Restored English Translation of Genesis: Chapter 10

Here is my Restored English Translation (RET) of Beresheet (Genesis) chapter 10.  As usual, it contains the Hebrew names (and a glossary of them is provided at the end).  However, I will not be including the Aleph Tavs any more, as they are merely a Hebrew grammatical quirk.  However, for those interested, I will at the end provide a chart of all the Aleph/Tavs that appear in the chapter, and where.

One thing that will stand out to those who have studied the text is the genealogy.  In most translations, verse 24 reads “And Arpachshad fathered Salah [or Shelah], and Salah father Ever”.  However, the Septuagint text of this passage reads, “And Arpachshad father Cainan, and Cainan fathered Salah, and Salah fathered Eber.”  Which is right?  Was there originally a Cainan in the genealogy, missed by later transcribers?  Well, the answer is found elsewhere in Scripture, in Jubilees and Luke:

In the twenty-ninth jubilee, in the first week, in the beginning thereof Arpachshad took to himself a wife and her name was Rasu’eja, the daughter of Susan, the daughter of Elam, and she bare him a son in the third year in this week, and he called his name Kainam [Cainan]. … And in the thirtieth jubilee, in the second week, in the first year thereof, he took to himself a wife, and her name was Melka, the daughter of Madai, the son of Japheth, and in the fourth year he begat a son, and called his name Shelah.” (Jubilees 8:1, 5; Charles’ translation)

“… the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Salah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad…” (Luke 3:35-36, HRB)

Thus, I have added the missing generation of Keynan/Cainan to the text of Genesis 10, in accordance with the Septuagint reading, and the other Biblical witnesses.

CHAPTER 10

1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noach, Shem, Cham, and Yefet; and sons were born to them after the flood. 2 The sons of Yefet: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Yavan, and Tubal, and Meshek, and Tiras. 3 And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Rifat, and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Yavan: Elishah, and Tarshish, and Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 By these were the isles of the coasts of the nations in their lands, each by his language, by their families, in their nations. 6 And the sons of Cham: Kush, and Mitsrayim, and Put, and Kena’an. 7 And the sons of Kush: Seva, and Chavilah, and Savta, and Ra’amah, and Savtecha. And the sons of Ra’amah: Sheva and Dedan. 8 And Kush fathered Nimrod; he became a polluted mighty hero in the land. 9 He was a warrior and a great tyrant before YEHOVAH. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Bavel, and Erek, and Akad, and Kalneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 Out of that land he went forth to Asshur and built Nineveh, and Rechovot, the city, and Kelach, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Kelach, which is the great city. 13 And Mitsrayim fathered Ludim, and Anamayim, and Lehabim, and Naftuchim, 14 and Patrusim, and Kasluchim (out of whom came the Pelishtim and Kaftorim).

15 And Kena’an fathered Tsidon his firstborn, and Chet, 16 and the Yevusi, and the Amori, and the Girgashi, 17 and the Chivi, and the Arki, and the Sini, 18 and the Arvadi, and the Tsemari, and the Chamati. And afterwards the families of Kena’an were dispersed. 19 And the border of the Kena’anim was from Tsidon, as you come to Gerar, to Aza; as you go to Sedom, and Amorrah, and Admah, and Tsevoyim, even to Lesha. 20 These are the descendants of Cham, after their families, after their languages, in their countries and in their nations.

21 Also to Shem, the ancestor of the descendants of Ever, the elder brother of Yefet, even to him children were born. 22 The children of Shem: Eylam, and Asshur, and Arpakshad,and Lud, and Aram. 23 And the sons of Aram: Uts, and Chul, and Geter, and Mash. 24 And Arpakshad fathered Kainan, and Kainan fathered Shelach, and Shelach fathered Ever. 25 And two sons were born to Ever: the name of one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided), and his brother’s name was Yoktan. 26 And Yoktan fathered Almodad, and Shelef, and Chatsarmavet, and Yerach, 27 and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, 28 and Oval, and Avima’el, and Sheva, 29 and Ophir, and Chavilah, and Yovav; all these were the sons of Yoktan. 30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go to Sefar, an eastern mountain. 31 These are the descendants of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. 32 These are the families of the sons of Noach, after their generations, in their nations; and by these the nations were divided in the earth after the flood.

Glossary

Noach – Noah

Cham – Ham

Yefet – Japheth

Yavan – Javan [Greece]

Meshek – Meshech

Rifat – Riphath

Kush – Cush [Ethiopia]

Mitsrayim – Mizraim [Egypt]

Kena’an – Canaan

Seva – Seba

Chavilah – Havilah

Savta – Sabta

Ra’amah – Raamah

Savtecha – Sabtecha

Sheva – Sheba

YEHOVAH – The Lord

Erek – Erech

Akad – Accad

Kalneh – Calneh

Asshur – Assyria

Rechovot – Rehoboth

Kelach – Calah

Anamayim – Anamim

Naftuchim – Naphtuhim

Patrusim – Pathrusim

Kasluchim – Casluhim

Pelishtim – Philistines

Kaftorim – Caphtorim

Tsidon – Sidon

Chet – Heth

Yevusi – Jebusite

Amori – Amorite

Girgashi – Girgashite

Chivi – Hivite

Arki – Arkite

Sini – Sinite

Arvadi – Arvadite

Tsemari – Zemarite

Chamati – Hamathite

Aza – Gaza

Sedom – Sodom

Amorrah – Gomorrah

Tsevoyim – Zeboiim

Lesha – Lasha

Ever – Eber

Eylam – Elam

Arpakshad – Arpachshad (sometimes spelt Arphaxad)

Uts – Uz

Chul – Hul

Geter – Gether

Kainan – Cainan (also spelt Kainam)

Shelach – Shelah (also spelt Salah)

Yoktan – Joktan

Shelef – Sheleph

Chatsarmavet – Hazarmaveth

Yerach – Jerah

Oval – Obal

Avima’el – Abimael

Yovav – Jobab

Sefar – Sephar

Where the Aleph/Tavs appeared

Verse 8: And Kush fathered את Nimrod; he became a polluted mighty hero in the land.

Verses 11-12: Out of that land he went forth to Asshur and built את Nineveh, and את Rechovot, the city, and Kelach,and את Resen between Nineveh and Kelach, which is the great city.

Verses 13-14: And Mitsrayim fathered את Ludim, and את Anamayim, and את Lehabim, and את Naftuchim,and את Patrusim, and את Kasluchim (out of whom came the Pelishtim and את Kaftorim).

Verses 15-18: And Kena’an fathered את Tsidon his firstborn, and את Chet, and את the Yevusi, and את the Amori, and את the Girgashi, and את the Chivi, and את the Arki, and את the Sini, and את the Arvadi, and את the Tsemari, and את the Chamati.

Verse 24: And Arpakshad fathered את Kainan, and Kainan fathered את Shelach, and Shelach fathered את Ever.

Verses 26-29: And Yoktan fathered את Almodad, and את Shelef, and את Chatsarmavet, and את Yerach, and את Hadoram, and את Uzal, and את Diklah, and את Oval, and את Avima’el, and את Sheva, and את Ophir, and את Chavilah, and את Yovav; all these were the sons of Yoktan.