The generations of Adam were after the full ruin, so here, after the curse. Also they are the generations of the sons of Noah, for they go by descendance; now it is not ha-Adam.
We have the nations and the beginning of a kingdom—quite a new thing—there were violent men before, now nations and a kingdom individually set up. They broke off from the stem and settled there, "in their lands"—thus countries had their origin too; this was settled in Peleg's time, only these were they who could not stay at home.
The isles of the Gentiles are all from Japheth; except Javan and Tiras—these we may say are all in Gog's expedition besides Peres, Cush and Phut—not Japheth's sons—Madai is not properly so perhaps, but in the kingdom it is mixed up with Peres—these we shall see afterward.
Tubal and Javan are mentioned in Isa. 66:1919And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. (Isaiah 66:19)—the stopping of the accents there, in the Hebrew, does not join Tubal, Javan and the isles, but separates them as distinct, semi-closing the sentence at Javan—verse 4 here shows the connection. Tarshish, and we see Cush—Asiatic, it was part of or adjoining the land of Assyria—Babel was the portion of Nimrod his son; for Havilah, see chapter 2:11, there was, however, a Havilah, son of Shem, also we have those who with Tarshish attended Gog for spoil—Sheba and Dedan.
In verses 7 and 8 we have instances how this genealogy supplies us with two things—the great families which appear again in the latter days, and the detail of families by which God's purposes, and Satan's plans and wickedness were brought about in the course of events. This Nimrod has much to be noted in character; note also—as in Cain—the city building. The whole character—the city building is nowhere else.
Chittim or Kittim, we are familiar with; Elishah, Riphath and Ashkenaz alone are not expressly mentioned in the latter day array. Mizraim is not mentioned with Gog—the land of Mizraim does not escape the willful king; Cush and Phut we have seen with Gog. Lebim and Cushim are also connected with the willful king—the former from Mizraim, see verse 13. Canaan also is well known, only so far as it remained, in Sidon, etc.
Note the language as to Shem in verse 21, Elam, Asshur, Lud and Syria alone are spoken of Shem nationally, but he was the father of all the children of Eber. The three distinctive characters of the three are to be noted; is ga-dol (greater) certainly "elder"?
The purport of all this is obvious—only we remark Japheth haggadol—Elam, Asshur, etc.
In verse 32, they settled by breaking off from the parent stock, or settled branch. Note this principle of nations, consequent on Babel, was entirely a new one.
Note, "the Lord" comes in here; also note, even Shem's families come in after the curse of dispersion on the sons of Noah, for this chapter is the history of the sons, the government is there, Noah stands alone.
It is national, derived from families, the government of the Lord now, but then that as a consequence of the judgment on Babel. Here, in Shem now, one family is taken up, and progeny, not death, is noted in the catalog for, though under ruin, the Lord comes in as the Lord God of Shem, and this was now His way of blessing, i.e., as to the earth. But the order of God is here, the dates, families, and division of the earth—unity in evil—then Babel, Nimrod and Peleg give the three great types of this state of things.
We may also note that the characteristic title of the nations is consequent on the judgment on the public sin of the dispensation—the tower of Babel—for they are divided " after his tongue "; Japheth has the isles of the Gentiles, Ham is first great, Shem is noticed as younger, but the father of all those counted among the name of descent of God's people—their name among the peoples—" the Hebrews " say the Philistines.