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Vcr. 10. And dish begat Ni?nrod. He mentions him alone by himself, because he was the most eminent among all his sons. (See upon Gen. x. 8. where I have given an account of the next words.) He began to be mighty upon the earth.’] That is, was the first that raised a great kingdom. ■ All these are the sons ofKeturah.] Her sons or grandsons. Vcr. 34. Aiid Abraham begat Isaac. Tlie sons of Isaac; Esau, and Israel.

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JjLDAM, Sheth, Enosh. He mentions only their names briefly: but the meaning is, that Adam begat Sheth, and Sheth begat Enosh: and so the rest are to be understood. Adam, indeed, had two sons before he begat Sheth: but one of them was murdered without issue, and the other was accursed; so that all who descended from him perished in the flood: therefore these only that came from Sheth are remembered.:’ • This may seem to be sufficiently recorded, as much of that which follows is, in the book of Genesis: so that there was no need, some may imagine, to repeat it here: but there being a genealogy to be drawn of the several families of the, Jews, it was fit to begin it with an account of the honour they had. to be the select people of God, whose original and descent w p as manifest and plain from the very first man, who was the son of God. This was the peculiar glory of the Jewish nation, that they alone were able to derive their pedigree from the first man that God created; of which no other nation could boast, or make a shadow of pretence. Besides, by the recital of this, the Divine writer of this book designed to keep up the belief that the world was not eternal, but had a beginning, as is recorded in the book of Genesis.

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Kenan. We translate it Cainan, Gen. v. 9; Mahalaleel, Jered.] See Gen. v. 12. 15.

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Henoch, Methuselah, Lantech. See concerning these, Gen. v. 18. 21. 25.

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Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These were the three sons of Noah: among whom Japheth was the eldest, (Gen. x. 21.) and therefore his genealogy is first mentioned. But Shem being the person in whose posterity true religion was preserved, and from whom the promised seed was to come, is first named both here and in Gen. v. 31. x. 1.

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TJie sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiros. Thus they were reckoned up in the same order, Gen. x. 2. where see concerning them. Ver. G. Hie sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.] The same account we have in Gen. x. 3.

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And’ the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. The same we read, Gen. x. 4. And neither there nor here is any mention of the rest of Japheth’s posterity, but only of Gomer and Javan. (See Gen. x. 5. in the latter end of my annotations on that verse.)

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The sons of Ham; dish, and Mizrahn, Put, and Canaan. In this place, and in this order, they are mentioned in Gen. x. 6. And the reason, I suppose, why his genealogy is mentioned before Shem’s, is, because from Shem the genealogy of Abraham and the Jewish nation was to be derived: which it was thought fit to set down without any interruption.

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And the sons of Cash; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, andRaamah,andSabtecha. AndthesonsofRaamah; Sheba, and Dedan. See Gen. x. 7. where an account is given of tho sons of Cush, and of his two grandsons by one of them.

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And Nizraim begat Lxidim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim. The very same account we have in Gen. x. 13. where I have shewn in what parts of the world their posterity settled.

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And Pathrusim, and Casluhim. See Gen. x. 14. (Of whom came the Philistines).’] Who were a colony from the Casluhjm. And Caphthorim.] See Gen. x. 14.

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And Canaan begat Zidon his first-born, and Heth. See Gen. x. 15. Ver. 14: The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and* the Girgashite,

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The Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

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And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. In this very order they are set down by Moses, in Gen. x. 16 — 18. (See what I have noted there.)

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The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and hud, and Aram. Thus they are set down in Gen. x. 22. and Arphaxad is mentioned after Elam and Asshur, just as Aaron is after Moses in Exod. vi. 27. though he was the elder brother. For, as the Jews often note, the Scripture doth not strictly observe the order of time. And Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.] These were not the sons of Shem, but his grandsons by Aram his youngest son: as appears from Gen. x. 22. But nothing is more usual in Scripture, than to call grandsons by the name of sons. As Laban is called’the son of Nahor, Gen. xxix. 5. being his grandchild by Beth-el. And Mephibosheth is called the son of Saul, 2 Sam. xix. 24. because he was descended from him by his son Jonathan. Meshech had two names; for he is called Mash, Gen. x. 23. and possessed the mountain of Masins in Mesopotamia; as Boehart thinks in his Phaleg. lib. ii. cap. 11. Though Mash may very well be thought not to be another name, but only the contraction of Meshech: whosolne think was the father of the Cappadocians.

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And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. He. follows Moses exactly; who gives no account of the posterity of the two sons of Shem first mentioned, but only of the third, Arphaxad: that he might the sooner come to him from whom the Israelites descended. Here the LXX. interpose Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah: but it is not in the Greek Muscovite translation; as is observed by primate Usher, in his Letters, ccxevi. (And see Bochart, in his Phaleg. lib. ii. cap. 13.)

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And unto Eber were born two sons. Gen. x. 25. The name of one was Peleg (because in his days the earth was divided).] That is, the inhabitants of the earth were divided, and dispersed; according to the division of their languages. (See my annotations there.) And his brother’s name was Joktan.] Who had a more numerous issue than any hitherto mentioned. Vcr. 20. And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, andJerah.] See concerning these,Gen.x. 26.

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Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah. See Gen; x. 27.

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And Ebal, and Abifnael, and Sheba. See Gen. x. 28. where the first of these is called Obal: from whence some have argued, that the name in this place is corrupted. As if, in process of time, there might not be a variation in the vowel: Moses.pronouncing the name as they spake it in his time, and this author as they spake in his.

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And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan,. Who were thirteen in all: and all but onesettled their habitation in Arabia. (See Gen. x. 29.)

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Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah. These are repeated from ver. 17, 18. to shew how Abraham was descended from Shem: who was the most eminent of all Noah’s song; whom he solemnly blessed: the Messiah being to spring from him, (Gen. ix. 36.) For from Adam the, promise, of the Messiah was translated to Seth; and from Seth to Shem; from Shem to Eber; from whom the Hebrew nation, some think, derived their name; and had this precious promise committed to their trust, above all other nations in the world. •.

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Serug, Nahor, and Terah. This genealogy from Eber, is recorded by Moses in Gen. xi. 16 — 18, &c.

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Abram, the same is Abraham. God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, when he established his covenant with him, (Gen. xvii. 5, &c.) and madehim the father of many nations.

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The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael. Isaac is first mentioned, being the son of a free-woman, and the heir of the promise: though Ishmael was elder than he, but born of a bond-woman.

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These are their generations: The first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth. To shew how God made Abraham the father of many nations, he reckons up twelve great persons descended from his son Ishmael; the first of which was Nebaioth: concerning whom, and the rest that follow, see Gen. xxv. 13, 14, &c. v. - Then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam.] I shall only observe here, that as from Nebaioth came the people called Nabataei; so from Kedar came the Cedreni, whom geographers call Cedrei, and Cedranitae, as Bochart observes.

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Mishma, and Duma, Massa, Hadad; and Tetna,

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Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. Tliese are the sons of IshmaeL. -In what country they dwelt, seo Gen. xxv..18. Vcr. 32. Now the sons ofKeturah, Abraham’s concubine.] After the death of Sarah, Abraham married Keturah: and having many children by her, this holy writer names them,;to shew how faithfully God made good the name he gave him> by.making Abraham the father of many more nations. She bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.] See Gen. xxv. 2. • The sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.] There were four Shcbas, as I there observed; and one more of the name of Dedan: and this man’s sons are there mentioned, though here omitted.

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And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and EldaahJ. See Gen. xxv. 4., The first of thesfe, as Bochart thinks, was the same with the. Greek Hippos, a mountain and a village of which name Ptolemy describes on the same shore, a little below Madian, which he calls Modiana, in his Hieroz. par. i. lib. ii. cap. 3.

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The sons of Esau; EUphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, andJaalam, andKorah. These were by sovcral wives, as wc read Gen. xxxvi. 10. 14. Ver. &>. The sons of EUphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephl, and Gatam, Kcnaz,- and Thnnah, and Amalek.] It is plain from Gen. xxxvi. 12. that Timnah was not one of his sons, but his concubine; by whom he begat Amalek. This therefore is a short form of speech, as much as if ho had said, Of Timnah Amalek. Who was not equal to the rest of his sons, and thercforo he mentions his mother’s name. Kimchi hath expressed this so well, that it may be for the reader’s use to transcribe some of his words: which may serve for a rule in such-like cases. " In my judgment (saith he) tho Scripture uses hero a concise and compendious way of speaking: for there was no need that Ezra should recount all these things exactly and accurately, which had been done before in the law (he means in the book of Genesis), thercforo he describes these genealogies briefly." Thus he doth in’the -seventeenth verse of this chapter, mentioning Uz and Hul after Aram: who were not his sons but his grandsons. It. Solomon hath the samo observation. (Seo Buxtorf’s Anticritica, par. ii. cap. 2.)

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TJie sons of Reuel; NahatK, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzalu. Who are called dukes, as the sons of Eliphaz also are; (see Gen. xxxvi. 15. 17.) that is, rulers, or governors of the country, but not with kingly authority.

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And the sons of Stir; Lotan, and Shobat, andZibeoit, and Anah, and Dishbn, andEzar, and Dishan. This Seir was not Esau, nor of his posterity, but the ancient lord of this country, from whom it had its name, (see Gen. xxxvi. 20.) whose genealogy is here set down, that it may be understood from whom Timnah and Amalek sprung.

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And the sons ofLotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timnah was Lotan s sister.* This woman was Eliphaz’s concubine, and bare him Amalek, (vcr. 3G.) who, by his mother’s side, was Scir’s grandson.

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And of the sons of Shobal; Alian (or Abian), and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam.) See Gen. xxxvi. 23. - And the sons ofZibeon; Aiah, and Anah. The latter of which was a person of great note. (See Gen. xxxvi. 24.) * Vcr. 41. The soiis of Anah; JDishon. And the sons of Dishbn; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.] The first-born of these was otherwise called Hcmdan, Gen. xxxvi. 20. which was the name, it is • possible, whereby he was known among Esau’s posterity: though anciently his name was Amram. Vcr. 42. Tlie -sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakari. Tlie sons of Dishan; Uz,<and Aran.] Among all these persons descended from Seir, seven of them were dukes: who reigned perhaps at the same time in several parts of the country, (Gen. xxxvi. 29, 30.) By which it appears, that this was the ancient form of government before Esau conquered this country: which his posterity at the -first followed, but afterward was changed into kingly, as it here follows. And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad (which smote Midian in the field of Moab) reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.] See Gen. xxxvi. 35. where R. Solomon saith, the Midianites making war against the Moabitcs, this king of Edom came to help the Moabites. Vcr. 47. And when Hadad was dead, Samlah ofMasrekah reigned in his stead.

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Now these are the Icings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israeli. Sec this explained in Gen. xxxvi. 31. Beta the son ofBeor.] This Br or was not Balaam’s father, for he was a Mesopotamia!!, not an Edomito; but one of the same name, as Abcn Ezra well observes. And the nameofhiscity was Dinhabah.] Of which he was governor, perhaps, before he wa$ made king: and therefore therein he reigned, and made it the seat of his kingdom. Vcr. 44. And when Bela was dead, Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his stead.] See concerning this succession, Gen. xxxvi. 33. Bozrah was a city in Edom, as three prophets plainly describe it, (Isa. xxxiv. 0. Jer. xlix. 13. Amos i. 12.) And one of these represents it also as a city of Moab: because, as some think, it was in the confines of both countries: or rather, in tho opinion of Bochartus, there were two Bozrahs; the one in Idumea, the other in Moab. Vcr. 45. And when Jobab was dead, Husham, of the land of the Temanites, reigned in his stead.] Wc know nothing of Husham; but he seems not to have been the son of Jobab, but one of another family, in another part of the country. Some take this Jobab to have been Job: which opinion is exploded by Aben Ezra.

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And when Samlah was dead, Shaul ofRehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. See Gen. xxxvi. 37.

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And when Shaul was dead, Baal-hanan the son ofAchbor reigned in his stead.

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And when Baal-hanan was dead, Hadad (or Iladar) reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai (or Pan); and his wife’s name Mehetabel. See Gen. xxxvi. 39. The daughter of Hatred, the daughter of Mezahab.] Some of the Jews fancy this Mezahab to have been a very ingenious woman, being the first that found out the art of drawing gold out into wires or threads: for zahab signifies gold in Hebrew. But the LXX. take this for the name of a man, and translate it vlov Ma<?owj3.

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Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth.

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Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon.

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Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar.

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Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom. After the death of Hadad, the form of government was altered again: for there were ho more kings for a long time; but they returned to the first constitution, which they found, when they conquered the country; which was governed by dukes. (See Gen. xxxvi. 40.) And thus it was in Israel, after they came into the land of Canaan. They were first governed by judges, wh6 had not kingly power. After which, from the time of Saul, they were governed by kings till their captivity. At their return, they had no more kings, but only such governors as Zerubbabcl was. Some have imagined that Esau was the first king of this country: but in all likelihood, if he was, ho would have left his son Eliphaz in the same authority; who was but a duke, (Gen. xxxvi. 15, 1G.) Therefore Esau contented