seventy nations: the nations of genesis 10 and 70 israelite souls

Seventy NationsThe Nations of Genesis 10 and 70 Israelite Souls

Introduction

This study was sparked by a note in a study Bible that suggested comparison between the 70 nations of Genesis 10

and the 70 souls of Jacob’s loins that formed the nation of Israel in Egypt. The genealogical charts are intended to

reflect the groupings that Scripture calls out. The source for historical information relating to each people is almost

exclusively Smith’s Bible Dictionary, London: John Murray (1865) edition. It would be interesting to someday

compare Smith’s conclusions with those of other scholars. Name meanings come first from Strong’s Exhaustive

Concordance of the Bible, then from a later and inferior edition of Smith’s (Barbour and Company, 1987) that

sometimes provides name meanings where the older version does not. The majority of the time, Smith and Strong

seem to agree. Regarding Israelite names, with one exception, Strong’s provides a name meaning and Smith was

not consulted. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.

In Genesis 10, the chapter leading up to the construction of the Tower of Babel, the LORD lays out thedivisions of the nations in meticulous order. They are first divided by three patriarchs, Noah’s sonsJapheth, Ham, and Shem. From these patriarchs came 70 nations, which provides an interestingcontrast to the seventy Israelite souls that founded that nation in Egypt.

The first 70 decided to get together to build the Tower of Babel. The later 70 were far from saintly,but they were the family that the LORD chose to bring forth Christ, Who offers salvation for thewilling.

The Number 70

“Seventy is another combination of two of the perfect numbers, seven and ten . . . the productexhibits the significance of each an in intensified form. Hence, 7 x 10 signifies perfect spiritual ordercarried out with all spiritual power and significance. Both spirit and order are greatly emphasized.”

—E. W. Bullinger, Number in Scripture

See also Ed F. Vallowe’s Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics.

The number 70 recurs prominently in several places.

• In Genesis 10, there were 70 nations that came out of Japheth, Ham, and Shem• In Exodus 15:27, the Israelites came across 12 wells and 70 palm trees at Elim• In Exodus 24:1, there were 70 elders appointed for Israel• In Judges 9:56, Abimelech slew 70 of his brethren• In Daniel 9:24, 70 weeks are determined on Daniel’s people• Those of the southern kingdom of Judah spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon• In Matthew 18:22, Christ told Peter to forgive a brother “seventy times seven” times• In Luke 10:1, in addition to 12 disciples, Christ appointed “other 70 also”

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Part I—The Nations of Genesis 10

Four Criteria By Which the LORD Divided the Peoples of Genesis 10

The families of Japheth, Ham, and Shem, are subdivided according to four categories. Four is thenumber of earth. Nearly identical language is used to describe how each was divided, and thislanguage is given at the end of the genealogy of each branch in Genesis 10.

• By/in lands/countries (the Hebrew word for “lands” and “countries” is the same)• After his tongue/their tongues• After their families• In/after their nations

The Hebrew words for these four criteria are:

Lands/Countries (776)—’erets, eh-rets; from an unused root prob. mean. to be firm; the earth (atlarge, or partitively a land):— x common, country, earth, field, ground, land, x nations, way, +wilderness, world.

Tongues (3956)—lâshôwn, law’shone; or lâshôwn, law’shone; also (in plur.) fem. l shônâh, lesh-o-e

naw’; from 3960; the tongue (of man or animals), used lit. (as the instrument of licking, eating, orspeech), and fig. (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water):—+babbler, bay, + evil speaker,language, talker, tongue, wedge.

Families (4940)—mishpâchâh, mish-paw-khaw’; from 8192 [comp. 8198]; a family, i.e. circle ofrelatives; fig. a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extens. a tribe orpeople:—family, kind(-red).

Nations (1471)—gôwy, go’ee; rarely (short.) gôy, go’ee; appar. from the same root as 1465 (in thesense of massing); a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (fig.) a troop of animals, or a flight oflocusts:—Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

Nuances By Branch

Each branch, Japheth, Ham, and Shem, had at least one unique characteristic.

Japheth

Of the Japhethites, it is said:

Gen 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands (776); every one after histongue (3956), after their families (4940), in their nations (1471).

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Ham

Gen 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families (4940), after their tongues (3956), in theircountries (776), and in their nations (1471).

As an added item of interest with Ham, the Canaanites are called out for being “spread abroad.” NotHam as a whole, but just Canaan and his descendants:

Gen 10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the familiesof the Canaanites spread abroad.

The words translated “spread” and “abroad” both have more violent connotations than the Englishwould suggest:

Spread (6327)—pûwts, poots; a prim. root; to dash in pieces, lit. or fig. (espec. to disperse):—break(dash, shake) in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive, retire, scatter (abroad), spreadabroad.

Abroad (5310)—nâphats, naw-fats’; a prim. root; to dash to pieces or scatter:—be beaten in sunder,break (in pieces), broken, dash (in pieces), cause to be discharged, dispersed, be overspread,scatter.

The word “afterward” seems to be open to interpretation. The rest of the nations were scatteredafter the fall of the Tower of Babel in the next chapter. Why are the Canaanites identified as havingbeen violently scattered in chapter 10? A question to which this writer does not have the answer.

It will be recalled that Canaan was the specific son of Ham on whom Noah pronounced the curse,and not on the rest of them:

Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son [Ham] had done unto

him. Gen 9:25 And he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.” Gen 9:26 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be hisservant.”

Shem

Gen 10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families (4940), after their tongues (3956), in theirlands (776), after their nations (1471).

Shem’s unique characteristic is that the genealogy lists a segment of the forbears of Abraham, Isaac,Jacob, David, and ultimately Christ. This genealogy starts at Shem in Genesis 10 and runs throughPeleg. And an interesting occurrence, again open to interpretation, occurs with Peleg and hisbrother Joktan. The genealogy is briefly interrupted to state:

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Gen 10:25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was theearth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

Interestingly, Christ’s lineage drops at Peleg (who is addressed in the next chapter), and thegenealogy continues with Joktan’s sons, who seem to form one of the most prominent kingdoms inthe chapter.

Miscellaneous Observations

Two peoples, the Canaanites (of Ham) and the Joktanites (of Shem), are given more detailedtreatment than the rest in the genealogies.

Smith asserts: “But there is one marked peculiarity in the sons of Joktan, which is common to themwith the Canaanites alone, that precise geographical limits are assigned to their settlements.”

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The Lineages

The Families of Noah As Outlined in Genesis 10

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Japheth

Strong: (3315) expansionSmith: extentIdentification: “The descendants of Japheth occupied the ‘isles of the Gentiles’ (Gen. x. 5), i.e. thecoast-lands of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe and Asia Minor, whence they spread northwardsover the whole continent of Europe and a considerable portion of Asia.”

Gomer

Strong: (1586) completionSmith: noneIdentification: Generally recognized as the progenitor of the early Cimmerians, of the later Cimbri,and the other branches of the Celtic family.

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Ashkenaz

Strong: (813) of for. or.Smith: noneIdentification: Original seat “was undoubtedly in the neighbourhood of Armenia . . . We mayprobably recognize the tribe of Ashkenaz on the northern shore of Asia Minor . . . and in Europe.”Possible relation to “Scandinavia” and the German race.

Riphath

Strong: (7384) of for. or.Smith: noneIdentification: “The name itself has been variously identified with that of the Rhipean mountains,the river Rhebas in Bithynia, the Rhibii, a people living eastward of the Caspian Sea, and theRipheans, the ancient name of the Paphlagonians.” Smith believes Rhipean mountains, which are“identified with the Carpathian range in the N.E. of Dacia,” is the correct identification.

Togarmah

Strong: (8425) of for. or.Smith: noneIdentification: Armenian by geography, Phrygian by ethnicity.

Magog

Strong: (4031) of uncert. der.; also a barbarous northern regionSmith: noneIdentification: The notices of Magog would lead us to fix a northern locality.

Madai

Strong: (4074) of for. der.; a country of central AsiaSmith: noneIdentification: Medes

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Javan

Strong: (3120) effervescing (i.e. hot and active); Javan, the name of a son of Joktan, and of the race(Ionians, i.e. Greeks) descended from him, with their territory; also of a place in Arabia. *Joktan appearsto be an error on Strong’s part; Joktan was a descendant of Shem, not Japheth (and thus could not be ason of Javan).Smith: noneIdentification: “From a comparison of . . . various passages, there can be no doubt that Javan wasrepresentative of the Greek race.”

Elishah

Strong: (473) prob. of for. derSmith: firm bondIdentification: Josephus identified Elishah with the race of the Aeolians; others equate Elishah in ageographical rather than racial sense with “Elis, and in a more extended sense, Peloponnesus, oreven Hellas.”

Tarshish

Strong: (8659) prob. the same as 8658 (as the region of the stone, or the reverse); Tarshish, a place onthe Mediterranean, hence the epithet of a merchant vessel (as if for or from that port); 8658 prob. offor. der. [comp. 8659]; a gem, perh. the topazSmith: noneIdentification: Probably Tartessus. A city and emporium of the Phoenicians in the south of Spain.

Kittim

Strong: (3794) patrial from an unused name denoting Cyprus (only in the plur.)Smith: maritimeIdentification: Geography is Cyprus. “In an ethnological point of view, Chittim must be regarded asapplying not to the original Phoenician settlers of Cyprus, but to the race which succeeded them; viz.

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the Carians. The Carians were connected with the Leleges, and must be considered as related to thePelasgic family though quite distinct from the Hellenic branch.”

Dodanim

Strong: (1721) a plur. of uncert. der.Smith: noneIdentification: Regarded as identical with Dardani, who were found in historical times in Illyricumand Troy, with Illyricum probably their original seat. Probably a semi-Pelasgic race. Possibleconnection with Daunians, “who occupied the coast of Apulia.”

Tubal

Strong: (8422) prob. of for. der.Smith: to prepareIdentification: Josephus identified the descendants of Tubal with Iberians. Not Spaniards, but “theinhabitants of a tract of country, between the Caspian and Euxine Seas, which nearly correspond tothe modern Georgia.” Perhaps once known as powerful hordes of Scythians.

Meshech

Strong: (4902) in the same form as 4901, but prob. of for. der.Smith: drawing outIdentification: Perhaps once known as Moschi, “on the borders of Colchis and Armenia . . .”

Tiras

Strong: (8494) prob. of for. der.Smith: longingIdentification: “Their precise ethnic position [perhaps Thracians] is indeed involved in greatuncertainty; but all authorities agree in their general Indo-European character.”

Total nations from Japheth: 14

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Ham

Strong: (2526) hot (from the tropical habitat)Smith: warmIdentification: First and foremost, it is important to note this assertion from Smith: “It is certain thatthe three most illustrious Hamite nations—the Cushites, the Phoenicians, and the Egyptians—weregreatly mixed with foreign peoples.”

He advocates a very strong connection between Ham/Mizraim (which to his mind may be one andthe same geographical name connected to the same patriarch) and Egypt. The extent of theirterritory is unclear.

“We have been led to the conclusion that the settlements of Cush extended from Babylonia alongthe shores of the Indian Ocean to Ethiopia above Egypt, and to the supposition that there was aneastern as well as a western Cush.”

Phut, he says, “has always been placed in Africa.”

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Cush

Strong: (3568) prob. of for. or.; Cush (or Ethiopia)Smith: noneIdentification: “The Cushites appear to have spread along tracts extending from the higher Nile tothe Euphrates and Tigris.” Smith asserts that the order in which Cushite names are listed is reflectiveof the order in which they settled. “Cush would stand as the most widely spread of these [Hamite]peoples, extending from Babylon to the upper Nile . . . ”

Seba

Strong: (5434) of for. or.Smith: noneIdentification: Seba “was a nation in Africa, bordering on or included in Cush, and in Solomon’s timeindependent and of political importance.” A Shebek or Sabaco was able to conquer Egypt andfounded “the Ethiopian dynasty which ruled that country as well as Ethiopia.” May be associatedwith the ancient island of Meroë, which is/was between the Astaboras, the Athara, and the mostnorthern tributary of the Nile, and the Astapus, the Bahr el-Azrak or “Blue River.”

Havilah

Strong: (2341) circular; Chavilah, the name of two or three eastern regionsSmith: sandIdentification: Smith would combine this son of Cush with the son of Joktan (a Shemite) bearing thesame name. He asserts that they probably settled in the same country, intermarried, and formedone race. “The Cushite people of this name formed the westernmost colony of Cush along the southof Arabia, and the Joktanites were an earlier colonization. It is commonly thought that the district ofKhäwlán, in the Yemen, preserves the trace of this ancient people.”

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Sabtah

Strong: (5454) prob. of for. der.Smith: noneIdentification: There are various opinions on where this group ended up. Sabbatha, Sabota, orSobotale, metropolis of the Atramitae (probably the Chatramotitae) perhaps point to a trace of thetribe. Sabbatha was an important city with no less than sixty temples. Another opinion places themon the shores of the Arabian Gulf, where Arkirko is/was. Another, Sabtah was at Ceuta oppositeGibraltar and was called Sebtah in Arabic. Another opinion puts Sabtah near the western shore ofthe Persian Gulf, where there was an island named Sabtah.

Raamah

Strong: (7484) the mane of a horse (as quivering in the wind)Smith: tremblingIdentification: “Of the settlement of Raamah on the shores of the Persian Gulf there are severalindications.”

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Sheba

Strong: (7614) of for. or.Smith: redIdentification: “. . . settled somewhere on the shores of the Persian Gulf . . . on the island of Awál(one of the “Bahreyn Islands,”) are the ruins of an ancient city called Sebà. It was this Sheba thatcarried on the great Indian traffic with Palestine, in conjunction with, as we hold, the other Sheba,son of Jokshan son of Keturah . . .”

Dedan

Strong: (1719) of uncert. der.Smith: low countryIdentification: Dedan was also the name of a descendant of Keturah, and these two peoples mayhave mixed and gone on to bear the same name, perhaps on the borders of the Persian Gulf. “It maybe supposed that the Dedanites were among the chief traders traversing the caravan-route from thehead of the Persian Gulf to the south of Palestine, bearing merchandise of India, and possibly ofsouthern Arabia. . . . The probable inferences from these mentions of Dedan are 1. That Dedan, sonof Raamah, settled on the shores of the Persian Gulf, and his descendants became caravan-merchants between that coast and Palestine. 2. That Jokshan, or a son of Jokshan, by intermarriagewith the Cushite Dedan formed a tribe of the same name, which appears to have had its chiefsettlement in the borders of Idumea, and perhaps to have led a pastoral life. A native indication ofthe name is presumed to exist in the island of Dádan, on the borders of the gulf.

Sabtechah

Strong: (5455) prob. of for. der.Smith: noneIdentification: Settlements were probably located near the Persian Gulf. They have not beenidentified satisfactorily. “Bochart compares Sabtechah with the city of Samydace of Steph. Byz.

Nimrod*

Strong: 5248 prob. of for. or.Smith: the extremely impious rebelIdentification: *At the beginning of this study are listed four lawful criteria by which the LORD laidout the nations—by country, tongue, family, and nation. The story of Nimrod is offered up almost asan aside and separate from the genealogies in Genesis 10, in this writer’s opinion because he did notfollow these lawful criteria.

Although he is identified as a son of Cush, instead of abiding by the natural order that the rest of thenations did, at least initially, he conquered kingdoms. As such, he is not numbered as a patriarch ofany of the 70 nations in this study (again, this writer’s opinion). Nimrod was the founder by conquestand not by right of the kingdoms (Babylon and Assyria) who would carry the Israelites into captivity.

It is widely believed that the phrase “mighty hunter before the LORD” in Genesis 10:9 meant a mighty

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hunter against the LORD or in defiance of Him.

Gen 10:8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. Gen 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, “Even as Nimrod the mightyhunter before the LORD.” Gen 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in theland of Shinar. Gen 10:11 Out of that land went forth Asshur*, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, andCalah, Gen 10:12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

*Should be translated that Nimrod went forth into, or invaded, Asshur.

Nimrod’s Kingdoms and Cities

Again, these were conquered kingdoms and built cities that did not comply with the LORD’s naturalorder.

Babel - Built on both sides of the Euphrates River, a vast square, 56 miles in circuit. The capital ofShinar.

Erech - In Shinar. Now Irak, 43 miles east of Babylon.

Accad - In Shinar, located 9 miles east of the Tigris.

Calneh - On the east bank of the Tigris, opposite Seleucia. Ctesiphon, 200 miles below Nineveh, 20below Bagdad, 6 north of Babel.

Shinar - Ancient name of Chaldæa and Babylonia.

Asshur - Assyria.

Nineveh - The ancient capital of Assyria.

Rehoboth - An Assyrian city founded by Nimrod, perhaps forming one of four quarters consisting ofNineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resen.

Calah - One of the most ancient cities of Assyria, where Shalmaneser carried Israel captive. Perhapsonce the capital.

Resen - Was located somewhere between Calah and Nineveh.

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Mizraim

Strong: (4714) the same as 4692 in the sense of a limit; 4692 something hemming in, i.e. (obj.) a mound(of besiegers), (abstr.) a siege, (fig.) distress; or (subj.) a fastnessSmith: the two EgyptsIdentification: “Mizraim would be next [after Cush] to the north, embracing Egypt and its colonieson the north-west and north-east.”

Ludim

Strong: (3866) prob. of for. der.; the name of two nations, Lud (Lud and Lydia)Smith: none

Identification: “. . . it is probable that the Ludim were settled to the west of Egypt, perhaps further

than any Mizraite tribe.” Also, “It must be recollected that it is reasonable to connect the ShemiteLud with the Lydians, and that at the time of the prophets by whom Lud and the Ludim arementioned, the Lydian kingdom generally or always included the more western part of Asia Minor,so that the terms Lud and Ludim might well apply to the Ionian and Carian mercenaries drawn fromthis territory.”

Anamim

Strong: (6047) as if plur. of some Eg. wordSmith: none

Identification: Nothing certain is known of them. “Judging from the position of the other Mizraite

peoples, this one probably occupied some part of Egypt, or of the adjoining region of Africa, orpossibly of the south-west of Palestine.”

Lehabim

Strong: (3853) flamesSmith: none

Identification: “There can be no doubt that they are the same as the ReBU or LeBU of the Egyptian

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inscriptions, and that from them Lybia and the Lybians derived their name.”

Naphtuhim

Strong: (5320) plur. of for. or.; Naphtuchim, an Eg. tribeSmith: none

Identification: Probably settled in Egypt or immediately to the west of it. In Coptic the city Marea

and the neighbouring territory is called niphaiat or niphaiad. Perhaps but not certainly connectedwith a nation or confederacy of tribes conquered by the Egyptians and known as “the Nine Bows,”spelled Naphit or NA-PETU.

Pathrusim

Strong: (6625) of Eg. der.; Pathros, a part of EgyptSmith: none

Identification: “. . . [T]hey might be supposed to have settled in Lower Egypt, or the more northern

part of Upper Egypt. It seems, if the order be geographical, as there is reason to suppose, that it is tobe inferred that the Pathrusim were seated in Lower Egypt, or not much above it, unless there byany transpostion.”

Casluhim

Strong: (3695) a plur. prob. of for. der.; Casluchim, a people cognate to the Eg.Smith: none

Identification: Probable that they were seated in Upper Egypt. The LXX seems to identify them with

the Chashmanním of Ps. lxviii. 31 (A. V. “prince”). Perhaps a connection to the Colchians, who weresaid to be an Egyptian colony. Or to the inhabitants of Cassiotis.

Philistim

Strong: (6430) rolling, i.e. migratory; Pelesheth, a region of Syria; translations connect them to thePhilistines, Philistia, and PalestineSmith: none

Identification: There is uncertainty over any connection between Philisim and the Philistines. The

Bible identifies the Philistim as Hamitic from Casluhim, and the Philistines are said to have spoken atShemitic tongue. Smith’s contains no separate entry on Philistim.

Caphtorim

Strong: (3732) appar. the same as 3730; Caphtor (i.e. a wreath-shaped island), the original seat of thePhilistines; 3730 prob. from an unused root mean. to encircle; a chaplet; but used only in thearchitectonic sense, i.e. the capital of a column, or a wreath-like button or disk on the candelabrumSmith: none

Identification: They settled in Egypt or near to it in Africa; probably Upper Egypt.

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Phut

Strong: (6316) of for. or.; Put, a son of Ham, also the name of his descendants or their region, and of aPersian tribeSmith: noneIdentification: “Phut as dependent on Egypt might follow Mizraim.”

Canaan

Strong: (3667) humiliatedSmith: lower countryIdentification: “The progenitor of the Phoenicians (“Zidon”), and of the various nations who beforethe Israelite conquest peopled the sea-coast of Palestine, and generally the whole of the countrywestward of the Jordan . . .” Also, Canaan he would place on the northernmost end on the list ofHam’s four sons.

That the Canaanites were from the beginning a special portion of Ham, in a negative sense, isevident in Noah’s curse on Canaan:

Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. Gen 9:25 And he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.” Gen 9:26 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be hisservant.”

Again in Genesis 10:18, they are specially called out: “. . . and afterward were the families of theCanaanites spread abroad.”

As stated earlier, Smith asserts: “But there is one marked peculiarity in the sons of Joktan, which iscommon to them with the Canaanites alone, that precise geographical limits are assigned to theirsettlements.”

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The Canaanites are the specific branch of Hamites that the LORD instructed the ancient Israelites tocompletely and utterly destroy (see Deuteronomy 20:17 and other places). Although they failed tofollow through with that command (see the first two chapters of Judges), Canaanite namesgenerally do not persist past the Israelite conquest.

Sidon

Strong: (6721) fishery; Tsidon, the name of a son of Canaan and of a place in Pal.Smith: fishingIdentification: No information on modern ethnicity. “The Greek form of the Phoenician nameZidon.” As such it occurs naturally in the N.T. and Apocrypha of the Auth. Version; and the O.T. (Gen.x. 15, 19).

Heth

Strong: (2845) terrorSmith: terrorIdentification: No information on modern ethnicity. Forefather of the Hittites.

Jebusite

Strong: (2983) trodden, i.e. threshing-placeSmith: noneIdentification: No information on modern ethnicity. Though the Jebusite is the third son of Canaan,he is uniformly placed last in Smith’s “formula, by which the Promised Land is so often designated. ..” “A mountain-tribe they were, and a mountain-tribe they remained.” One more mention of themafter the conquest of Canaan, in “Araunah the Jebusite,” on whose floor Gad commanded David torear an altar to the LORD.

[Note: Both Judah and Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem. SeeJoshua 15:63 and Judges 1:21.]

Amorite

Strong: (567) a mountaineerSmith: mountaineersIdentification: No information on modern ethnicity. “As dwelling on the elevated portions of thecountry, they are contrasted with the Canaanites, who were the dwellers in the lowlands, and thetwo thus formed the main broad divisions of the Holy Land. ‘The Hittite, and the Jebusite, and theAmorite, dwell in the mountain [of Judah and Ephraim], and the Canaanite dwells by the sea [thelowlands of Philistia and Sharon] and by the ‘side’ of Jordan [in the valley of Arabah—was the firstreport of the Israelites who entered the country . . .” See Numbers 13:29. “From the very earliesttimes, they were occupying the barren heights west of the Dead Sea . . .” at a place later known asEn-gedi. From there they stretched west to Hebron, where Abram was then dwelling under the oak-grove of the three brothers, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. That was their ancient seat, from whencethey may have crossed the valley of the Jordan. Sihon, one of their kings, had taken the rich pasture-

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land south of the Jabbok, and had driven the Moabites, its former possessors, across the widechasm of the Arnon, which subsequently formed the boundary between the two hostile peoples.“This rich tract, bounded by the Jabbok on the north, the Arnon on the south, Jordan on the weast,and ‘the wilderness’ on the east . . . was, perhaps, in the most special sense the ‘land of theAmorites’ . . . but their possessions are distinctly stated to have extended to the very foot of Hermon. . . embracing ‘all Gilead and all Bashan,’ with the Jordan valley on the east of the river . . . andforming together the land of the ‘two kings of the Amorites,’ Sihon and Og.” Last encounters withAmorites involved them disputing with Joshua the conquest of the west country. Nothing on themchronologically after the conquest of Canaan.

Girgasite

Strong: (1622) patrial from an unused name [of uncert. der.]Smith: noneIdentification: No information on ethnicity. May have settled on the east side of the Sea of Galilee.

Hivite

Strong: (2340) a villager; a Chivvite, one of the aboriginal tribes of Pal.Smith: none Identification: No information on modern ethnicity. Hivites not mentioned in earliest lists ofCanaanites; first mention in connection with Jacob and Hamor the Hivite. “They were at this time, tojudge of them by their rulers, a warm and impetuous people, credulous and easily deceived by thecrafty and cruel sons of Jacob. The narrative further exhibits them as peaceful and commercial . . .”& also into trade, acquiring possessions of cattle and other wealth. Next heard of in Joshua at theconquest of Canaan, with a different character. “They are still evidently averse to fighting, but theyhave acquired—possibly by long experience in traffic—an amount of craft which they did not beforepossess, and which enables them to turn the tables on the Israelites in a highly successful manner.”See Joshua 9, where they are alternately called Gibeonites and Hivites and deceive Joshua, thusavoiding the extinction commanded for them. [Disagree with Smith on the time of Jacob—one ofthem defiled Dinah.]

Arkite

Strong: (6208) patrial from an unused name mean. a tushSmith: noneIdentification: No information on modern ethnicity. Evidently located in the north of Phoenicia. Thename is found in Pliny and Ptolemy, and from Aelius Lampridius we learn that the Urbe Arcenacontained a temple dedicated to Alexander the Great. It was the birthplace of Alexander Severus,and was thence called Caesarea Libani. The site which now bears the name ’Arka lies on the coast, 2to 2 ½ hours from the shore, about 12 miles north of Tripoli, and 5 south of the Nahr el-Khebir. Arocky tell rises to the height of 100 feet close above the Nahr Arka; on the top of this is an area ofabout two acres, on chich and on a plateau to the north the ruins of the former town are scattered.

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Sinite

Strong: (5513) from an otherwise unknown name of a manSmith: noneIdentification: A tribe of Canaanites . . . whose position is to be sought for in the northern part of theLebanon district. Various localities in the area bear name semblances, such as Sinna, a mountainfortress mentioned by Strabo; Sinum or Sini, the ruins of which existed in the time of Jerome; Syn, avillage mentioned in the 15 century as near the river Arca; and Dunniyeh, a district near Tripoli. “Theth

Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan give Orthosia, a town on the coast to the north-east of Tripolis.”

Arvadite

Strong: (721) a refuge for the roving; Arvad, an island-city of Pal.Smith: noneIdentification: A place in Phoenicia, the men of which are named in close connection with those ofZidon as the navigators and defenders of the ships of Tyre in Ez. xxvii. 8, 11. “There is . . . no doubtthat Arvad is the island of Ruad, which lies off Tortosa (Tartus), 2 or 3 miles from the Phoeniciancoast, some distance abot the mouth of the river Eleutherus, now the Nahr el-Kebir. The island ishigh and rocky, but very small, hardly a mile in circumference.”

Zemarite

Strong: (6786) patrial from an unused name of a place in Pal.Smith: none Identification: Nothing known for certain about them. Old interpreters place them at Emessa, themodern Hums. Other suggested locations at Sumra (the Simyra of the classical geographers),perhaps attached to the ruins near Arka on the west coast of Syria 10 or 11 miles above Tripoli;perhaps Kobbet oum Shoumra, between Arka and the Mediterranean.

Hamathite

Strong: (2577) walled; Hamath, a place in SyriaSmith: to defendIdentification: Hamath “appears to have been the principal city of Upper Syria from the time of theExodus to that of the prophet Amos. . . . It was situated in the valley of Orontes, about half waybetween its source near Baalbek, and the bend which it makes at Jisr-hadid. It thus naturallycommanded the whole of the Orontes valley, from the low screen of hills which forms thewatershed between the Orontes and the Litány—the ‘entrance of Hemath,’ as it is called in Scripture. . . to the defile of Daphne below Antioch; and this tract appears to have formed the kingdom ofHamath, during the time of its independence.” Must be regarded as closely akin to the Hittites onwhom they bordered, and with whom they were generally in alliance. Nothing appears of the powerof Hamath until the time of David. Solomon built “store-cities” in Hamath, and perhaps these werestaples for trade. In Syrian inscriptions around Ahab’s reign, Hamath appears as its own power inalliance with the Syrians of Damascus, the Hittites, and the Phoenicians. About 75 years later,Jeroboam “recovered Hamath.” The Assyrians took it soon afterward & it ceased to be a place ofmuch importance from that time.

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Total nations from Ham: 30

Shem

Strong: (8035) nameSmith: noneIdentification: “The portion of the earth occupied by the descendants of Shem . . . intersects theportions of Japheth and Ham, and stretches in an uninterrupted line from the Mediterranean Sea tothe Indian Ocean. Beginning at its north-western extremity with Lydia, it includes Syria (Aram),Chaldea (Arphaxad), parts of Assyria (Asshur), of Persia (Elam), and of the Arabian Peninsula(Joktan).

Elam

Strong: (5867) hidden, i.e. distantSmith: noneIdentification: “The Elam of Scripture appears to be the province lying south of Assyria and east ofPersia Proper, to which Herodotus gives the name of Cissia . . . and which is termed Susis or Susiannaby the geographers. It includes a portion of the mountainous country separating between theMesopotamian plain and the high table-land of Iran, together with a fertile and valuable low tract atthe foot of the range, between it and the Tigris.” Originally peopled by descendants of Shem, closelyallied to the Aramaeans (Syrians) and the Assyrians; by the time of Abraham, a very important powerhad built up in the same region (Genesis 14:1-12). At this time, and only for a short time, Elam was thepredominant power in Lower Mesopotamia. Toward the end of the Assyrian period she was foundallied with Babylon, and her strength declined after the Assyrian Empire was destroyed. It isuncertain at what time the Persians added Elam to their empire. Possibly only fell under theirdominion together with Babylon; also possible they may have revolted and joined the Persiansbefore the city was besieged. Elam merged with the Persian Empire, becoming a “distinct satrapy.”Susa, her capital, was made the ordinary residence of the court, and the metropolis of the wholeempire.

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Asshur

Strong: (804) appar. from 833 (in the sense of successful); 833 a prim. root; to be straight (used in thewidest sense, espec. to be level, right, happy); fig. to go forward, be honest, prosperSmith: noneIdentification: A great and powerful country that lay on the Tigris . . . the capital of which wasNineveh. It derived its name apparently from Asshur, the son of Shem . . . who in later times wasworshipped by the Assyrians as their chief god.” Boundaries differed greatly at different periods.“They were a Shemitic race, originally resident in Babylonia (which at the time was Cushite). Hadmuch in common culturally with the Babylonians. Art was unique. Barbarian by many standards:“Their government was rude and inartificial; their religion was coarse and sensual; their conduct ofwar cruel; even their art materialistic and so debasing; they had served their purpose when they hadprepared the East for centralised government, and been God’s scourge to punish the people ofIsrael (Is. x. 5–6); they were, therefore, swept away to allow the rise of that Aryan race which, withless appreciation of art, was to introduce into Western Asia a more spiritual form of religion, a bettertreatment of captives, and a superior governmental organization.”

Arphaxad

Strong: (775) prob. of for. or.Smith: region of the ChasidimIdentification: An ancestor of Eber. Name perhaps preserved in the province Arrapachitis innorthern Assyria. “Ewald interprets it ‘the stronghold of the Chaldees.’”

Salah

Strong: (7974) a missle of attack, i.e. spear; also (fig.) a shoot of growth, i.e. branchSmith: extensionIdentification: “The name is significant of extension. It thus seems to imply the historical fact of thegradual extension of a branch of the Shemitic race from its original seat in Northern Assyria towards

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the river Euphrates.”

Eber

Strong: (5677) prop. a region across; but used only adv. (with or without a prep.) on the opposite side(espec. of the Jordan; usually mean. the east)Smith: beyondIdentification: No information on ethnicity.

Peleg

(son of Eber and ancestor of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob/Israel, and Christ - Luke 3:35)Strong: (6389) earthquakeSmith: divisionIdentification: Peleg’s name means “division” and refers to “a division of the family of Eber himself,the younger branch of whom (the Joktanids) migrated into southern Arabia, while the elderremained in Mesopotamia.”

Joktan

The underlying assumption with Joktan and all of his descendants is that they were a southern Arabian people.

Strong: (3355) he will be made little; Joktan, an Arabian patriarchSmith: made smallIdentification: Joktan was the father of the Joktanite Arabs. “Scholars are agreed in placing thesettlements of Joktan in the south of the [Arabian] peninsula.” From the entry on “Sheba,” one ofJoktan’s descendants: “It has been shown in ARABIA and other articles, that the Joktanites wereamong the early colonists of southern Arabia, and that the kingdom which they there founded was,for many centuries, called the kingdom of Sheba, after one of the sons of Joktan. They appear tohave been preceded by an aboriginal race, which the Arabian historians describe as a people ofgigantic stature.”

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Almodad

Strong: (486) prob. of for. der.Smith: noneIdentification: Progenitor of an Arabian tribe. “His settlements must be looked for, in common withthose of the other descendants of Joktan, in the Arabian peninsula; and his name appears to bepreserved in that of Mudád, a famous personage in Arabian history, the reputed father of Ishmael’sArab wife, and the chief of the Joktanite tribe Jurham.”

Sheleph

Strong: (8026) extractSmith: partridge chickIdentification: “The tribe which sprung from him has been satisfactorily identified, both in modernand classical times; as well as the district of the Yemen named after him.” Associated with thedistrict of Sulaf, apparently the same as Niebuhr’s Sälfie, written in his map Selfia. There is/was also atribe of Shelif or Shulaf.

Hazarmaveth

Strong: (2700) village of death; Chatsarmaveth, a place in ArabiaSmith: noneIdentification: “The name is preserved, almost literally, in the Arabic Hadramäut and Hadrumäut, andthe appellation of a province and an ancient people of Southern Arabia. The province of Hadramäwtis situate east of the modern Yemen. Its capital is Satham, a very ancient city . . .”

Jerah

Strong: (3392) a lunation, i.e. month; an Arabian patriarchSmith: new moonIdentification: Progenitor of a tribe in southern Arabia. Not satisfactorily identified with the name ofany Arabian place or tribe, though a fortress names Yerákh is mentioned as belonging to the districtof the Nijjád, which is in Mahreh, at the extremity of the Yemen. Another possible identity based onJerah’s name meaning of “the moon:” descendants possibly in the Alilaei, a people dwelling near theRed Sea.

Hadoram

Strong: (1913) prob. of for. der.Smith: noneIdentification: “His settlements, unlike those of many of Joktan’s sons, have not been identified.”

Uzal

Strong: (187) of uncert. der.Smith: wandererIdentification: Settlements clearly traced in the ancient name of San’à, the capital city of the Yemen,which was originally Awzál. “It has disputed the right to be the chief city of the kingdom of Shebafrom the earliest ages of which any traditions have come down to us.” Centered in the best portion

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of that kingdom and was probably always an important city. May have been a walled town, situate inan elevated country, in lat. 15 N 2', and with a stream (after heavy rains) running through it. It has acitadel on the site of a famous temple. Houses and palaces of San’à were finer than those of anyother town in Arabia and possessed many mosques, public baths, and caravanserais. Uzal or Awzál isprobably the same as the Auzara or Ausara of the classics.

Diklah

Strong: (1853) of for. or.; Diklah, a region of Arabia;Smith: palm-treeIdentification: “The name in Hebrew signifies a palm-tree, hence it is thought that Diklah is a part ofArabia containing many palm-trees. Some scholars refer to the descendants of Diklah to the Minaei,a people of Arabia Felix inhabiting a palmiferous country. No trace of Diklah known in Arabic works,except mention of a place called Dakalah in El-Yemáneh, with many palm-trees. Nakleh also signifies apalm-tree, and is the name of many places, notably Nakleh El-Yemánaeyah and Nakleh esh-Shámaeyah, which are in close proximity. Conclusion: Diklah probably referred either to Dakalah orone of the towns named Nakleh.

Obal

Strong: (5745) of for. der.Smith: bare districtIdentification: Arab tribe, not yet identified. Listed as “Ebal” in Joktan’s genealogy in I Chronicles1:22, and it has been compared to Avalitae and the Gebanitae.

[Note: Mt. Ebal was the site of a number of important events in the Old Testament and is the partialsubject of a separate study.]

Abimael

Strong: (39) father of Mael (appar. some Arab tribe)Smith: father of MaelIdentification: No information other than that he was probably the progenitor of an Arab tribe.

Sheba

Strong: (7614) of for. or.; Sheba, the name of three early progenitors of tribes and of an EthiopiandistrictSmith: redIdentification: “It has been shown in ARABIA and other articles, that the Joktanites were among theearly colonists of southern Arabia, and that the kingdom which they there founded was, for manycenturies, called the kingdom of Sheba, after one of the sons of Joktan. They appear to have beenpreceded by an aboriginal race, which the Arabian historians describe as a people of gigantic stature.But besides these extinct tribes, thee are the evidences of Cushite settlers, who probably precededthe Joktanites. Sheba seems to have been the name of the great southern Arabian kingdom and thepeoples which composed it, until that of Himyer took its place in later times.” Much obscurityremains on this point. The kingdom and its people perhaps received the name of Sheba (Arabic,Sebà), but that its chief and sometimes reigning family or tribe was that of Himyer. One source (the

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Kámoos) states, “the name of Sebà comprises the tribes of Yemen in common.” “Himyer” means“the Red Man,” and Sebà probably did too. “We have assumed the identity of the Arabic Sebà withSheba. The pl. form sebàîm corresponds with the Greek ÓáâáÍïé and the Latin Sabaei.” The JoktaniteSheba recurs in the Bible, as a kingdom, in the account of the visit of the queen of Sheba to kingSolomon. That the queen was of Sheba in Arabia, and not of Seba the Cushite kingdom of Ethiopia, isunquestionable.” As to land, “The kingdom of Sheba embraced the greater part of the Yemen, orArabia Felix. Its chief cities, and probably successive capitals, were Seba, San’à (UZAL), and Zafár(SEPHAR). Seba was probably the name of the city, and generally of the country and nation. . .” butinformation from Arab sources is conflicting. Near Sebà was the famous Dyke of El-’Arim, whichstored water for the inhabitants and guarded against mountain torrents. Its rupture was a greatevent in Arab history and “marks the dispersion in the 2 century of the Joktanite tribes.” Somend

suggestion of connection with Sabaeans, but Smith says there’s much more evidence to beinvestigated before accepting this claim.

Ophir

Strong: (211) of uncert. deriv.; Ophir, the name of a son of Joktan, and of a gold region in the East Smith: dust—red dust?Identification: “But there is one marked peculiarity in the sons of Joktan, which is common to themwith the Canaanites alone, that precise geographical limits are assigned to their settlements.”Following that logic, Ophir must have been a place in southern Arabia. Possible name meanings are“fruitful region” and “red.”

Havilah

Strong: (2341) circular; Chavilah, the name of two or three eastern regionsSmith: sandIdentification: Smith would combine this son of Cush with the son of Joktan bearing the same name.He asserts that they probably settled in the same country, intermarried, and formed one race. “TheCushite people of this name formed the westernmost colony of Cush along the south of Arabia, andthe Joktanites were an earlier colonization. It is commonly thought that the district of Khäwlán, inthe Yemen, preserves the trace of this ancient people.”

Jobab

Strong: (3103) howlerSmith: howlingIdentification: “His name has not been discovered among the Arab names of the places in SouthernArabia, where he ought to be found with the other sons of Joktan.”

Lud

Strong: (3865) prob. of for. der.; the name of two nations, Lud (Lud and Lydia)Smith: noneIdentification: Perhaps the ancestor of the Lydians . . . and thus represented by the Lydus of theirmythical period. Egyptian monuments from thirteenth to fifteenth centuries B.C. a powerful peoplecalled Ruten or Luden, probably seated near Mesopotamia, and apparently north of Palestine, whom

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some, however, make the Assyrians.” From the entry on the Hamitic Ludim: “. . . it is probable thatthe Ludim were settled to the west of Egypt, perhaps further than any Mizraite tribe.” Also, “It mustbe recollected that it is reasonable to connect the Shemite Lud with the Lydians, and that at the timeof the prophets by whom Lud and the Ludim are mentioned, the Lydian kingdom generally or alwaysincluded the more western part of Asia Minor, so that the terms Lud and Ludim might well apply tothe Ionian and Carian mercenaries drawn from this territory.”

Aram

Strong: (758) the highland; Aram or Syria, and its inhabitantsSmith: heightIdentification: The name is also the base of “Ramah,” the name by which the Hebrews designated,generally, the country lying to the north-east of Palestine; “the great mass of that high table-landwhich, rising with sudden abruptness from the Jordan and the very margin of the lake ofGennesareth, stretches, at an elevation of no less than 2000 feet above the sea, to the banks of theEuphrates itself, contrasting strongly with the low-land bordering on the Mediterranean, the ‘land ofCanaan,’ or the low country.” Name is almost universally translated “Syria,” but it is important toremember that “Syria” means more to us now than “Aram” would have to Hebrews back then.“Padan” was another designation for the same region. “Later in history, we meet with a number ofsmall nations and kingdoms forming parts of the general land of Aram.” Aram-Zobah (or just Zobah),Aram-beth-rehob (or just Rehob), Aram-Maachah (or just Maachah), Gesher (in Aram and usuallynamed in connection with Maachah), and Aram-Dammesek (Damascus). “The whole of these pettystates are spoken of collectively under the name of Aram . . . but as Damascus increased inimportance, it gradually absorbed the smaller powers . . . and the name of ‘Aram’ was at last appliedto it alone . . . . According to the genealogical table in Genesis x., Aram was a son of Shem, and hisbrethren were Elam, Asshur, and Arphaxad. It will be observed that these names occur in regularorder from the east, Aram closing the list on the borders of the ‘western sea.’ In three passagesAram would seem to denote Assyria. . . .” (II Kings 18:26, Isaiah 36:11, and Jeremiah 35:11).

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Uz

Strong: (5780) consultation; Uts, a son of Aram, also a Seirite, and the regions settled by themSmith: none Identification: The following are all called “Uz” at some point: 1. A son of Aram 2. A son of Nahor byMilcah 3. A son of Dishan, and grandson of Seir 4. The country in which Job lived. “ . . . [I]t may befairly surmised that the coincidence of names in the above cases is not accidental, but pints to afusion of various branches of the Shemitic race in a certain locality.” It was probably located east orsoutheast of Palestine, adjacent to the Sabaeans and the Chaldaeans & consequently northward ofthe southern Arabians, westward of the Euphrates, and adjacent to the Edomites of Mount Seir,who at one period occupied Uz, probably as conquerors, and whose troglodyte habits wereprobably described in Job 30:6–7. Uz corresponds to the Arabia Deserta of classical geography, at allevens to so much of it as lies north of the 30 parallel of latitude. “Whether the name of Uz survivedth

to classical times is uncertain; a tribe named Aesitae is mentioned by Ptolemy: this Bochart identifieswith the Uz of Scripture.”

Hul

Strong: (2343) a circleSmith: regionIdentification: “The geographical position of the people whom he represents is not well decided.The strongest evidence is in favour of the district about the roots of Lebanon.”

Gether

Strong: (1666) of uncert. der.Smith: fearIdentification: “No satisfactory trace of the people sprung from this stock has been found.”

Mash

Strong: (4851) of for. der.Smith: noneIdentification: Connected with Mesene in lower Babylonia, on the shores of the Persian Gulf(Josephus); or represented by the Mons Masius of classical writers, a range which forms the northernboundary of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates; or connected with Mysia (Smithdiscounts Mysia as improbable).

Total nations from Shem: 26

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Grand total:

14 nations of Japheth+30 nations of Ham+26 nations of Shem

= 70 nations

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Part II - The Seventy Souls of Jacob’s Loins

“And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls...”

— Exodus 1:5

“Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as

the stars of heaven for multitude.” —Deuteronomy 10:22

Introduction

The seventy nations of Genesis 10 attempted to amalgamate at the Tower of Babel. They seem tohave been almost a prelude of a smaller set of seventy souls who would form the Israelite nation inEgypt. This nation of seventy souls would bring forth Christ, Who offered salvation to all nations.

Some would point out a discrepancy between the above verses and Acts 7:14, which seems tosuggest 75 souls went into Egypt and formed the Israelite nation.

Act 7:14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore andfifteen souls.

The “discrepancy” is easily explained by the number “called” not matching the number who went.In addition, Joseph and his two sons were already in Egypt.

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As Smith does not go into detail trying to identify with much precision the natures and identities ofthe Israelite peoples in later eras, neither does this study. The Bible itself and the map below thatshows the tribal settlements after the conquest of Canaan will suffice to describe the Israelitepeoples.

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Jacob

1. Jacob (3290) heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter)

It is worth noting that there seems to be some confusion as to whether to count Jacob in the seventy or not.

Exodus 1:5 would suggest that he not be counted, while Deuteronomy 10:22 would suggest he be included. Some

have argued that Jochebed, who was born to Levi in Egypt and would not have been born at the time that the

genealogy was written in Genesis 46, constitutes the thirty-third soul. In this writer’s opinion, we are looking at a

perfect picture of the seedling nation Israel if we include its patriarch, and the study will proceed with this

assumption. Jochebed is not the only descendant listed as being born in Egypt, though as a direct daughter of Levi,

she is the only first-generation soul listed as being born in Egypt (aside from Manasseh and Ephraim). See Numbers

26:59.

Total souls from Isaac (Jacob’s father): 1

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Reuben

2. Reuben (son of Jacob) (7205) see ye a son3. Hanoch (son of Reuben) (2585) initiated4. Phallu (son of Reuben) (6396) distinguished5. Hezron (son of Reuben) (2696) court-yard6. Carmi (son of Reuben) (3756) gardener

Total souls from Reuben: 5

Simeon

7. Simeon (son of Jacob) (8095) hearing8. Jemuel (son of Simeon) (3223) day of God9. Jamin (son of Simeon) (3226) the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the

stronger and more dexterous)10. Ohad (son of Simeon) (161) unity11. Jachin (son of Simeon) (3199) he (or it) will establish

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12. Zohar (son of Simeon) (6714) whiteness13. Shaul (son of Simeon and a Canaanitish woman) (7586) asked

Total souls from Simeon: 7

Levi

14. Levi (son of Jacob) (3878) attached15. Gershon (son of Levi) (1648) a refugee16. Kohath (son of Levi) (6955) allied17. Merari (son of Levi) (4847) bitter

(Some would add Jochebed, daughter of Levi, here, and substitute her for Jacob. One can redo the math if he or

she chooses this opinion. Jochebed (3115) means “Yahveh-gloried.” She was the mother of Moses. See Exodus

6:20.)

Total souls from Levi: 4

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Judah

18. Judah (son of Jacob) (3063) celebrated19. Shelah (son of Judah) (7956) request20. Pharez (son of Judah and Tamar) (6557) a break (lit. or fig.)21. Zarah (son of Judah and Tamar) (2226) a rising of light22. Hezron (son of Pharez) (2696) court-yard23. Hamul (son of Pharez) (2538) pitied

A note on Judah’s progeny: Judah took the Canaanite Shuah (Genesis 38:2). Shuah’s name (7770) means “a halloo.”

By Shuah, he had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er and Onan died in Canaan (Genesis 46:12) and never made it to

Egypt so are not reckoned here. Er’s name (6147) means “watchful,” and Onan’s name (209) means “strong.”

Judah’s grandsons through Pharez, Hezron and Hamul, take their place in the count. Tamar’s name (8559) means

“a palm tree.” Interesting that Pharez is Christ’s ancestor (Luke 3:33), is also Joseph’s ancestor (Matthew 1:3), and

that two of his sons take the place of two of Judah’s Canaanite sons in the reckoning.

Total souls from Judah: 6

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Issachar

24. Issachar (son of Jacob) (3485) he will bring a reward25. Tola (son of Issachar) (8439) worm26. Phuvah (son of Issachar) (6312) a blast27. Job (son of Issachar) (3102) either howler OR he will return28. Shimron (son of Issachar) (8110) guardianship

Total souls from Issachar: 5

Zebulun

29. Zebulun (son of Jacob) (2074) habitation30. Sered (son of Zebulun) (5624) trembling31. Elon (son of Zebulun) (356) oak-grove32. Jahleel (son of Zebulun) (3177) expectant of God

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Total souls from Zebulun: 4

Dinah

33. Dinah (daughter of Jacob and Leah) (1783) justice

Note on Dinah: Of Dinah’s offspring there is no mention, but she is clearly recognized in Genesis 46:15 as being one

of the Israelite souls to be counted.

Total souls from Dinah: 1

End of the progeny of Jacob and Leah. Leah (3812) weary. Thirty-three souls, as Genesis 46:15 confirms:

Genesis 46:15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the

souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

Jacob himself is counted in this first list only, as his inclusion makes the thirty-three souls here but would throw off

the Biblically identified numbers elsewhere. The alternate explanation of Levi’s daughter Jochebed, who was born

in Eygpt after the Genesis 46 list, has already been discusssed.

Gad

34. Gad (son of Jacob) (1410) to crowd upon, i.e. attack35. Ziphion (son of Gad) (6687) to overflow36. Haggi (son of Gad) (2291) festive37. Shuni (son of Gad) (7764) quiet38. Ezbon (son of Gad) (675) of uncert. der.; Smith: working39. Eri (son of Gad) (6179) watchful40. Arodi (son of Gad) (722) a refuge for the roving41. Areli (son of Gad) (692) heroic

Total souls from Gad: 8

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Asher

42. Asher (son of Jacob) (836) happy43. Jimnah (son of Asher) (3232) prosperity (as betokened by the right hand)44. Ishuah (son of Asher) (3438) he will level45. Isui (son of Asher) (3440) level46. Beriah (son of Asher) (1283) in trouble47. Serah (daughter of Asher) (8294) superfluity48. Heber (son of Beriah) (2268) community49. Malchiel (son of Beriah) (4439) king of (i.e. appointed by) God

Total souls from Asher: 8

In Asher’s genealogy is included the second of two women, Serah, who is reckoned among the seventy souls (the

other being Dinah). Serah is also included in Asher’s genealogy in I Chronicles 7:30. It is perhaps worth noting that

one of the few Israelites identified by tribe in the New Testament is another Asherite woman, Anna, a prophetess

(Luke 2:36).

End of Zilpah’s (Leah’s maid’s) progeny. Zilpah (2153) fragrant dropping.

Genesis 46:18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob,

even sixteen souls.

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Joseph

50. Joseph (son of Jacob) (3130) let him add (or perh. simply act. part. adding)51. Manasseh (son of Joseph and Asenath) (4519) causing to forget52. Ephraim (son of Joseph and Asenath) (669) double fruit

Total souls from Joseph: 3

Benjamin

53. Benjamin (son of Jacob) (1144) son of (the) right hand54. Belah (son of Benjamin) (1106) a gulp; fig. destruction55. Becher (son of Benjamin) (1071) a young camel; root (1069) can have connotation of giving the

birthright56. Ashbel (son of Benjamin) (788) flowing57. Gera (son of Benjamin) (1617) a grain58. Naaman (son of Benjamin) (5283) pleasantness (plur. as concr.)

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59. Ehi (son of Benjamin) (278) brotherly60. Rosh (son of Benjamin) (7220) the head (as most easily shaken), whether lit. or fig. (in many

applications, of place, time, rank, etc.)61. Muppim (son of Benjamin) (4649) wavings62. Huppim (son of Benjamin) (2650) canopies63. Ard (son of Benjamin) (714) fugitive

Total souls from Benjamin: 11

End of Rachel’s sons.

Gen 46:22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

Rachel had 14, or 2 x 7, sons. Rachel (7354) a ewe [the females being the predominant element of a flock] (as a good

traveller).

Dan

64. Dan (son of Jacob) (1835) judge65. Hushim (son of Dan) (2366) hasters

Total souls from Dan: 2

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Naphtali

66. Naphtali (son of Jacob) (5321) my wrestling67. Jahzeel (son of Naphtali) (3183) God will allot68. Guni (son of Naphtali) (1476) protected69. Jezer (son of Naphtali) (3337) a form; (fig.) conception (i.e. purpose)70. Shillem (son of Naphtali) (8006) requital

Total souls from Naphtali: 5

End of Bilhah’s (Rachel’s maid’s) progeny. Bilhah (1090) timid.

Gen 46:25 These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob:

all the souls were seven.

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Totals:

Isaac—1 soul+Reuben—5 souls+Simeon—7 souls (1, Shaul, part-Canaanite)+Levi—4 souls+Judah—6 souls (1, Shelah, part-Canaanite)+Issachar—5 souls+Zebulun—4 souls+Dinah—1 soul+Gad—8 souls+Asher—8 souls+Joseph—3 souls+Benjamin—11 souls+Dan—2 souls+Naphtali—5 souls

=70 souls

__________________________________________________By Leah—33 souls; includes Jacob, whereas the rest do not+By Zilpah—16 souls+By Rachel—14 souls+By Bilhah—7 souls

=70 souls

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seventy nations: the nations of genesis 10 and 70 israelite souls

Documents

nationsthe nations of

ithe nations of genesis

peoples of genesis

study bible

families of japheth

scripture numerics

nation of israel

perfect spiritual