Genesis 10:12

• His kingdom: This is the region around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Mesopotamia. This kingdom eventually expanded into northern Mesopotamia (Assyria).

• Babylon is the most important city because it played a key role in the story of the tower of Babel (see 11:4 and study note).

• Erech, known as ancient Uruk, is now Warka in southern Iraq (see Ezra 4:9–10).

• Accad, once called Agade, is north of Babylon and was home to the famous ruler Sargon (2370–2295 BC).

• The location of Calneh is uncertain. But it is probably one of Nimrod’s cities north of Aram-naharaim in southern Mesopotamia (compare Amos 6:2).

• built … Nineveh: Like Cain, Nimrod built cities (see Genesis 4:17 and comments). Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the east bank of the Tigris River in northern Iraq.

• Rehoboth-Ir was either a nearby city or a daughter-city of Nineveh.

• Calah is modern Tell Nimrud, south of Nineveh.

• Resen is possibly modern Selamiyeh, northwest of Tell Nimrud.

The text gives special attention to the early history of Babylonia and Assyria. These Mesopotamian empires (kingdoms from the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers) later conquered and exiled (forced to leave their land) Israel and Judah.

• This section explains where the ancient Near Eastern nations came from. Ham was at the center (10:6–20)while the descendants of Japheth and Shem spread out to the surrounding regions of Greece, Crete, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Madai, the Arabian peninsula, and northeast Africa.

  The list is selective in focusing on nations important to Israel. The 70 names (seven times ten) indicate completeness (see 46:27; Deuteronomy 32:8). These names represent the whole world, which Abraham's descendants would later bless (Genesis 18:18).

• Although Shem is mentioned first in 10:1, he is addressed last in the Table because of his connection to Abram (10:21–31; 11:10–32; 12:1). Although God established the boundaries of all nations (see Deuteronomy 32:8; Amos 9:7; Acts 17:26), Israel was his special creation (a small group of 70 people; Genesis 46:27). God called them to be a blessing to a world of 70 nations (see 12:3).

The fifth account (10:1) in Genesis (see study note on 2:4) unites the Table of Nations (10:2–32) and the Babel story (11:1–9) around the theme of scattering the nations (10:5, 18; 11:4, 8–9). The Table of Nations appears before the Babel story, but the Babel event explains how the nations and languages in that list came to exist.

By placing these events in this order, Genesis connects the filling of the earth with the blessing God gave to Noah and his sons (see 9:1 and study note). It shows that the growth of the nations comes from God’s blessing.

This order also prepares for Abram’s call (12:1–3). Abram’s call shows God’s answer to the problem seen at Babel (11:1–9), where humans were separated from God. Through Abram, God begins to restore that relationship.