Genesis 10:24

Gen 10:24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.

Ver. 24. And Arphaxad.] Held to be the father of the Chaldees.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:24 Shelah is unknown, but may be short for Methushelah (cp. 38:5, 11). • Eber was the ancestor of Abram the Hebrew (11:10-26); his name is at the root of the term “Hebrew” (see 14:13; 39:14; 40:15; 41:12; Exod 2:11; 3:18).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Arphaxad--The settlement of his posterity was in the extensive valley of Shinar, on the Tigris, towards the southern extremity of Mesopotamia, including the country of Eden and the region on the east side of the river.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 24. Salah] The founder of the people of Susiana.

Eber.] See Ge 10:21. The Septuagint add Cainan here, with one hundred and thirty to the chronology.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(24) Arphaxad begat Salah.—Heb., Shelah. The rest of the chapter is devoted to giving an account of the settlements of the Joktanite Arabs, who formed only one, apparently, of the races sprung from Arphaxad, as in this table even the Hebrews are omitted, although Eber’s birth is given with the view of showing that the right of primogeniture belonged not to Joktan, but to Eber. The name Arphaxad, as we have seen (Gen_10:22), at present defies all explanation. For the rest, see the Tôldôth Shem, Gen_11:10-26.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. begat Shelah] R.V. marg. “The Sept. reads begat Cainan, and Cainan begat Shelah.” This addition is followed in Luk_3:36.

Eber] See note on Gen_10:21. Eber is evidently the most important name in this genealogy. As the grandson of Arpachshad, his name stands geographically in some kind of connexion with Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad and Aram. Êber in the Hebrew means “on the other side of.” The ancestors of Israel are described as those who “dwelt of old time beyond the River” (êber ha-nâhâr = “on the other side of the Euphrates river”). See Jos_24:2.

24–30 (J). Genealogy of Shem

A section from J, who speaks not of peoples, but of individuals of the heroic age. See Gen_11:10-19 (P) for a duplicate mention of “Arpachshad, … Peleg.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Arphaxad begat Salah,.... Or Shelach which signifies "a sending forth"; that is, of waters: it is part of the name of Methuselah, given him by his father, as prophetic of the flood, see Gen 5:21 and Arphaxad, who was born two years after the flood, gives this name to his first born, as commemorative of it: according to some, from him are the Susians (g); and in Susiana is found a city called Sele, by Ptolemy (h); but this seems not to be a sufficient proof:

and Salah begat Eber; from whom, Josephus (i) says, the Jews were called Hebrews from the beginning; and which, perhaps, is as good a derivation of their name as can be given, and seems to be confirmed by Num 24:24 though some derive it from Abraham's passing over the rivers in his way from Chaldea into Syria; but be it so, why might not this name be given to Eber, as prophetic of that passage, or of the passage of his posterity over the Euphrates into Canaan, as well as Eber gave to his son Peleg his name, as a prediction of the division of the earth in his time? the Septuagint version of this text inserts a Cainan between Arphaxad and Salah, but is not to be found in any Hebrew copy, nor in the Samaritan, Syriac, and Arabic versions, nor in Josephus, see Luk 3:36.

(g) Vid. Bochart. Phaleg. l. 2. c. 13. col. 92. (h) Geograph. l. 6. c. 3. (i) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 4.)

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Begot Sale; either his son, or his grandson, by Cainan. See Luke iii. 36, where we shall examine this question; also chap. xi. 12. The copies of the Septuagint still extant, all assert that Cainan was the son of Arphaxad, in all the places where they are mentioned, both in Genesis and Chronicles; and though some endeavour to prove that this is an interpolation, inserted by a later hand, it is certain it was found in the Septuagint in the days of St. Luke, who confirms it by his authority, as all the copies both Greek and Latin, except a very faulty one which belonged to Beza, and is now at Cambridge, testify. Beza was so bold as to expunge the name. But before we allow of this freedom, we must be informed how St. Luke could adopt such an error, being, as he was, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost! See Salien, &c. (Haydock) --- Mariana asserts, that the Hebrew copies have been vitiated.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

24. The line of Arphaxad is now specially taken up, as that with which the narrative is mainly concerned. Salah, or Shelah, from שׁלח, to send forth, one sent; hence Shiloah, or Siloah, sent. Joh_9:7. Eber, or Heber, from עבר, beyond, that is, beyond the river, (Euphrates,) an emigrant. Both of these names seem to point to the migration of the Hebrew people from Aram westward. The name Hebrew, עברי, first occurs in Gen_14:13, in the phrase Abram the Hebrew, and seems to be derived from the same root, meaning “one coming from beyond,” (the river Euphrates,) that is, immigrant, pilgrim. So the Seventy understood the word, and, therefore, translated it ο περατης, one from beyond. (So Jerome, Theodotion, Chrysostom, Origen, Rosenmuller, Gesenius, Furst, Knobel.) In later years the term became narrowed to those who came from beyond the Jordan, that is, the Israelites proper, who dwelt west of the Jordan. (Furst.) The sacred historian is supposed by many to have traced the word Hebrew to the person Eber, making it a patronymic, in styling Shem the “father of all the children of Eber.” Gen_10:21. (So Gesenius.) But he calls the Hebrew people sons of Eber simply because the name Eber expresses their character; they were a pilgrim people, going forth by faith to a land that was not their own; wandering there for generations before they obtained possession, yet believing it theirs, (Heb_11:8-9,) and conquering it at last by divine help. They were owners of the land where they dwelt, not by original possession or conquest, but by faith. The word Eber expresses this distinguishing trait of the Hebrew people. Comp. Gen_12:1-2. Thus were they typical of the spiritual Israel, who are pilgrims and strangers here, but seek a heavenly country. Heb_11:13-14. This is the name by which the chosen people were designated by foreigners (see Gen_39:14; Gen_39:17, etc.) and by the Greek and Roman writers until the term Jew (from Judah) came into use. They called themselves Israelites, except when speaking of themselves to foreigners, or in contrast with foreigners. Gen_40:15; Exo_1:19; Exo_2:11; Exo_2:13. This trait made them a peculiar people.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Arphaxad begat Salah. The nation descended from him has not been identified, though their name, Extension," may imply that they were early colonists. And Salah begat Eber. The father of the Hebrews or Emigrants (vide ver. 21).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Arphaxad

Arphaxad was one of Shem's sons.

Peleg

Translators may add a footnote note that says: "The name Peleg means 'division.'"

the earth was divided

This can be made active. AT: "the people of the earth divided themselves" or "the people of the earth separated from one another" or "God divided the people of the earth" (See: Active or Passive)

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.