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Library / Commentaries and Disputations on Genesis, Volume II

Book Fifteen — the multiplication of mankind after the flood

{And the sons of Cham: Chus and Mesraim and Phut and Chanaan.}

LatineEnglish

{And the sons of Cham: Chus and Mesraim and Phut and Chanaan.}1

Filii autem Cham: Chus, Mesraim et Phut et Chanaan.

CHAM filios et posteros ait Iosephus Syriam et regionem Amano Libanoque montibus haerentem obtinuisse, quicquid eius ad mare vergit occupando, et Oceanum usque ditionis terminos proferendo; vocabula autem eorum partim evanuisse, partim ita depravata esse in diversum, ut non facile sit agnoscere. Haec Iosephus. Ad cuius sententiae confirmationem facit quod Strabo in libro decimo sexto scriptum reliquit: Ego, inquit, prisca gentium vocabula, tum propter obscuritatem, tum propter absur[ditatem pronuntiandi]…
Josephus says that the sons and posterity of Cham obtained Syria and the region adhering to the Amanus and Lebanon mountains, occupying whatever of it inclines toward the sea, and extending the bounds of their dominion up to the Ocean; but that their names have partly vanished, partly been so corrupted into something different that it is not easy to recognize them. Thus Josephus. To the confirmation of whose opinion makes what Strabo left written in book sixteen: “I,” he says, “do not set down the ancient names of nations, both on account of their obscurity, and on account of the absur[dity of pronouncing them]…”2
…ditatem pronuntiandi, non pono. Cham filios et posteros ad hunc modum recenset Moses: primo nominantur quatuor eius filii, Chus, Mesraim, Phut et Chanaan. DEINDE horum omnium, praeter Phut, posteri commemorantur, ut in subiecta descriptione licet videre. [Tabula:] Cham filii — Chus (Saba, Hevila, Sabatha, Regma [Saba, Dadan], Sabathacha; Nemrod). Mesraim (Ludim, Anamim, Laabim, Nephtuim, Phethrusim, Chasluim; Philisthiim et Caphtorim). Phuth. Chanaan (Sidon, Hethaeus, Iebusaeus, Amorrhaeus, Gergesaeus, Hevaeus, Aracaeus, Sinaeus, Aradius, Samaraeus, Hamathaeus). Omnes XXXI.
…the absurdity of pronouncing them, I do not set them down.” Moses reckons the sons and posterity of Cham in this manner: first are named his four sons, Chus, Mesraim, Phut, and Chanaan. Then the posterity of all of these, except Phut, are mentioned, as may be seen in the appended description. [Table:] The sons of Cham — Chus (Saba, Hevila, Sabatha, Regma [Saba, Dadan], Sabathacha; Nemrod). Mesraim (Ludim, Anamim, Laabim, Nephtuim, Phethrusim, Chasluim; the Philistines and Caphtorim). Phuth. Chanaan (Sidon, the Hethite, Iebusite, Amorrhite, Gergesite, Hevite, Aracite, Sinite, Aradian, Samarite, Hamathite). In all, 31.3

Translator’s notes

  1. Gen 10:6 (lemma). Margin: v. 6. ↩
  2. §28. Cham's line held Syria and the coast to the Ocean (Josephus); their names mostly vanished/corrupted (Strabo too declines to list ‘obscure’ names). Margins: Josephus; Strabo. Continues on p. 409. ↩
  3. §28 (cont.). Moses lists Cham's four sons; the posterity of all but Phut (a genealogical table in the original), totaling 31. ↩