּלְּגוּ, שֶׁאִם תֹּאמַר בִּתְחִלַּת יָמָיו, הֲרֵי יָקְטָן אָחִיו צָעִיר מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוֹלִיד כַּמָּה מִשְׁפָּחוֹת קֹדֶם לָכֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְיָקְטָן יָלַד וְגוֹ' וְאַחַר כָּךְ וַיְהִי כָל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'; וְאִם תֹּאמַר בְּאֶמְצַע יָמָיו, לֹא בָא הַכָּתוּב לִסְתֹּם אֶלָּא לְפָרֵשׁ, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבִּשְׁנַת מוֹת פֶּלֶג נִתְפַּלְּגוּ:
Joktan. Because he was humble and considered himself small (קָטָן). Therefore, he merited to raise all these families. — [from Gen. Rabbah 37:7]   ויקטן.  שֶׁהָיָה עָנָו וּמַקְטִין עַצְמוֹ, לְכָךְ זָכָה לְהַעֲמִיד כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת הַלָּלוּ:
26And Joktan begot Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah.   כווְיָקְטָ֣ן יָלַ֔ד אֶת־אַלְמוֹדָ֖ד וְאֶת־שָׁ֑לֶף וְאֶת־חֲצַרְמָ֖וֶת וְאֶת־יָֽרַח:
Hazarmaveth. lit. yard of death, graveyard. He was so called because of his place. [These are] the words of the Aggadah (Gen. Rabbah 37:8).   חֲצַרְמָוֶת.  עַל שֵׁם מְקוֹמוֹ, דִּבְרֵי אַגָּדָה (ב"ר):
27And Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah.   כזוְאֶת־הֲדוֹרָ֥ם וְאֶת־אוּזָ֖ל וְאֶת־דִּקְלָֽה:
28And Obal and Abimael and Sheba.   כחוְאֶת־עוֹבָ֥ל וְאֶת־אֲבִֽימָאֵ֖ל וְאֶת־שְׁבָֽא:
29And Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.   כטוְאֶת־אוֹפִ֥ר וְאֶת־חֲוִילָ֖ה וְאֶת־יוֹבָ֑ב כָּל־אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י יָקְטָֽן:
30And their settlement was from Mesha, as you come to Sephar, the mountain of the east.   לוַיְהִ֥י מֽוֹשָׁבָ֖ם מִמֵּשָׁ֑א בֹּֽאֲכָ֥ה סְפָ֖רָה הַ֥ר הַקֶּֽדֶם:
31These are the sons of Shem according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, according to their nations.   לאאֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵי־שֵׁ֔ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לִלְשֹֽׁנֹתָ֑ם בְּאַרְצֹתָ֖ם לְגֽוֹיֵהֶֽם:
32These are the families of the sons of Noah according to their generations, in their nations, and from these, the nations were separated on the earth after the Flood.   לבאֵ֣לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֧ת בְּנֵי־נֹ֛חַ לְתֽוֹלְדֹתָ֖ם בְּגֽוֹיֵהֶ֑ם וּמֵאֵ֜לֶּה נִפְרְד֧וּ הַגּוֹיִ֛ם בָּאָ֖רֶץ אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל: