Table of Nations (10)

1. Table of Nations (10)The genealogy of Genesis 10, called the Table of Nations, is different from the other main genealogies of the Primeval Story in chapters 5 and 11. The Table of Nations is a lateral rather than linear genealogy. It follows this general pattern: the sons of A were B and C and D . . . . The sons of B were X and Y and Z . . . . Its primary purpose was to identify connections among population groups based on their common paternity. Repeatedly we are told that "these are the sons of X, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations" (10:5, 20, 31).
    The narrative placement of this material is logical in that it fills out the lines of descent of the three sons of Noah. From Shem, Ham, and Japheth "the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood" (10:32). But the placement is also illogical in that it comes before the Tower of Babel incident (11:1-9), which presupposes that humanity is one entity, linguistic and otherwise.
    Additional genealogies follow the Tower of Babel story in chapter 11. The genealogy of Shem (11:10-32; see section 2.C Generations to Abram) concludes the Primeval Story on a positive note--positive because God did not destroy humanity even though it offended him yet again, and because Shem became an ancestor to Abram, who would become the father of Israel.