1 This is the account of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.
The Japhethites
2 The sons of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
3 The sons of Gomer:
Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4 And the sons of Javan:
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.a 5 From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.
The Hamites
6 The sons of Ham:
Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
7 The sons of Cush:
Seba, Havilah, Sabtah,b Raamah, and Sabteca.
And the sons of Raamah:
8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty onec on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter befored the LORD; so it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.e 11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah.
13 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites, 14 the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites.f
15 And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn,g and of the Hittites, 16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
Later the Canaanite clans were scattered, 19 and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
20 These are the sons of Ham according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.
The Semites
21 And sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth;h Shem was the forefather of all the sons of Eber.
22 The sons of Shem:
Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
23The sons of Aram:
Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.i
24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,j and Shelah was the father of Eber.
25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg,k because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.
26 And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 30 Their territory extended from Mesha to Sephar, in the eastern hill country.
31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.
32 All these are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their generations and nations. From these the nations of the earth spread out after the flood.
“Be fruitful and multiply”; that was God’s command to Adam and Eve, and his command to the family of Noah. And this chapter of the Book of Genesis discusses just that, the descendants of Noah, from whom we came.
Everything is the Bible is important; none of it is filler. Every story, every sentence, every word has a purpose in our lives. There are many other stories that are not included in the Bible, for example, where did Job come from? There are no stories leading up to Job. So while many names are mentioned as the descendants of Noah, I’m sure there were more as well. And with the exception of a few, the Bible tends to tell stories using male characters, patriarchs.
The scripture I use in my Bible Studies comes from the online Bible from the website, “Bible Hub” I prefer the New King James Version, and that is what I always try to use, however I’ve noticed that when I launch the website, it often opens to another version and I have to remember to physically change to the NKJV. But I admit, sometimes I forget.
Anyway, Bible Hub opens this chapter of Genesis with the heading, “The Table of Nations”. Any idea why it is labeled as such? Because the vast majority of the territories and countries discussed in the Bible are named for the patriarch that settled it. And the land is named after the patriarch with the suffix “ite” added to it. Early in the chapter it talks about the Japethites, the land and descendants of Japheth. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it seems to me it can be trusted most of the time. Later in the Bible, we will talk about the Levites; any idea what Hebrew Tribe they came from?
Father in Heaven, sometimes it is a task to read your Word. Sometimes there are details in the Bible that aren’t very interesting, not very exciting, and sometimes we tend to rush over them, or read them without attempting any kind of comprehension. Help us to avoid thjis trap Lord. We understand that every word is important because the meaning behind one word can change the entire purpose and message scripture is trying to teach us. As we study your Word, send your Spirit down to us to teach us, to give us wisdom, and give us the understanding o the meaning of life. And all God’s people said, “Amen!”
The Real Meaning of Life 
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