10:10-12 Babylonia is the area surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates in southern Mesopotamia. This kingdom eventually reached into northern Mesopotamia (Assyria). • Of the cities mentioned, Babylon is most important because of its role in building the Tower of Babel (see 11:4 and study note). • Erech was ancient Uruk and is now Warka in southern Iraq (see Ezra 4:9-10). • Akkad was the ancient Agade north of Babylon, home of the famous ruler Sargon (2370–2295 BC). • The location of Calneh is uncertain, though it is presumably one of Nimrod’s cities located north of Aram-naharaim in southern Mesopotamia (cp. Amos 6:2). • building . . . Nineveh: Like Cain, Nimrod built cities (see Gen 4:17 and comments). Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the east bank of the Tigris River in northern Iraq. • Rehoboth-ir was a daughter-city of Nineveh or was located nearby. • Calah is modern Tell Nimrud, south of Nineveh. • Resen is possibly modern Selamiyeh, northwest of Tell Nimrud.

10:1–11:9 The fifth account (10:1) in Genesis (see study note on 2:4) unites the Table of Nations (10:2-32) and the Babel story (11:1-9) around the theme of scattering the nations (10:5, 18; 11:4, 8-9). The Table of Nations precedes the Babel story even though the Babel incident caused the geopolitical situation reflected in the Table of Nations. By reversing the order, Genesis links the repopulation of the earth with the blessing conferred upon Noah and his sons (see 9:1 and study note) and shows that Abram’s call (12:1-3) was God’s solution to the problem of human estrangement from God as reflected in the Babel story (11:1-9).

10:13-14 The Ludites were Lydian tribes west of the Nile delta. • The identity of the Anamites is uncertain. They were possibly Egyptians near Cyrene, west of Egypt. • The Lehabites were possibly a Libyan tribe. • The Naphtuhites inhabited northern Egypt. • The Pathrusites inhabited southern Egypt. • The Casluhites possibly inhabited an Egyptian district also known as Cyrenaica. • The Caphtorites were Cretans (see Jer 47:4; Amos 9:7). • The Philistines from Crete were sea people who lived intermittently in southwest Canaan during the period of the Exodus and later (Exod 13:17; Amos 9:7). They were among Israel’s most troublesome enemies during the early monarchy (see 1–2 Samuel).