Genesis 10:5
in Genesis 10From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
KJV
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
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This verse in Genesis 10
Commentary
7 notes on this verseIsles of the Gentiles - Europe, of which this is allowed to be a general epithet. Calmet supposes that it comprehends all those countries to which the Hebrews were obliged to go by sea, such as Spain, Gaul, Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor. Every one after his tongue - This refers to the time posterior to the confusion of tongues and dispersion from Babel.
This site's exposition
the maritime peoples separated into their territories
The peoples are already separated by language here, one chapter before the languages are confused at Babel. Adam Clarke reads the verse as written from the far side of that event, looking back on it. The same formula closes each of the three lists, clans and languages and lands and nations. The maritime peoples are the coastlands, reached by sea.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
From these have divided the islands of the nations into their regions, each according to his language and family in their nations.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), which were solemnly, by lot, after a survey, divided among them, and probably this island of ours among the rest; all places beyond the sea from Judea are called isles ( Jer. xxv. 22 ), and this directs us to understand that promise ( Isa. xlii. 4 ), the isles shall wait for his law, of the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands,....
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the isles of the Gentiles--a phrase by which the Hebrews described all countries which were accessible by sea (Isa 11:11; Such in relation to them were the countries of Europe, the peninsula of Lesser Asia, and the region lying on the east of the Euxine. Accordingly, it was in these quarters the early descendants of Japheth had their settlements.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מֵ֠אֵלֶּה | meeleh | from these | H428 → | 746 times |
| נִפְרְד֞וּ | nifredu | they separated | H6504 → | 26 times |
| אִיֵּ֤י | ʾiyei | [the] coastlands of | H339 → | |
| הַגּוֹיִם֙ | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| בְּאַרְצֹתָ֔ם | beartzotam | in own lands their | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לִלְשֹׁנ֑וֹ | lilshono | to own language its | H3956 → | 117 times |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם | lemishpechotam | to clans their | H4940 → | 303 times |
| בְּגוֹיֵהֶֽם׃ | begoyehem | in nations their | H1471 → | 561 times |
מֵ֠אֵלֶּהfrom these
meelehH428 →746 times
נִפְרְד֞וּthey separated
nifreduH6504 →26 times
אִיֵּ֤י[the] coastlands of
ʾiyeiH339 →
הַגּוֹיִם֙the nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
בְּאַרְצֹתָ֔םin own lands their
beartzotamH776 →2504 times
אִ֖ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לִלְשֹׁנ֑וֹto own language its
lilshonoH3956 →117 times
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖םto clans their
lemishpechotamH4940 →303 times
בְּגוֹיֵהֶֽם׃in nations their
begoyehemH1471 →561 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 42:4He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:2–12
He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.
- Isaiah 55:5
Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory…
- Genesis 49:10
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
- Isaiah 52:13–15
Behold, My Servant will prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
- Psalms 22:27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
- Isaiah 53:2–12
Through
Jeremiah 25:22all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea;
it leads to
- Jeremiah 47:4
For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every remaining ally. Indeed, the LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts…
- Jeremiah 47:4
Through
Zephaniah 2:11The LORD will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.
it leads to
- Zechariah 13:2
And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and…
- Zechariah 13:2
Through
Jeremiah 2:10Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:
it leads to
- Psalms 120:5
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!
- Psalms 120:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Genesis

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
