Genesis 10:32 - 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.  

Map of the Descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth

The Son's of Noah. This map shows the locations of the nations descended from Noah's 3 sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Shem (Asia)
Shem (Heb. "Name") was Noah's oldest son and part of Noah's family of eight who survived the great flood. Shem and his wife were childless before the flood, but after the flood Shem bore a son at 110 years of age. He was father to five sons who became the fathers of the five Semitic nations as shown below. Shem was actually the father of the nations of the ancient Near East including the Israelites and the Jewish religion, and therefore Judaism, Islam, and Christianity sprang from the line of Shem. The Semites were particularly known for their religious zeal.

The Five Nations of Shem:

1. Elam (The Persians) settled northeast of the Persian Gulf.

2. Asshur (The Assyrians) the Biblical name for Assyria, settled between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers.

3. Arphaxad (The Babylonians) settled in Chaldea.

4. Lud (The Lydians) settled in Asia Minor, but some of them sailed across the Mediterranean and settled in northern Africa.

5. Aram (The Syrians) the Biblical name for Syria, located north and east of Israel.

Ham (Africa)
Ham (Heb. "hot" or "Black") was Noah's second oldest son and part of the family of eight who survived the great flood. Ham and his wife bore 4 sons who became the fathers of the nations of Africa. Ham's fourth son Canaan was prophetically cursed because he gazed at his fathers nakedness while he was drunk. This curse would mean later that Canaan would lose his land to the Hebrews and would be subservient to the descendants of Shem. The Hamites were known for their physical endurance.

The Four Nations of Ham:

1. Cush (The Ethiopians) settled in Ethiopia south of Egypt, also early in their history some of them migrated to an area north of the Persian Gulf (Gen. 10:8-10).

2. Mizraim (The Egyptians) the Bible name for Egypt, settled in northeastern Africa.

3. Phut (The Libyans) sometimes translated Libya, settled in northern Africa.

4. Canaan (The Canaanites) settled above Africa east of the Mediterranean (Later was given to the Hebrews).

Japheth (Europe)
Japheth (Heb. "God will Enlarge)") was Noah's third oldest son and part of the family of eight who survived the great flood. Japheth and Shem were both greatly blessed for respecting their father Noah. Noah's blessing on Japheth was far reaching for all of his descendants being the European (Caucasian) nations that were mentioned in Genesis 10. The Japhethites were known for their intellectual activity.

The Seven Nations of Japheth:

I. Gomer (The Cimmerians) settled north of the Black Sea, but afterwards his descendants probably occupied Germany, France, Spain and the British Isles.

2. Magog (The Scythians) lived north of the Caspian Sea.

3. Madai (The Medes) settled south of the Caspian Sea.

4. Javan (The Ionians or Greeks) Javan is the Hebrew name for Greeks, they settled in Greece.

5. Tubal (The Turks) lived south of the Black Sea.

6. Meshech (The Slavs) lived between the Black and Caspian Seas,

7. Tiras (The Etruscans) located west of the Black Sea.

Genesis 10:32 - 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. 

Scriptures related to Shem

Genesis 7:13 - In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; 

Genesis 9:23 - And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid [it] upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces [were] backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. 

Genesis 5:32 - And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

Genesis 10:1 - Now these [are] the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 

Genesis 10:21 - Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were [children] born. 

Genesis 11:11 - And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 

1 Chronicles 1:17 - The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. 

Genesis 9:27 - God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 

Genesis 9:18 - And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham [is] the father of Canaan. 

Genesis 10:22 - The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. 

Genesis 10:31 - These [are] the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. 

Genesis 6:10 - And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

Genesis 9:26 - And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 

1 Chronicles 1:4 - Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

1 Chronicles 1:24 - Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 

Genesis 11:10 - These [are] the generations of Shem: Shem [was] an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: 

Scriptures related to Ham

Genesis 10 
1. Son of Noah Ge 5:32; 9:18,24; 1Ch 1:4 Provokes his father's wrath and is cursed by him Ge 9:18-27 His children Ge 10:6-20; 1Ch 1:8-16 -2. Patronymic of the descendants of Ham 1Ch 4:40; Ps 78:51; 105:23,27; 106:22 -3. Place where Chedorlaomer struck down the Zuzims Ge 14:5

Scriptures related to Japheth

Genesis 7:13 - In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; 

Genesis 9:23 - And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid [it] upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces [were] backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. 

Genesis 5:32 - And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

Genesis 10:1 - Now these [are] the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 

Genesis 10:21 - Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were [children] born. 

Genesis 10:2 - The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 

1 Chronicles 1:5 - The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 

Genesis 9:27 - God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 

Genesis 9:18 - And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham [is] the father of Canaan. 

Genesis 6:10 - And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

1 Chronicles 1:4 - Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

See Map of the Table of Nations

Read Genesis 10 in the Picture Study Bible

See Shem in the Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

See Ham in the Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

See Japheth in the Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

[Maps are free to use for personal, classroom, or church use]