genesis 10 - genealogy + miscellanea

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. (Titus 3:9)

Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (1 Timothy 1:4)

[Emphasis mine] It is with that good advice that we mostly skip over Genesis 10, which is pretty much nothing but a genealogy.

There are a couple of points of interest, however.

By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. (Genesis 10:5)

These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. (Genesis 10:20)

These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. (Genesis 10:31)

[Emphasis mine] We will be told in the very next chapter – Genesis 11:1, as a matter of fact – that there was only one human language prior to the Tower of Babel incident. As the passages above show, however, the author of Genesis 10 apparently disagreed.

Also, that whole “Curse of Ham” thing. Never becomes important again – in the Bible itself, at least.