Genesis 10:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He became a significant figure on the earth, described as a mighty hunter before the Lord; thus it is said, "A mighty hunter like Nimrod before the Lord." His empire initially included Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. Assur emerged from this territory and established Nineveh along with Rehoboth-Ur, Calah, and Resen, lying between Nineveh and Calah, which is acknowledged as a large city (Gen. 10:8-12). Hush, the progenitor of the giant Nimrod, is highlighted first among Ham’s lineage, with his five sons and two grandsons already counted. It is conceivable that he fathered the giant after his grandsons were born, yet it appears more likely that he is mentioned separately due to his notable fame, as his kingdom's origin traces back to the renowned city of Babylon and regions named thereafter. Assur's journey from this land to establish Nineveh and other cities occurred much later and is noted briefly due to Assyria's tremendous expanse, attributed to Ninus, the son of Bel, who founded the significant city of Nineveh. The city derives its name from Ninus. Assur, recognized as the forebear of the Assyrians, descended not from Ham but from Shem, the eldest son of Noah. Thus, it is clear that from Shem’s lineage originated those who eventually occupied the realm of that giant and subsequently founded other cities, including the illustrious Nineveh.

The historian then shifts focus to another son of Ham, Mitzrayim, outlining the nations descended from him—not individuals but seven distinct nations. Notably, from the sixth of these, akin to the sixth son, emerged the nation known as the Philistines. In total, eight nations are accounted for. The writer then revisits Canaan, the son who incurred Ham's curse, naming the eleven descendants along with corresponding cities that marked their territories. Overall, Ham's lineage comprises thirty-one individuals when considering both sons and grandsons. Next, the discussion turns to the sons of Shem, having gradually transitioned to this point. However, the introduction of Shem’s descendants brings about a certain obscurity requiring clarification, especially as it closely relates to our present inquiry. The text states, "There were also children born to Shem, the father of all the sons of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth" (Gen. 10:21). This presents Shem as the patriarch of all his tribe’s future generations, whether they are his direct offspring or later descendants. Notably, Shem did not beget Eber himself; Eber appears as the fifth in the genealogical line. Among his sons, Shem fathered Arphaxad, and Arphaxad begot Cainan, who in turn begot Salah, who then fathered Eber. Eber, being named first in Shem's lineage and even preceding his direct sons, holds significance due to the tradition linking him to the origin of the Hebrews, or Heberites. Although there is another supposition that their name derives from Abraham, the truth is they were called after Eber, becoming known as Heberites, and later, with a letter added, as Jews. In time, the Hebrew language came to primarily identify the singular nation of Israel, wherein the divine manifestation was realized among the saints, both as individuals and collectively within the covenant community.

Consequently, the six sons of Shem are initially mentioned, followed by four grandsons from one of them. Another son bears a grandson, leading to a great-grandson, Eber. Eber fathered two sons, one named Peleg, meaning "the divider." The reason for this name is articulated in the Scripture: "for in his days the earth was divided" (Gen. 10:25). The nature of this division will be clarified later. The other son born to Eber fathered twelve sons. Thus, the total descendants from Noah’s three sons comprise seventy-three individuals: fifteen from Japheth, thirty-one from Ham, and twenty-seven from Shem. The Scripture then states, "These are the sons of Shem according to their tribes, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations. From these the nations spread across the earth after the flood" (Gen. 10:31-32). This establishes the premise that there were, at that time, seventy-three—or, as will later be substantiated, perhaps seventy-two distinct nations rather than individuals. This is supported by the earlier enumeration of Japheth's sons, concluding with "From these the islands of the nations were inhabited in their lands, each according to his language, according to his tribes, in his peoples" (Gen. 10:5). Hence, many sons are not explicitly mentioned because, upon their birth, they assimilated into other nations without establishing nations of their own. Why, then, in counting the eight sons of Japheth, do we find only the children of two acknowledged? And why, among the four sons of Ham, are only the offspring of three named? Additionally, when counting six sons of Shem, why are only the descendants of two specified? It seems implausible that the others were childless. They must have had offspring, but they did not form distinct nations deserving acknowledgment, as they ultimately associated with other nations.

Some believe that the Slavic peoples descended from Riphat, the son of Gamer, while others suggest they originated from Forgama, Riphat’s brother, with Moscow and White Russia receiving names from different sources. Nevertheless, it is sufficient to acknowledge that we are descendants of Japheth’s lineage. Mosoch was Japheth’s son, while Riphat and Forgama were his grandsons, the sons of Gamer, from whom the Cimmerians, or Cymbrians, who spoke a Slavic language, came. Further details about the Cimmerians can be found in the hagiographies of saints Methodius and Constantine for the month of May. Additionally, one can refer to the Pechersk Synopsis for information about the Slavs, the Russ, Moses, and Cimmerians. 7. Firas. From him arose the Thracians. The region inhabited by the Thracians later became the area where Byzantium was established, now known as Constantinople, or Tsargrad. In Russian Bibles, there is an eighth son of Japheth named Elias; however, it is believed that he was not a son of Japheth but rather a grandson, being the son of Jovan.