Genesis 10:6
in Genesis 10The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.
KJV
And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
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This verse in Genesis 10
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Verse 6) The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush, even to this day, is called Ethiopia by the Hebrews; Egypt is called Mizraim, and Put is called Libya. From Put, the river of Mauritania is called as such, and the entire region surrounding it is known as the Putian region. Many Greek and Latin writers attest to this. However, it is not the place or time to discuss why the ancient name of Libya has remained only in a certain part of the region, and the rest of the land is called Africa.
This site's exposition
The sons of Ham
on Genesis 10:6-7
Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan are the four sons of Ham. Mizraim is Egypt, named here for the first time in Scripture, and every going down in Genesis runs to that name, Abram in chapter 12 and Jacob's whole house in chapter 46. Canaan is the son Noah had cursed, and his line gets more room here than any other.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The river Phison separates all the countries of India [lying along its course] from the country of the Huns. In scripture the Indian region is called Euilat (Havilah). For it is thus written in Genesis: Now the river goeth out from Eden to water Paradise.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut and Canaan. Cush is today called Ethiopia by the Hebrews, Mizraim is Egypt, Phut is Libya, from whom even to this day a river in Mauretania is called Phut, and the whole region around it is …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the sons of Ham,.... Next to the sons of Japheth, the sons of Ham are reckoned; these, Josephus (z) says, possessed the land from Syria, and the mountains of Amanus and Lebanon; laying hold on whatever was towards the sea, claiming to themselves the countries unto the ocean, whose names, some of them, are entirely lost, and others so greatly changed and deflected into other tongues, that they can scarcely be known, and few whose names are preserved entire; and the same observation will hold good of others.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Cush - Who peopled the Arabic nome near the Red Sea in Lower Egypt. Some think the Ethiopians descended from him. Mizraim - This family certainly peopled Egypt; and both in the East and in the West, Egypt is called Mezr and Mezraim. Phut - Who first peopled an Egyptian nome or district, bordering on Libya. Canaan - He who first peopled the land so called, known also by the name of the Promised Land.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
sons of Ham--emigrated southward, and their settlements were: Cush in Arabia, Canaan in the country known by his name, and Mizraim in Egypt, Upper and Lower. It is generally thought that his father accompanied him and personally superintended the formation of the settlement, whence Egypt was called "the land of Ham" [Ps 105:23, 27;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-brackets
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
- XXXII. Ham 6. מצרים mı̂tsrayı̂m, “Mitsraim.” מצר mētser, “straitness, limit, pressure.” מצור mātsôr, “distress, siege, mound, bulwark; Egypt.” מצרים mı̂tsrayı̂m, “perhaps double Egypt, lower and upper.” פוּט pûṭ, “Put, troubled.” 7. סבא sebā', “Seba, drinking (man, Ethiopian).” סבתה sabtâh, “Sabtah.” רעמה ra‛mâh, “Ra‘mah, shaking, trembling.” סבתכא sabtekā', “Sabtekha.” שׁבא shēbā', “Sheba, captive?” דדן dedān, “Dedan, going slowly?” 8. נמרד nı̂mrod, “Nimrod, strong, rebel.” 10. בבל bābel, “Babel; related: pour, mingle, confound.” ארך 'erek, “Erek, length.” אכד 'akad, “Akkad, fortress.” כלנה kalneh, “Kalneh.” שׁנער shı̂n‛ār, “Shin‘ar.” 11. נינוה nı̂ynevēh, “Nineveh, dwelling?” עיר רחבח rechobot 'ı̂yr, “Rechoboth ‘ir, streets of a city.” כלח kelach, “Kelach, completion, end, age.” 12. רסן resen, “Resen, bridle, bit.” 13. לוּדים lûdı̂ym, “Ludim, born?” ענמים ‛ǎnāmı̂ym, “‘Anamim, possession, sheep. להבים lı̂hābı̂ym, “Lehabim, fiery, flaming?” נפתהים naptuchı̂ym, “Naphtuchim, opening.” 14. פתרסים patrusı̂ym, “Pathrusim.” כסלחים kasluchı̂ym, “Kasluchim.” פלשׁתים pelı̂shtı̂ym, “Pelishtim”, Αλλόφυλοι Allophuloi, “related: break, scatter; Aethiopic “migrate.” כפתרים kaptorı̂ym, “Kaphtorim; related: crown, capital.” 15. צידון tsı̂ydon, “Tsidon, hunting.” צת chēt, “Cheth, breaking, affrighting.” 16. יבוּסי yebûsı̂y, “Jebusi; related: tread.” אמרי 'emorı̂y, “Emori; related: Say, be high.” גגשׁי gı̂rgāshı̂y, “Girgashi; related: clay, clod.” 17. צוּי chı̂vı̂y, “Chivvi; related: live.” ערקי ‛arqı̂y, “‘Arqi; related: gnaw, sting.” סיני sı̂ynı̂y, “Sini; related: mud, clay.” 18. ארודי 'arvādı̂y, “Arvadi; related: roam, ramble.” צמרי; tsemārı̂y, “Tsemari; noun: wool; verb: cover.” חמתי chāmātı̂y, “Chamathi; noun: fastness; verb: guard.” 19. […]
The words behind it
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְנֵ֖י | uvenei | and [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חָ֑ם | cham | Ham | H2526 → | 16 times |
| כּ֥וּשׁ | kush | [were] Cush | H3568 → | 29 times |
| וּמִצְרַ֖יִם | umitzrayim | and Mizraim | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וּפ֥וּט | ufut | and Put | H6316 → | |
| וּכְנָֽעַן׃ | ukhenaan | and Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
וּבְנֵ֖יand [the] sons of
uveneiH1121 →4930 times
חָ֑םHam
chamH2526 →16 times
כּ֥וּשׁ[were] Cush
kushH3568 →29 times
וּמִצְרַ֖יִםand Mizraim
umitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וּפ֥וּטand Put
ufutH6316 →
וּכְנָֽעַן׃and Canaan
ukhenaanH3667 →94 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
Psalms 78:51He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.
it leads to
- Psalms 105:23
Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 106:22
wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
- Psalms 135:8
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both man and beast.
- Psalms 136:10
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt His loving devotion endures forever.
- Psalms 105:23
Through
Jeremiah 46:9Advance, O horses! Race furiously, O chariots! Let the warriors come forth—Cush and Put carrying their shields, men of Lydia drawing the bow.
it leads to
- Isaiah 66:19
I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 27:10
Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put served as warriors in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls; they gave you splendor.
- Isaiah 66:19
Through
Ezekiel 27:10Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put served as warriors in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls; they gave you splendor.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 38:5
Persia, Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets,
- Ezekiel 30:5
Cush, Put, and Lud, and all the various peoples, as well as Libya and the men of the covenant land, will fall with Egypt by the sword.
- Ezekiel 38:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).