V1-5            Japheth, meaning ‘extend.’ The descendants spread out, especially to west and north, Europe and Russia.

V6-14 Ham’s family, from whom came many enemies of the Jews; Mizraim (Egypt), Canaan, Babel (Babylon), Assyria and Nineveh, and the Philistines. They have been condemned to serve others (9.25-27), and they seek to throw off that yoke.

            Nimrod the grandson of Ham, a mighty hunter, a builder of cities, v8-12. The beginning of his kingdom is Babel, the zenith of man’s pride, see chapter 11.

V15-20            The Canaanites, occupying the land later known as Canaan, from Sidon in the north to Gaza in the south.

V21-31            The family of Shem, the father of Eber, the separate one, ie: Hebrew, se 14.13.

            Peleg is born 101 years after the flood; in his days the earth was divided, by the incident at Babel. This is an indication of how quickly man’s corruption grew and spread.

V32     This chapter also indicates the rapid growth of mankind after the flood;

Noah has 3 sons; Japheth has 7 (and from him Gomer has 3,  and Javan has 4); Ham has 5 (and from him Cush has 5, and Canaan 11); Shem has 5 (and from him Aram has 4, and Arphaxad 1). An average of 5 sons and 5 daughters in each generation means that around 5000 were born after the flood before the tower of Babel.

All the earth was populated from one man; chapters 10 and 11 detail the spread of man over the earth.

In Christ these divisions are reversed;

-          in Acts 8 the Ethiopian is converted, a Cushite, and Ham;

-          in Acts 9 Paul is converted, a Jew, from Shem; and

-          in Acts 10 Cornelius is converted, a Gentile, From Japheth.