Smoodock's Blog

At this point in our study, the text presents us with a small conundrum, as this pertains to the ages of Noah’s sons, if we believe that, by Noah’s 500^th year, all of Noah’s sons were alive (Genesis 5:32). Consider, if Shem was born in Noah’s 500^th year, he would have been 100 years old, when he entered the ark, and 101 years old after he left the ark. However, the text concludes that he was 100 years of age, when he begat his firstborn, which occurred two years after the Flood (Genesis 11:10). Therefore, Shem couldn’t have been born yet, when Noah was 500 years old. How, then, should we understand Genesis 5:32?

Although many scholars, who actually believe Noah and his three sons were historical figures, conclude that all three sons were alive in Noah’s 500^th year, the translations seem to disagree. Many translations at least imply that all of Noah’s sons were born after Noah was 500 years old. However, the reading of the text would also allow for one or two sons to be born prior to his 500^th year, but the last son must have been born afterward. According to a comparison of Genesis 5:32, Genesis 7:6, Genesis 8:13 and Genesis 11:10, Shem had to have been 97 years old when he entered the ark, 98 when he exited the ark and 100 years old, two years after the Flood (Genesis 11:10). Therefore, Shem was born when Noah was 503 years of age (cp. Genesis 5:32).

As for which son was the eldest and the youngest, many scholars want to make Ham the youngest son, because of the text in Genesis 9:24. The Hebrew, which is translated youngest in most translations (qatan – H6996; 12 times in the KJV), can and is translated younger (14 times in the KJV). I take the latter position for Genesis 9:24, and believe Ham must be considered the younger brother of Japheth, but the older brother of Shem. In such a case, the placement of the genealogies of Noah’s sons in chapter 10 of the Book of Genesis is according to their age!

Interestingly, as we consider the descendants of Shem (Genesis 10:21-32), it becomes evident that the recorder of these events (Moses) understood that the descendants of Eber (the ancestor of the Hebrews), Shem’s grandson through Arphaxad, would become a distinguishing nation among the twenty-six nations that would arise out of Shem. Five sons became nations, and five grandsons, one great grandson, two great, great grandsons and thirteen great, great, great grandsons became nations in their own right through Shem. Neither of Shem’s elder brothers achieved the distinction of having so many of his generations come to be among the first nations to arise after the Genesis Flood. The three produced 70 in all, but although Ham produced most of the 70 nations, only Shem came to have descendants of the third and fourth generations among the 70.

An interesting event that is recorded in Shem’s genealogy is that during the life of his great, great grandson, Peleg, the earth was divided (Genesis 10:25). What does this mean? Are we to assume that “in his days” Noah divided up the available land area among his 70 descendants, and they settled in their respective countries? I don’t believe this would have been possible. First of all, who knew how much land area existed after the Genesis Flood? Secondly, Joktan, and his 13 sons were yet to be born, if, presumably, Peleg received his name at birth, and it wasn’t changed to ‘Peleg’ until later, as Jacob’s was to Israel. Moreover, Shem begat his firstborn two years after the flood (Genesis 11:10), the second generation was 35 years later (Genesis 11:12), the third 30 years after that (Genesis 11:14) and Peleg, the fourth generation, was born 34 years after that, and 101 years after the great Flood. Thus, 101 years after the Genesis Flood is hardly enough time for the nations to arise and for the land to be divided among them.[1]

How, then, should we understand the words: “in his days the earth was divided?” Some scholars consider this to be the time when the Lord divided the tongues or the languages of the people in order to scatter them around the earth (Genesis 11:6-8; cp. Psalm 55:9; Deuteronomy 28:49). I like this argument better, but it suffers from too few people, as well. If Peleg’s birth marks the “dividing time,” Noah’s family couldn’t have been more than 500 people, probably less, in the first 101 years after the Flood. According to Genesis 10:10 there were at least four cities built in the land of Shinar, and connected to these were four more (Genesis 10:11-12). It seems to me that Genesis 11 must refer to a time, when there were far more than 500 people living on the earth.

A third possibility isn’t provable one way or the other, but I consider it the most reasonable of the three. During the antediluvian era the land mass may have been one single great continent. It does seem as though our seven continents were once held together in a single great continent. If this is true, then Peleg may mark the time, when the great continent began to break up, and each part drifted away from the others to form the seven that we are familiar with, today. It’s a guess, but it’s my best guess, but it does offer a logical context for the Lord’s claim that he intended to destroy the earth (Genesis 6:13)!

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[1] The Hebrew word used for divided in Genesis 10:25 is palag (H6385). A different word is used seven verses later in Genesis 10:32. There the nations were “divided” (parad – H6504) in the earth. Still another word is used in Deuteronomy 32:8 for God dividing (H5157) the nations.