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Genesis 10 · Table of Nations

Table of Nations

שִׁבְעִים אֻמּוֹת — The Seventy Peoples of the Earth
Noah → Japheth · Ham · Shem · 70 nations · 6 generations
⚠
Now Extended to Jacob & Esau. This tree covers the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) and follows the Messianic line through to Jacob and Esau (Generation XII). For the twelve sons of Jacob and their tribal territories, see the 12 Tribes of Israel page.
Table of Nations Series · Genesis 10
Part I — Sons of Japheth Part II — Sons of Ham Part III — Sons of Shem Table of Nations 12 Tribes of Israel
Genesis 1–5 · Antediluvian Patriarchs · Pre-Flood
Adam — The First Man
אָדָםAdam · Father of All the LivingGen 1:26–5:5
First human, formed from dust and breathed into life by God. Father of Cain, Abel, and Seth. Lived 930 years.
Eve — The Mother of All Living
חַוָּהEve · Mother of All LivingGen 2:21–3:20
First woman, formed from Adam's rib. First to receive the Messianic promise (Gen 3:15). Mother of Cain, Abel, and Seth.
✦
Antediluvian Patriarchs — Seth Line & Cain Line
Two diverging lineages from Adam · Genesis 4–5 · Before the Flood
21 persons
שֵׁת — Seth Line · Covenant Lineage
Abel — died without descendants
Abel — Son of Adam and Eve, The First Shepherd, Genesis
הֶבֶלAbelGen 4:2–8
Second son of Adam. Keeper of sheep whose offering God accepted. Murdered by Cain — first death in human history. Died without descendants. Called "righteous Abel" (Matt 23:35).
Seth — appointed in Abel's place
Seth — Third Son of Adam and Eve, Genesis
שֵׁתSethGen 4:25–5:8
Third son of Adam, appointed in Abel's place. Head of the covenant line — through him run Enosh, Methuselah, and Noah. Lived 912 years.
אֱנוֹשׁEnoshGen 4:26–5:11
Son of Seth. In his days "men began to call upon the name of the LORD" — first recorded communal worship. Lived 905 years.
קֵינָןKenanGen 5:9–14
Son of Enosh. Covenant link in the Seth genealogy. His name echoes Cain — one of Genesis's deliberate symmetries between the two lines. Lived 910 years.
מַהֲלַלְאֵלMahalalelGen 5:12–17
Son of Kenan. His name means "Praise of God" — הלל + אֵל — the most theophoric name in the Seth genealogy. Lived 895 years.
יֶרֶדJaredGen 5:15–20
Son of Mahalalel, father of Enoch. Second oldest in Scripture at 962 years. Name means "descent" — from יָרַד (yarad).
Enoch — Seventh from Adam, The Man Who Walked with God, Genesis
חֲנוֹךְEnochGen 5:18–24
נִלְקַח — Taken by God · Did Not Die
Seventh from Adam. "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him" — bypassed death entirely. Prophesied coming judgment (Jude 1:14). Lived 365 years.
Methuselah — Son of Enoch, Grandfather of Noah, Oldest Man in the Bible
מְתוּשֶׁלַחMethuselahGen 5:21–27
Son of Enoch, grandfather of Noah. Oldest person in Scripture — 969 years. His death and the Flood fall in the same year by biblical chronology.
לֶמֶךְLamech · Noah's FatherGen 5:25–31
Son of Methuselah, father of Noah. Prophesied Noah would bring relief from the curse of the ground. Lived 777 years — died five years before the Flood.
קַיִן — Cain Line · East of Eden
Cain — Firstborn of Adam and Eve, The First Murderer, Genesis
קַיִןCainGen 4:1–17
Firstborn of humanity. Murdered Abel — first murderer. Cursed to wander, built the first city east of Eden in Nod and named it after his son Enoch.
Cain's descendants
חֲנוֹךְEnoch (Cain's)Gen 4:17
Son of Cain. The first city in history was built and named after him — civilization founded outside God's presence. Not the Seth-line Enoch who walked with God.
עִירָדIradGen 4:18
Son of Cain's Enoch, grandson of Cain. Generational link in the Cainite genealogy. Name possibly relates to עִיר (city).
מְחִיּיָאֵלMehujaelGen 4:18
Son of Irad. His theophoric name contains El (God) — mirroring Mahalalel in the Seth line, one of Genesis's deliberate symmetries between the two genealogies.
מְתוּשָׁאֵלMethushaelGen 4:18
Son of Mehujael, father of Cain's Lamech. His name parallels Methuselah — one of Genesis's deliberate word-pairs mirroring the two genealogies.
Lamech (Cain's) — first bigamist, sword-song
לֶמֶךְLamech (Cain's)Gen 4:19–24
First bigamist in Scripture (Adah and Zillah). Composed the Sword Song — oldest poem in the Bible. Father of Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-Cain, and Naamah.
Children of Cain's Lamech — founders of civilization
יָבָלJabalGen 4:20
"Father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock" — inventor of the nomadic pastoral life. Son of Lamech and Adah.
יוּבָלJubalGen 4:21
"Father of all who play the harp and flute" — inventor of music. Son of Lamech and Adah, brother of Jabal.
תּוּבַל קַיִןTubal-CainGen 4:22
"Forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron" — world's first metalsmith. Son of Lamech and Zillah, brother of Naamah.
נַעֲמָהNaamahGen 4:22
Only named daughter in the Cain genealogy. Sister of Tubal-Cain. Midrashic tradition (Gen. Rabbah 23) identifies her as the wife of Noah.
↓   Seth line continues — Lamech fathers Noah (Gen 5:28–29)   ↓
Noah — The Ark Builder
נֹחַNoah · The Ark Builder · Father of All NationsGen 5:29–10:1
Tenth from Adam. Righteous in his generation — built the ark, survived the Flood, received the Noahic covenant. Father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Lived 950 years.
I
Sons of Noah
The three lines of all post-flood humanity · Genesis 10:1
3 persons
יֶפֶת — Japheth
Japheth — Son of Noah, Father of Northern and Western Nations, Table of Nations
יֶפֶתJapheth · 14 NationsGen 9:27; 10:1–5
Son of Noah. Line spread into Europe and Central Asia — 14 nations. "May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem."
View Sons of Japheth breakdown →
חָם — Ham
Ham — Son of Noah, Father of African and Middle Eastern Nations, Table of Nations
חָםHam · 30 NationsGen 9:20–27; 10:6–20
Son of Noah. Saw his father's nakedness — his son Canaan received the curse, not Ham himself. 4 sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, Canaan — 30 nations across Africa and the Near East.
View Sons of Ham breakdown →
שֵׁם — Shem
Shem — Son of Noah, Father of Semitic Nations, Ancestor of Abraham, Table of Nations
שֵׁםShem · 26 Nations · Messianic LineGen 9:26; 10:21–31
Son of Noah, head of the Messianic line. "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem." Covenant flows Shem → Arphaxad → … → Abraham. 26 nations. Lived 600 years.
View Sons of Shem breakdown →
II
Noah's Grandsons
Direct children of Japheth, Ham, and Shem · Genesis 10:2–22
16 nations
Sons of Japheth
Gomer — The Cimmerian, Son of Japheth, Table of Nations Genesis 10
גֹּמֶרGomer10:2–3
Cimmerians — ancestors of Celtic and Germanic peoples. Pontic steppe to Central Europe.
Magog — Son of Japheth, Scythians, Gog and Magog of Ezekiel, Table of Nations
מָגוֹגMagog10:2
Scythians of the Eurasian steppe. Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38–39.
Madai — The Medes, Son of Japheth, Ancient Persia, Table of Nations Genesis 10
מָדַיMadai10:2
The Medes — destroyed Nineveh 612 BCE with Babylon. Modern northwestern Iran / Kurdish peoples.
Javan — The Greeks (Ionians), Son of Japheth, Table of Nations Genesis 10
יָוָןJavan10:2,4
The Greeks (Ionians). Yavan is still Hebrew for Greece today. Daniel's empire of the goat.
תֻבָלTubal10:2
Tabali of eastern Anatolia. Paired with Meshech. Bronze and slave traders (Ezek 27:13). Georgian ancestors.
מֶשֶׁךְMeshech10:2
Muski/Mushki of central Anatolia (Cappadocia). Always paired with Tubal in prophecy.
תִירָסTiras10:2
Possibly the Tyrsenoi/Etruscans (Tyrrhenian Sea) or the Thracians.
Sons of Ham
Cush — Son of Ham, Ethiopia and Sudan, Father of Nimrod, Table of Nations
כּוּשׁCush10:6–8
Ethiopia/Sudan — the Nile Valley south of Egypt. Father of Nimrod.
Mizraim — Son of Ham, Egypt, Table of Nations Genesis 10
מִצְרַיִםMizraim10:6,13
Egypt — still Misr in Hebrew and Arabic today. The Two Lands of the Nile.
Put — Son of Ham, Libya and Somalia, Table of Nations Genesis 10
פוּטPut10:6
Libya/Somalia — military people. Mercenary warriors in Egyptian, Assyrian, and Tyrian armies.
Canaan — Son of Ham, Land of Canaan, Pre-Israelite Peoples, Table of Nations
כְּנַעַןCanaan10:6,15
The promised land's pre-Israelite peoples. Curse fell on Canaan specifically — not on Ham or Africa.
Sons of Shem
Elam — Son of Shem, Ancient Elamites, Susa, Table of Nations Genesis 10
עֵילָםElam10:22
Elamites — ancient civilization of Susa (Shushan). Chedorlaomer in Genesis 14. Setting of Esther.
Asshur — Son of Shem, The Assyrians, Built Nineveh, Table of Nations
אַשּׁוּרAsshur10:11,22
The Assyrians — built Nineveh. Conquered Northern Israel 722 BCE. Modern Assyrian Christians still speak Aramaic.
Arphaxad — Son of Shem, Direct Ancestor of Abraham, Table of Nations
אַרְפַּכְשַׁדArphaxad10:22
Direct ancestor of Abraham — the Messianic line passes through Arphaxad. Most critical genealogy in the Table.
לוּדLud10:22
Lydians of western Anatolia — Croesus and his gold, inventors of coined money.
Aram — Son of Shem, The Arameans, Aramaic Language, Table of Nations
אֲרָםAram10:22–23
The Arameans — Damascus, and the Aramaic language. "A wandering Aramean was my father" (Deut 26:5). Yeshua spoke Aramaic.
III
Great-Grandsons of Noah
Children of Japheth's sons, Ham's sons, and Shem's sons · Genesis 10:3–23
36 peoples
Japheth's Grandchildren
From Gomer
Ashkenaz — Son of Gomer Son of Japheth, Scythians, Ashkenazi Jews, Table of Nations
אַשְׁכְּנַזAshkenaz10:3
Scythians / Rhine-Danube region. Name preserved in Ashkenazi Jews.
רִיפַתRiphath10:3
Possibly Paphlagonians of northern Anatolia or Carpathian peoples.
Togarmah — Son of Gomer Son of Japheth, Eastern Anatolia and Armenia, Table of Nations
תֹגַרְמָהTogarmah10:3
Eastern Anatolia / Armenia / Khazar Empire. Ezek 38 northern coalition. Armenian and Turkic-Khazar traditions.
From Javan
אֱלִישָׁהElishah10:4
Alashiya (Cyprus) or Elis/Aeolis. Blue and purple dye trade (Ezek 27:7).
Tarshish — Son of Javan Son of Japheth, Ships of Tarshish, Southwestern Spain
תַרְשִׁישׁTarshish10:4
Tartessos, southwestern Spain. "Ships of Tarshish" — the far western Mediterranean. Jonah's destination.
Kittim — Son of Javan Son of Japheth, Cyprus and Rome, Table of Nations
כִּתִּיםKittim10:4
Cyprus, then broadened to Romans. Daniel 11:30 — ships of Kittim oppose Antiochus. Dead Sea Scrolls use for Rome.
דֹדָנִיםDodanim10:4
Rhodes or Dardanians (Troy region). 1 Chr reads "Rodanim" supporting Rhodes.
Ham's Grandchildren
From Cush
Nimrod — Son of Cush, The Mighty Hunter, Builder of Babel and Nineveh, Genesis 10
נִמְרֹדNimrod10:8–12
The mighty hunter. First empire: Babel, Erech, Accad; then Nineveh, Calah. Builder of the world's first cities.
סְבָאSeba10:7
Meroe/Nubia — the upper Nile capital of Kush. Isaiah 43:3 pairs Seba with Egypt.
חֲוִילָהHavilah (Cush)10:7
Cushite Havilah — possibly East African coast or Arabian peninsula gold region (Gen 2:11).
סַבְתָּהSabtah10:7
Possibly Shabwa — the ancient Hadramauti capital in Yemen.
Raamah — Son of Cush, South Arabian Trading People, Table of Nations
רַעְמָהRaamah10:7
South Arabian trading people. Father of Sheba and Dedan. Spice merchants of Tyre (Ezek 27:22).
סַבְתְּכָאSabtechah10:7
Unidentified — possibly southeastern Arabian coast.
From Mizraim
לוּדִיםLudim10:13
Libyan or Nile Delta peoples. Noted as archers in Egyptian and Assyrian armies.
עֲנָמִיםAnamim10:13
Possibly western desert oasis peoples of Egypt.
לְהָבִיםLehabim10:13
Libya proper — the Libu of Egyptian records.
נַפְתֻּחִיםNaphtuhim10:13
The people of the Delta / Memphis region of northern Egypt.
פַּתְרֻסִיםPathrusim10:14
People of Pathros — Upper Egypt, the Nile Valley south of Memphis.
כַּסְלֻחִיםCasluhim10:14
Ancestor of the Philistines. Possibly the eastern Nile Delta / Sinai border peoples.
כַּפְתֹּרִיםCaphtorim10:14
Crete/Aegean. Amos 9:7 — Philistines came from Caphtor. Part of the Sea Peoples migration.
From Canaan
Sidon — Firstborn of Canaan, Premier Phoenician City, Table of Nations
צִידֹןSidon10:15
Firstborn of Canaan. Premier Phoenician city — Jezebel was a Sidonian princess.
Heth — Son of Canaan, Canaanite Hittites, Abraham Bought Machpelah, Table of Nations
חֵתHeth10:15
Canaanite Hittites — Abraham bought Machpelah from them. Esau's Hittite wives.
Jebusite — Son of Canaan, Pre-Israelite Jerusalem (Jebus), Table of Nations
הַיְבוּסִיJebusite10:16
Pre-Israelite Jerusalem (Jebus). Araunah's threshing floor became the temple mount.
Amorite — Son of Canaan, Dominant Highland Canaanites, Table of Nations
הָאֱמֹרִיAmorite10:16
Dominant Canaanite highland people. Og of Bashan, Sihon king of Heshbon. Their iniquity was not yet full in Abraham's time.
הַגִּרְגָּשִׁיGirgashite10:16
One of the seven nations of Canaan. Not prominent in narrative.
הַחִוִּיHivite10:17
Gibeonites who tricked Joshua. Shechem the son of Hamor. Central Canaan and Hermon foothills.
הָעַרְקִיArkite10:17
People of Arqa — modern Tell Arqa, northern Lebanon near Tripoli.
הַסִּינִיSinite10:17
People of Sin — possibly Siyannu/Sinn on the northern Lebanese coast.
הָאַרְוָדִיArvadite10:18
Island city of Arvad off Syrian coast — northernmost Phoenician city. Famous sailors (Ezek 27:8).
הַצְּמָרִיZemarite10:18
Sumur (Simyra) — Syrian coast between Arvad and Tripoli. Bronze Age Egyptian administrative center.
הַחֲמָתִיHamathite10:18
Hamath — modern Hama, Syria. Northern boundary of Canaan. Toi king of Hamath sent gifts to David.
Shem's Grandchildren
From Aram
עוּץUz10:23
Land of Uz — homeland of Job. Hauran region (southern Syria/northern Jordan).
חוּלHul10:23
Possibly the Huleh basin, northern Galilee/southern Syria.
גֶּתֶרGether10:23
Unknown — obscure Aramean people. No independent attestation.
מַשׁMash10:23
Possibly Mount Masius, southeastern Turkey. 1 Chr reads Meshech — textual variant.
From Arphaxad — Messianic Line
שֶׁלַחShelah10:24
Son of Arphaxad, father of Eber. The Messianic line continues through Shelah.
IV
Fourth Generation
The Messianic line deepens · children of Raamah, Casluhim, and Shelah
4 entries
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
From Raamah
שְׁבָאSheba (Ham)10:7
Son of Raamah — South Arabian Sheba. Queen of Sheba, gold trade, frankincense.
דְדָןDedan10:7
Northwestern Arabian trading people — oasis of al-Ula (ancient Dedan). Major caravan hub.
From Casluhim
Philistines — Son of Mizraim, Sea Peoples of Gaza, Enemies of Israel, Table of Nations
פְּלִשְׁתִּיםPhilistines10:14
Sea Peoples who settled Gaza coast c.1200 BCE. Five lords, iron weapons, perpetual enemy of Israel through David.
Shem's Line — Messianic Path
From Shelah
Eber — Son of Arphaxad, Eponymous Ancestor of the Hebrews, Table of Nations
עֵבֶרEber10:24
Eponymous ancestor of the Hebrews (Ivri = "from Eber"). Father of Peleg and Joktan — the great branching.
V
Eber's Sons — The Great Division
The line divides: Peleg (the Messianic path) and Joktan (13 Arabian peoples) · Genesis 10:25
2 entries
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — From Eber
פֶּלֶגPeleg10:25
Son of Eber — "in his days the earth was divided" (Babel). Direct ancestor of Abraham. The Messianic line continues through Peleg.
Joktan — Son of Eber, Father of Arabian Peoples, Table of Nations Genesis 10
יָקְטָןJoktan10:25
Peleg's brother — father of 13 South Arabian peoples. Qahtan of Arab tradition. His sons populate the Arabian peninsula.
VI
Arabian Peoples — Sons of Joktan + Reu
13 South Arabian nations descended from Joktan · Genesis 10:26–29 · Plus Reu, Peleg's son and the next link in the Messianic line
14 nations
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — From Joktan
אַלְמוֹדָדAlmodad10:26
First of Joktan's 13 sons — South Arabia.
שָׁלֶףSheleph10:26
Possibly Salfaeeni — Yemen.
חֲצַרְמָוֶתHazarmaveth10:26
Hadramaut, Yemen — one of the clearest IDs in the Table. Ancient frankincense heartland.
יֶרַחJerah10:26
Means "moon" — possibly lunar-cult tribes of South Arabia.
הֲדוֹרָםHadoram10:27
Possibly Adramitae of South Arabia.
אוּזָלUzal10:27
Ancient Azal = modern Sanaa, Yemen. Ezek 27:19 confirms it as Tyre's trading partner.
דִּקְלָהDiklah10:27
Means "palm grove" in Aramaic — unidentified Arabian tribe.
עוֹבָלObal10:28
1 Chr reads Ebal. Yemen highlands — unidentified.
אֲבִימָאֵלAbimael10:28
"My father is El" — theophoric name. South Arabian tribe.
Sheba — Son of Joktan, Sabaean Kingdom of Yemen, Queen of Sheba, Table of Nations
שְׁבָאSheba (Shem)10:28
Sabaean kingdom of Yemen. Sheba appears in both Ham and Shem lines — dual ethnicity of South Arabian peoples. Queen of Sheba.
Ophir — Son of Joktan, Solomon's Gold Source, 420 Talents, Table of Nations
אוֹפִירOphir10:29
Solomon's gold source — 420 talents every 3 years. Likely Oman. Confirmed by Tel Qasile ostracon.
חֲוִילָהHavilah (Shem)10:29
Eastern Arabia — Ishmael's territory stretched from Havilah to Shur (Gen 25:18). Also appears in Cush line.
יוֹבָבJobab10:29
Last of Joktan's 13 sons — completing the Table. Some ancient traditions identify with Job.
From Peleg — Messianic Line
רְעוּReu11:18
Peleg's son — the Messianic line continues: Reu → Serug → Nahor → Terah → Abraham.
VII
Serug — The Messianic Line Narrows
Son of Reu · Genesis 11:20–21 · Two generations from Terah
1 person
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — Patriarchal Path
שְׂרוּגSerug11:20
Reu's son, father of Nahor I. Name means "branch." Tradition associates this era with the spread of idol worship before Abraham.
VIII
Nahor I — Abraham's Grandfather
Son of Serug · Genesis 11:22–23 · One generation from Terah
1 person
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — Patriarchal Path
נָחוֹרNahor I11:22
Serug's son and Abraham's grandfather. Father of Terah. Not to be confused with Nahor II (Abraham's brother).
IX
Terah — Father of Abraham
Son of Nahor I · Genesis 11:24–32 · Led family from Ur toward Canaan; stopped in Haran
1 person
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — Patriarchal Path
Terah — Father of Abraham, Son of Nahor I, Ur of the Chaldees, Table of Nations
תֶּרַחTerah11:24
Father of Abraham, Nahor II, and Haran. Led family from Ur toward Canaan but stopped in Haran (the city), where he died at 205. Joshua 24:2 records he served other gods.
X
Terah's Children — The Covenant Generation
Children of Terah · Genesis 11:27–29 · Abraham, Sarah, Haran, Nahor II — plus Hagar of Egypt
5 persons
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line — Egypt
Hagar — Egyptian Servant of Sarai, Mother of Ishmael, El Roi the God Who Sees Me
הָגָרHagar16:1
Egyptian maidservant of Sarai — mother of Ishmael through Abraham. The only person in Scripture to give God a name: El Roi, "the God who sees me."
Shem's Line — Terah's Household
Abraham — Son of Terah, Father of Many Nations, Covenant with God, Patriarch
אַבְרָהָםAbraham11:26
Father of many nations — God's covenant partner. Born Abram; renamed Abraham (Gen 17:5). Through Sarah he fathered Isaac; through Hagar, Ishmael. The covenant narrowed to Isaac and his son Jacob.
שָׂרָהSarah17:15
Terah's daughter, Abraham's half-sister and wife. Born Sarai; renamed Sarah ("princess"). Mother of Isaac. Died at 127 — the only woman whose age at death Scripture records.
הָרָןHaran11:27
Terah's son, Abraham's brother. Died in Ur before his father — unusual in Scripture. Father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. The city of Haran may bear his name.
נָחוֹרNahor II11:27
Terah's son, Abraham's brother. Married Milcah (his niece). Stayed in Mesopotamia. Father of Bethuel → Rebekah and Laban, making him ancestor of Isaac's and Jacob's wives.
XI
Haran's Children + Abraham's Sons + Bethuel
Lot, Milcah, Iscah (Haran's) · Isaac & Ishmael (Abraham's) · Bethuel (Nahor II's son) · Generation XI from Noah
6 persons
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — Haran's Household
Lot — Son of Haran, Nephew of Abraham, Father of Moab and Ammon, Sodom
לוֹטLot11:27
Haran's son, Abraham's nephew. Traveled with Abraham from Ur to Canaan. Settled near Sodom; rescued before its destruction. Father of Moab and Ammon. 2 Peter 2:7 calls him "righteous Lot."
מִלְכָּהMilcah11:29
Haran's daughter; married Nahor II (her uncle, Abraham's brother). Mother of Bethuel, grandmother of Rebekah and Laban — making her ancestor of Isaac's wife and Jacob's wives.
יִסְכָּהIscah11:29
Haran's daughter, mentioned only once. Some ancient traditions identify her with Sarah, but Genesis 20:12 places Sarah as Terah's daughter.
Abraham's Sons
Ishmael — Son of Abraham and Hagar, Father of Arab Peoples, Twelve Princes
יִשְׁמָעֵאלIshmaelGen 16:11; 25:12
Abraham's firstborn through Hagar. Father of 12 princes — the Arabian peoples. God heard his cry in the wilderness (Gen 21:17). His territory stretched from Havilah to Shur. The Ishmaelites sold Joseph into Egypt.
References Gen 16:11 · 17:20 · 21:17 · 25:12–18 · 37:28 · Gal 4:22
Isaac — The Covenant Son, Son of Abraham and Sarah, Father of Jacob and Esau
יִצְחָקIsaacGen 21:3; 22; 26
The covenant son — born to Sarah at 90. Bound on Moriah (Gen 22); the father of Jacob and Esau. He inherited all Abraham's blessing (Gen 26:3). The only patriarch who never left Canaan. Father of both the nation of Israel and the nation of Edom.
References Gen 21:3 · 22 · 25:21 · 26:3 · 27 · 35:27–29 · Rom 9:7 · Heb 11:17 · Gal 4:28
From Nahor II — Covenant's Extended Family
Bethuel — Son of Nahor II and Milcah, Father of Rebekah and Laban
בְּתוּאֵלBethuelGen 22:22–23
Son of Nahor II and Milcah — Abraham's nephew. Father of Rebekah and Laban. His daughter became Isaac's wife; his son Laban later became Jacob's father-in-law, completing the covenant family circle.
References Gen 22:22 · 24:15 · 24:24 · 24:47 · 24:50 · 25:20 · 28:2 · 28:5
XII
Lot's Sons + Jacob, Esau, Rebekah & Laban — Generation XII
Moab & Ben-Ammi (Lot's sons) · Jacob & Esau (Isaac's sons) · Rebekah & Laban (Bethuel's children) · Generation XII from Noah
6 persons
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — Lot's Sons
Moab — Son of Lot, Founder of the Moabites, Ancestor of Ruth, East of Dead Sea
מוֹאָבMoab19:37
Lot's son by his elder daughter — father of the Moabite nation (east of the Dead Sea). Ruth the Moabitess was his descendant and great-grandmother of King David.
Ben-Ammi — Son of Lot, Founder of the Ammonites, Modern Amman Jordan
בֶּן־עַמִּיBen-Ammi19:38
Lot's son by his younger daughter — father of the Ammonite nation. His descendants' capital Rabbah is modern Amman, Jordan — the only ancient capital whose name survives in a modern country's capital.
Isaac's Sons — The Covenant Fork
Esau — Firstborn of Isaac, Father of Edom, Twin Brother of Jacob, Birthright
עֵשָׂוEsau — Father of EdomGen 25:25; 36
Isaac's firstborn — sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew (Gen 25:33). Became the nation of Edom (Seir/Mt Esau). 12 Edomite chiefs from his sons (Gen 36:10–19). Malachi 1:3 — "Jacob I loved, Esau I hated."
References Gen 25:25 · 25:33 · 27:40 · 32:4 · 33:1 · 36:1–19 · Mal 1:3 · Rom 9:13 · Heb 12:16
Jacob — Renamed Israel, Father of the Twelve Tribes, Son of Isaac, Patriarch
יַעֲקֹב · יִשְׂרָאֵלJacob — Renamed IsraelGen 25:26; 32:28
Born grasping Esau's heel — renamed Israel ("struggles with God") after wrestling at Jabbok (Gen 32:28). Father of the 12 tribes: 6 by Leah, 2 by Rachel, 2 by Bilhah, 2 by Zilpah. See the 12 Tribes of Israel page.
References Gen 25:26 · 27:36 · 28:13 · 32:28 · 35:10 · 46:2 · Exod 19:3 · Mal 1:2 · Rom 9:13
From Bethuel — Rebekah & Laban
Rebekah — Daughter of Bethuel, Wife of Isaac, Mother of Jacob and Esau
רִבְקָהRebekah — Wife of IsaacGen 24:15
Daughter of Bethuel, sister of Laban — chosen at a well in Paddan-Aram by Abraham's servant. Her hospitality (watering ten camels unprompted) was the sign. Mother of Esau and Jacob; she received the oracle: "the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen 25:23).
References Gen 22:23 · 24:15 · 25:21–23 · 26:7 · 27:5–17 · 28:5 · 35:8 · 49:31
Laban — Son of Bethuel, Brother of Rebekah, Father of Leah and Rachel
לָבָןLabanGen 24:29; 29–31
Rebekah's brother, Bethuel's son — father of Leah and Rachel. Jacob lived in his household 20 years: 7 years for Rachel, then 7 more after being deceived with Leah. Their parting became a covenant at Mizpah (Gen 31:44).
References Gen 24:29 · 29:5 · 29:16 · 29:23 · 30:25 · 31:1 · 31:44 · 31:55
XIII
Jacob's Wives & Daughter — Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, Bilhah, Dinah
Daughters of Laban (Leah, Rachel) · Jacob's maidservant wives (Zilpah, Bilhah) · Jacob's daughter Dinah · Generation XIII from Noah
5 persons
Japheth's Line
No new entries at this generation
Ham's Line
No new entries at this generation
Shem's Line — Jacob's Household
Daughters of Laban
Leah — First Wife of Jacob, Daughter of Laban, Mother of Six of the Twelve Tribes
לֵאָהLeah — First Wife of JacobGen 29:16
Laban's firstborn daughter — given to Jacob by deception on the wedding night. Mother of six sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and daughter Dinah. Buried in the cave of Machpelah alongside the patriarchs (Gen 49:31).
References Gen 29:16 · 29:23 · 30:13 · 31:33 · 35:23 · 49:31 · Ruth 4:11
Rachel — Beloved Wife of Jacob, Daughter of Laban, Mother of Joseph and Benjamin
רָחֵלRachel — Beloved Wife of JacobGen 29:17
Laban's second daughter — the wife Jacob loved and worked 14 years to marry. Mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Died giving birth to Benjamin on the road near Bethlehem. Her pillar stands there still (Gen 35:20).
References Gen 29:17 · 29:28 · 30:22 · 35:16 · 35:19 · 1 Sam 10:2 · Jer 31:15 · Matt 2:18
Maidservant Wives of Jacob
Zilpah — Servant of Leah, Mother of Gad and Asher, Two of the Twelve Tribes
זִלְפָּהZilpah — Servant of LeahGen 29:24
Leah's maidservant, given by Laban as a wedding gift, then given to Jacob as a concubine by Leah. Mother of Gad and Asher — two of the twelve tribes. One of the four women who bore Jacob's twelve sons.
References Gen 29:24 · 30:9 · 30:11 · 30:13 · 35:26 · 37:2 · 46:18
Bilhah — Servant of Rachel, Mother of Dan and Naphtali, Two of the Twelve Tribes
בִּלְהָהBilhah — Servant of RachelGen 29:29
Rachel's maidservant, given to Jacob as a concubine by Rachel. Mother of Dan and Naphtali — two of the twelve tribes. Reuben's act with Bilhah (Gen 35:22) cost him his firstborn inheritance.
References Gen 29:29 · 30:3 · 30:5 · 30:7 · 35:22 · 35:25 · 37:2 · 46:25
Jacob's Daughter
Dinah — Daughter of Jacob and Leah, Only Named Daughter of Israel
דִינָהDinah — Daughter of Jacob and LeahGen 30:21; 34
The only daughter named among Jacob's children. She goes out to see the daughters of the land; Shechem takes her, then speaks to her heart. Simeon and Levi avenge her by slaughtering every male in the city. She is last mentioned in Egypt (Gen 46:15).
References Gen 30:21 · 34:1 · 34:3 · 34:5 · 34:25 · 46:15
שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים Sons of Jacob — The 12 Tribes of Israel Explore the 12 Tribes →
Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Issachar Zebulun Joseph Benjamin
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Women of the Nations — Grafted Into Israel's Story
Non-Israelites by birth whose faith and faithfulness placed them inside the covenant — Rahav of Canaan, Ruth of Moab, Yael of Kenaz
3 women
Rahav — Canaanite woman of Jericho who hid the two spies
רָחָבRahavJosh 2:1
Canaanite woman of Jericho (Ham → Canaan line) — hid the two Israelite spies and hung the scarlet cord. Her faith preserved her whole household when the walls fell. Matthew 1:5 names her as great-great-grandmother of David.
References Josh 2:1 · 2:12 · 6:17 · 6:25 · Matt 1:5 · Heb 11:31 · Jas 2:25
Ruth — Moabite whose faithfulness made her great-grandmother of David
רוּתRuthRuth 1:16
Moabite woman (Shem → Lot → Moab line) — "Where you go I will go, your people shall be my people and your God my God." Married Boaz of Judah; became great-grandmother of King David and ancestor of the Messiah. Her chesed — covenantal faithfulness — is the book's central theme.
References Ruth 1:16 · 2:12 · 4:13 · 4:17 · 4:22 · Matt 1:5
Yael — Kenite woman who killed Sisera
יָעֵלYaelJudg 4:17
Wife of Heber the Kenite (Midianite-related, the clan of Jethro) — took Sisera the Canaanite general into her tent as he fled, fed him milk and curds, then drove a tent peg through his temple as he slept. Deborah's song: "Most blessed of women be Yael" (Judg 5:24).
References Judg 4:17 · 4:21 · 5:6 · 5:24