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Territories of the Canaanites.

A. M. cir. 1700. whom
B. C. cir. 2304.

CHAP. X.

B. C. unknown.

The posterity of Shem. came Philistim,) and 21 Unto Shem also, the father A. M. unknown. Caphtorim. of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

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15 And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth,

16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,

A. M. unknown.
B. C. unknown.

B. C. cir. 2344.

22 The children of Shem; A. M. cir. 1660. Elam, and Asshur, and Ar17 And the Hivite, and the phaxad, and Lud, and Aram. Arkite, and the Sinite,

18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto ▸ Gaza; as thou goest unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.

"Heb. Tzidon. Chap. xiii. 12, 14, 15, 17; xv. 18-21; Num. xxxiv. 2-12; Josh. xii. 7, 8.- -P Heb. Azzah.

stant plagues and frequent oppressors of the Israelites, whose history may be seen at large in the books of Samuel, Kings, &c.

23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

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24 And Arphaxad begat Salah ; and Salah begat Eber.

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And unto Eber were born A. M. 1757. B. C. 2247. two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,

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Lud] The founder of the Lydians, in Asia Minor; or of the Ludim, who dwelt at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris, according to Arias Montanus. Caphtorim.] Inhabitants of Cyprus according to Aram.] The father of the Arameans, afterwards Calmet.

Verse 15. Sidon] Who probably built the city of this name, and was the father of the Sidonians.

Heth] From whom came the Hittites, so remarkable among the Canaanitish nations.

Verse 16. The Jebusite-Amorite, &c.] Are well known as being the ancient inhabitants of Canaan, expelled by the children of Israel.

Verse 20. These are the sons of Ham after their families] No doubt all these were well known in the days of Moses, and for a long time after; but at this distance, when it is considered that the political state of the world has been undergoing almost incessant revolutions through all the intermediate portions of time, the impossibility of fixing their residences or marking their descendants must be evident, as both the names of the people and the places of their residences have been changed beyond the possibility of being recognized.

Verse 21. Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber] It is generally supposed that the Hebrews derived their name from Eber or Heber, son of Shem; but it appears much more likely that they had it from the circumstance of Abraham passing over (for so the word y abar signifies) the river Euphrates to come into the land of Canaan. See the history of Abraham, chap. xiv. 13.

Verse 22. Elam] From whom came the Elamites, near to the Medes, and whose chief city was Elymais. Asshur] Who gave his name to a vast province (afterwards a mighty empire) called Assyria.

Arphaxad] From whom Arrapachitis in Assyria was named, according to some; or Artaxata in Armenia, on the frontiers of Media, according to others.

called Syrians.

Verse 23. Uz] Who peopled Cælosyria, and is supposed to have been the founder of Damascus. Hul] Who peopled a part of Armenia.

Gether] Supposed by Calmet to have been the founder of the Itureans, who dwelt beyond the Jordan, having Arabia Deserta on the east, and the Jordan on the west.

Mash.] Who inhabited mount Masius in Mesopotamia, and from whom the river Mazeca, which has its source in that mountain, takes its name.

Verse 24. Salah] The founder of the people of Susiana.

Eber.] See ver. 21. The Septuagint add Cainan here, with one hundred and thirty to the chronology. Verse 25. Peleg] From 15 palag, to divide, because in his days, which is supposed to be about one hundred years after the flood, the earth was divided among the sons of Noah. Though some are of opinion that a physical division, and not a political one, is what is intended here, viz., a separation of continents and islands from the main land; the earthy parts having been united into one great continent previously to the days of Peleg. This opinion appears to me the most likely, for what is said, ver. 5, is spoken by way of anticipation.

Verses 26-30. Joktan] He had thirteen sons who had their dwelling from Mesha unto Sephar, a mount of the east, which places Calmet supposes to be mount Masius, on the west in Mesopotamia, and the mountains of the Saphirs on the east in Armenia, or of the Tapyrs farther on in Media.

In confirmation that all men have been derived from one family, let it be observed that there are many

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All the descendants of Noah

A. M. cir. 1797.
B. C. cir. 2207.

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B. C. cir. 2207.

28 And Obal, and Abimael, and 31 These are the sons of Shem, A. M. ch. 1797. Sheba, after their families, after their 29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all tongues, in their lands, after their nations. these were the sons of Joktan. 32 w These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations, and by these were the nations divided in the earth, after the flood.

30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the east.

w Verse 1.

customs and usages, both sacred and civil, which have
prevailed in all parts of the world; and that these
could owe their origin to nothing but a general institu-
tion, which could never have existed, had not mankind
been originally of the same blood, and instructed in
the same common notions before they were dispersed.
Among these usages may be reckoned, 1. The num-
bering by tens. 2. Their computing time by a cycle
of seven days. 3. Their setting apart the seventh day
for religious purposes. 4. Their use of sacrifices,
propitiatory and eucharistical. 5. The consecration
of temples and altars. 6. The institution of sanctua-
ries or places of refuge, and their privileges. 7. Their
giving a tenth part of the produce of their fields, &c.,
for the use of the altar. 8. The custom of worship-
ping the Deity bare-footed. 9. Abstinence of the men
from all sensual gratifications previously to their offer-
ing sacrifice. 10. The order of priesthood and its
support. 11. The notion of legal pollutions, defile-
ments, &c.
12. The universal tradition of a general

* Chap. ix. 19.

deluge. 13. The universal opinion that the rainbow was a Divine sign, or portent, &c., &c. See Dodd.

The wisdom and goodness of God are particularly manifested in repeopling the earth by means of three persons, all of the same family, and who had witnessed that awful display of Divine justice in the destruction of the world by the flood, while themselves were preserved in the ark. By this very means the true religion was propagated over the earth; for the sons of Noah would certainly teach their children, not only the precepts delivered to their father by God himself, but also how in his justice he had brought the flood on the world of the ungodly, and by his merciful providence preserved them from the general ruin. It is on this ground alone that we can account for the uniformity and universality of the above traditions, and for the grand outlines of religious truth which are found in every quarter of the world. God has so done his marvellous works that they may be had in everlasting remembrance.

CHAPTER XI.

All the inhabitants of the earth, speaking one language and dwelling in one place, 1, 2, purpose to build a city and a tower to prevent their dispersion, 3, 4. God confounds their language, and scatters them over the whole earth, 5–9. Account of the lives and families of the postdiluvian patriarchs. Shem, 10, 11. Arphaxad, 12, 13. Salah, 14, 15. Eber, 16, 17. Peleg, 18, 19. Ragau or Reu, 20, 21. Serug, 22, 23. Nahor, 24, 25. Terah and his three sons, Haran, Nahor, and Abram, 26, 27. The death of Haran, 28. Abram marries Sarai, and Nahor marries Milcah, 29. Sarai is barren, 30. Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot, leave Ur of the Chaldees, and go to Haran, 31. Terah dies in Haran, aged two hundred and five years, 32.

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Heb. lip. Heb. words. Or, eastward, as ch. xiii. 11; 2 Sam. vi. 2, with 1 Chron. xiii. 6.— b

NOTES ON CHAP. XI.

d Heb. a man said to his neighbour.

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language of the earth-the language in which God Verse 1. The whole earth was of one language] spake to man, and in which he gave the revelation of The whole earth-all mankind was of one language, his will to Moses and the prophets. "It was used," in all likelihood the HEBREW; and of one speech says Mr. Ainsworth, "in all the world for one thousand articulating the same words in the same way. It is seven hundred and fifty-seven years, till Phaleg, the generally supposed, that after the confusion mentioned son of Heber, was born, and the tower of Babel was in this chapter, the Hebrew language remained in the in building one hundred years after the flood, Gen. x. family of Heber. The proper names, and their signifi- 25; xi. 9. After this, it was used among the Hebrews cations given in the Scripture, seem incontestable or Jews, called therefore the Jews' language, Isa. evidences that the Hebrew language was the original | xxxvi. 11, until they were carried captive into Baby

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scarcity of stones in that district; and on the same account they were obliged to use slime, that is, bitumen, (Vulg.) aoparos, (Septuagint,) for mortar: so it appears they had neither common stone nor lime-stone; hence they had brick for stone, and asphaltus or bitumen instead of mortar.

It cannot be reasonably imagined that the Jews lost the Hebrew tongue entirely in the seventy years of their captivity in Babylon; yet, as they were mixed with the Chaldeans, their children would of course Verse 4. Let us build us a city and a tower] On learn that dialect, and to them the pure Hebrew would this subject there have been various conjectures. Mr. be unintelligible; and this probably gave rise to the Hutchinson supposed that the design of the builders necessity of explaining the Hebrew Scriptures in the was to erect a temple to the host of heaven-the sun, Chaldee tongue, that the children might understand as moon, planets, &c.; and, to support this interpretation, well as their fathers. As we may safely presume the he says ' " verosho bashshamayim should be parents could not have forgotten the Hebrew, so we translated, not, whose top may reach unto heaven, for may conclude the children in general could not have there is nothing for may reach in the Hebrew, but its learned it, as they did not live in an insulated state, but head or summit to the heavens, i. e. to the heavenly were mixed with the Babylonians. This conjecture bodies: and, to make this interpretation the more proremoves the difficulty with which many have been bable, he says that previously to this time the descendembarrassed; one party supposing that the knowledge ants of Noah were all agreed in one form of religious of the Hebrew language was lost during the Babylonish worship, (for so he understands n n vesaphah captivity, and hence the necessity of the Chaldee Tar-achath, and of one lip,) i. e. according to him, they had gums to explain the Scriptures; another party insist- one litany; and as God confounded their litany, they ing that this was impossible in so short a period as began to disagree in their religious opinions, and seventy years. branched out into sects and parties, each associating with those of his own sentiment; and thus their tower or temple was left unfinished.

Verse 2. As they journeyed from the east] Assyria, Mesopotamia, and the country on the borders and beyond the Euphrates, are called the east in the sacred writings. Balaam said that the king of Moab had brought him from the mountains of the east, Num. xxiii. 7. Now it appears, from chap. xxii. 5, that Balaam dwelt at Pethor, on the river Euphrates. And it is very probable that it was from this country that the wise men came to adore Christ; for it is said they came from the east to Jerusalem, Matt. ii. 1. Abraham is said to have come from the east to Canaan, Isa. xli. 2; but it is well known that he came from Mesopotamia and Chaldea. Isaiah, xlvi. 11, represents Cyrus as coming from the east against Babylon. And the same prophet represents the Syrians as dwelling eastward of Jerusalem, chap. ix. 12: The Syrians before, op mikkedem, from the east, the same word which Moses uses here. Daniel ix. 44, represents Antiochus as troubled at news received from the east; i. e. of a revolt in the eastern provinces, beyond the Euphrates.

Noah and his family, landing after the flood on one of the mountains of Armenia, would doubtless descend and cultivate the valleys: as they increased, they appear to have passed along the banks of the Euphrates, till, at the time specified here, they came to the plains of Shinar, allowed to be the most fertile country in the See Calmet. That Babel was built in the land of Shinar we have the authority of the sacred text to prove; and that Babylon was built in the same country we have the testimony of Eusebius, Præp. Evang. lib. ix., c. 15; and Josephus, Antiq., lib. i., c. 5.

east.

Verse 3. Let us make brick] It appears they were obliged to make use of brick, as there was an utter

It is probable that their being of one language and of one speech implies, not only a sameness of language, but also a unity of sentiment and design, as seems pretty clearly intimated in ver. 6. Being therefore strictly united in all things, coming to the fertile plains of Shinar they proposed to settle themselves there, instead of spreading themselves over all the countries of the earth, according to the design of God; and in reference to this purpose they encouraged one another to build a city and a tower, probably a temple, to prevent their separation, "lest," say they, "we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth :" but God, miraculously interposing, confounded or frustrated their rebellious design, which was inconsistent with his will; see Deut. xxxii. 8; Acts xvii. 26; and, partly by confounding their language, and disturbing their counsels, they could no longer keep in a united state; so that agreeing in nothing but the necessity of sepa rating, they went off in different directions, and thus became scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. The Targums, both of Jonathan ben Uzziel and of Jerusalem, assert that the tower was for idolatrous worship; and that they intended to place an image on the top of the tower with a sword in its hand, probably to act as a talisman against their enemies. Whatever their design might have been, it is certain that this temple or tower was afterwards devoted to idolatrous purposes. Nebuchadnezzar repaired and beautified this tower, and it was dedicated to Bel, or the sun.

An account of this tower, and of the confusion of tongues, is given by several ancient authors. Herodo

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