The Sons of Noah and the Table of Nations

Genesis 10 follows the sons of Noah — Shem, Ham and Japheth — and their families after the Flood. Sebastian C. Adams drew the three branches on panel 3 of his chart. Here is the whole chapter, with what his chart prints.

In short: Noah’s sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth (Genesis 10:1). Genesis 10 names seven sons of Japheth, four of Ham and five children of Shem.

The three branches

Son of Noah	Named in Genesis 10	Verses
Japheth	Seven sons: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras	2–5
Ham	Four sons: Cush, Mizraim, Phut, Canaan	6–20
Shem	Five children: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram	21–31

Genesis 10 in full

¹ Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. ² The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. ³ And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. ⁴ And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. ⁵ By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. ⁶ And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. ⁷ And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. ⁸ And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. ⁹ He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. ¹⁰ And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ¹¹ Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, ¹² And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. ¹³ And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, ¹⁴ And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. ¹⁵ And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth, ¹⁶ And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, ¹⁷ And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, ¹⁸ And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. ¹⁹ And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. ²⁰ These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. ²¹ Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. ²² The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. ²³ And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. ²⁴ And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. ²⁵ And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. ²⁶ And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, ²⁷ And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, ²⁸ And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, ²⁹ And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. ³⁰ And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. ³¹ These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. ³² These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
Genesis 10:1–32, King James Version

Nimrod and Asshur

Genesis 10:8–12 names Nimrod, the beginning of his kingdom in Shinar, and Asshur’s building of Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah and Resen.

On Adams’ chart

Adams draws Japheth’s seven branches, Ham’s four (Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan) and Shem’s, which divides into Arphaxad, Elam, Asshur, Lud and Aram. The reference printed beside Japheth is Genesis 10:21. On Shem’s band he prints how long Shem lived, and a notice above the arc dates the dispersion to about 2247 B.C. Three lines give destinations, each with “probably”:

Those of SHEM, probably in Asia.
Those of HAM, probably in Africa.
Those of JAPHET, probably in Europe.
Printed on Adams’ chart, panel 3

Adams gives Shem “after the Flood 502 years, and after Noah 152 years,”. Calculation: with Noah’s 350 years after the Flood (Genesis 9:28), 502 − 350 = 152.

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Questions

Who were the sons of Noah?

“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.” (Genesis 10:1).

How many sons did Japheth, Ham and Shem have?

Genesis 10 names seven sons of Japheth (verse 2), four of Ham (verse 6) and five children of Shem (verse 22).

Who was Nimrod?

“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD” (Genesis 10:8–9). “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” (Genesis 10:10).

Where did the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth go?

Genesis 10 names their families, tongues, lands and nations (verses 5, 20 and 31). Adams’ chart prints three lines, each with “probably”: “Those of SHEM, probably in Asia.”, “Those of HAM, probably in Africa.” and “Those of JAPHET, probably in Europe.”