Genesis Rabbah 37

¹“The sons of Yefet: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Yavan, and Tuval, and Meshekh, and Tiras” (Genesis 10:2). “The sons of Yefet: Gomer, and Magog [and Madai]” – these are Africa, Germania, Madai. [“And Yavan, and Tuval and Meshekh”] – Macedonia, Isnia, and Tonia. “Tiras” – Rabbi Simon said: This is Persia. The Rabbis say: Thrace. “And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Rifat, and Togarma” (Genesis 10:3). “And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Rifat, and Togarma” – Asia, Adiabene, and Germania; Rabbi Berekhya said: Germanicia. “And the sons of Yavan: Elisha, and Tarshish, Kitim, and Dodanim” (Genesis 10:4). “And the sons of Yavan: Elisha, and Tarshish, [Kitim, and Dodanim]” – Hellas and Tarsus, Italia, and Dardania. One verse says: “And Dodanim” and another verse says: “and Rodanim” (I Chronicles 1:7). Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Ḥanin, Rabbi Simon said: Dodanim – because they were Israel’s cousins [ benei dodin ]. Rodanim – because they would come and oppress [ rodin ] them. Rabbi Ḥanina said: When Israel is ascendant, they say to them: ‘We are your cousins,’ and when they are in decline, they come and oppress them. ²“And the sons of Ḥam: Kush, and Mitzrayim, and Put, and Canaan” (Genesis 10:6). “And the sons of Ḥam: Kush, and Mitzrayim, and Put, and Canaan” –Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: We might have been under the impression that the family of Put was assimilated [into other nations]. But Ezekiel came and stated explicitly [otherwise]: “Kush, Put and Lud and all the intermingled people, Cub and the children of the land of the covenant, will fall with them by the sword” (Ezekiel 30:5). “And Kush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth” (Genesis 10:8). “He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said: Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord” (Genesis 10:9). “And Kush begot Nimrod” – that is what is written: “A meditation by David, a song that he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Kush Ben Yemini” (Psalms 7:1). Rabbi Yehoshua bar Neḥemya in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Yitzḥak: He said it corresponding to the [harsh] justice administered by that wicked one. But was Esau a Kushite? The meaning [of this description] is, rather, that he performed deeds like the deeds of [Kush’s son] Nimrod. That is what is written: “Therefore it is said:…Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord” is not written here, but rather, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter” (Genesis 10:9) – just as that one hunted [ensnared] people through their words, so, too, this one hunts [ensnares] people with their words. [They say:] ‘You [claim you] did not steal? Who stole with you? You [claim you] did not kill? Who killed with you?’ ³“He [ hu ] was a mighty hunter before the Lord” – there five instances of hu (meaning “he is” or “he was”) is used to introduce a description of a person just named. that are in a good sense and five instances of hu that are in a bad sense. [These are the bad ones:] “He was a mighty hunter before the Lord”; “He is Esau, father of Edom” (Genesis 36:43); “He was Datan, and Aviram” (Numbers 26:9); “He was King Aḥaz” (II Chronicles 28:22); “He was Aḥashverosh” (Esther 1:1). And five are in a good sense: “Abram, he is Abraham” (I Chronicles 1:27); “He was Moses, and Aaron” (Exodus 6:27); “He is Aaron, and Moses” (Exodus 6:26); “He was King Hezekiah” (II Chronicles 32:30); “He was Ezra, ascended from Babylon” (Ezra 7:6). Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Ḥanin: We have one that is even better than them all: “He is the Lord our God” (Psalms 105:7), meaning that His attribute of mercy is eternal. ⁴“The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erekh, and Akad, and Kalne, in the land of Shinar” (Genesis 10:10). “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erekh, and Akad, and Kalne” – Ḥeren, Nesibin, and Katosfin. “In the land of Shinar” – this is Babylon. Why was it called Shinar? Reish Lakish said: It is because all the dead of the Flood were deposited [ ninaru ] there. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because it is empty [ meno’eret ] of mitzvot, as there is no teruma , no tithes, and no Sabbatical year [there]. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because they [its inhabitants] would die in discomfort [ tashnik ], without a lamp and without a bath. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because their princes die as youths [ ne’arim ]. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because its princes look into the Torah while they are still youths [ ne’arim ]. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because it produced an enemy [ soneh ] and a foe [ ar ] of the Holy One blessed be He. Who is that? It is Nebuchadnezzar. “Ashur left that land, and he built Nineveh, and Rehovot Ir, and Kalah” (Genesis 10:11). “And Resen between Nineveh and Kalah; that is the great city” (Genesis 10:12). “Ashur left that land” – Ashur left that conspiracy [of Babel]. When he saw all of them coming to contest the Holy One blessed be He, he vacated his land. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You left four [cities], by your life, I will repay you by giving you four [cities]’: “And he built Nineveh, and Rehovot Ir, and Kalaḥ…and Resen” (Genesis 10:11–12). [Resen is] Telasar. But he [Ashur] did not do so [indefinitely]; rather, because it [the nation of Ashur] came and participated with them [the Babylonians] in the destruction of the Temple, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Yesterday you were a chick [ efroaḥ ] and now an egg? Yesterday you soared [ mafriaḥ ] with mitzvot and good deeds, but now you are shut in like an egg? That is astonishing.’ That is why [it is written]: “[Also Ashur has joined them]; they give a hand to the sons of Lot, Selah.” (Psalms 83:9) – for a curse [ levat ]. , a curse. Since you joined the others in destroying the Temple, you are cursed. “And Resen between Nineveh and Kalah …[that is the great city]” – we do not know whether Resen is the great city, or Nineveh is the great one. From what is written: “Nineveh was an exceptionally great city, a journey of three days” (Jonah 3:3), we see that Nineveh was the great city. ⁵“And Mitzrayim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehavim, and Naftuḥim” (Genesis 10:13). “And Mitzrayim begot Ludim…” – all of the coinages of Egypt are only with yam : , which spells yam [the sea]. Ludim – the Ludim of the sea [ Ludei yam ], Anamim – the Anamim of the sea [ Anamei yam ], as their names imply, Lehavim – the Lahav of the sea [ Lahav yam ], Naftuḥim – the Naftuḥim of the sea [ Naftuḥei yam ]. “And Patrusim, and Kasluḥim, from which the Philistines and the Kaftorim emerged” (Genesis 10:14). “Patrusim” – Parvitot. “Kasluḥim” – Pekusim. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Patrusim and Kasluḥim produced bachelors, these would steal the wives of those, and those would steal the wives of these. What emerged from them? Philistines – mighty, ] other lands. Kaftorim – dwarfs. ]. ⁶“And Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Ḥet” (Genesis 10:15). “And the Yevusites, and the Emorites, and the Girgashites” (Genesis 10:16). “And the Hivites, and the Arkites, and the Sinites” (Genesis 10:17). “And the Arvadites, and the Tzemarites, and the Ḥamatites and then the families of the Canaanites dispersed” (Genesis 10:18). “And Canaan begot Sidon… And the Hivites” – Ḥaldin; “and the Arkites” – Arka of Lebanon; “the Sinites” – Orthosia; “the Arvadites” – Aradus; “the Tzemarites” – Homs. Why does it call them Tzemarites? Yehuda bar Rabbi said: It is because they work with wool [ tzemer ]. The Ḥamatites – Epiphania. “The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you approach Gerar, until Gaza as you approach Sodom and Gomorrah and Adma and Tzevoyim, until Lasha” (Genesis 10:19). “The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon…[until Lasha] ” – until Callirhoe. ⁷“And to Shem, father of all the children of Ever, brother of Yefet the eldest, children were also born” (Genesis 10:21). “And to Shem, father of all the children of Ever…[brother of Yefet the eldest] ” – we do not know whether Shem is the eldest or Yefet is the eldest. From what is written: “These are the descendants of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and he begot Arpakhshad two years after the Flood” (Genesis 11:10), we see that Yefet was the eldest. “Two sons were born to Ever; the name of the one was Peleg, as in his days the world was divided, and the name of his brother was Yoktan” (Genesis 10:25). “Two sons were born to Ever; the name of the one was Peleg, as in his days the world was divided” – Rabbi Yosei says: The ancients, because they knew their ancestors [personally], would give names [to their children] on the basis of events [of their lives], but we, who do not know our ancestors, give names [to our children] after our ancestors. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: The ancients, because they utilized the divine spirit [of prophecy], would give names on the basis of events, but we, who do not utilize the divine spirit, give names after our ancestors. Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥalafta said: Ever was a great prophet, as he named [his son] on the basis of [future] events. That is what is written: “Two sons were born to Ever… [the name of the one was Peleg, as in his days the world was divided [ niflega ]].” Why was he named Yoktan? It is because he minimized [ maktin ] himself and his affairs. What did he merit? He merited to produce thirteen families. If for the younger son who minimized his affairs it is so, for an older one who minimizes his affairs, all the more so. Similarly, “Israel extended his right hand, and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, who was the younger [ hatza’ir ]” (Genesis 48:14) – Rabbi Huna said: From the report of their births, do we not know that he [Ephraim] was the younger? The explanation [for repeating the information here] is that he used to downplay [ matz’ir ] his affairs. What did he merit? He merited the birthright. If the younger one who downplayed his affairs merited the birthright, an older one who downplays his affairs, all the more so. ⁸“And Yoktan begot Almodad, and Shelef, and Ḥatzarmavet, and Yeraḥ” (Genesis 10:26). “And Yoktan begot Almodad, and Shelef, and Ḥatzarmavet” – Rabbi Huna said: There is a place named Ḥatzarmavet, [and it is so called] because they eat leeks and wear papyrus garments, and anticipate death every day. Rabbi Shmuel said: They do not have even papyrus garments. “Their dwelling was from Mesha, as you approach Sefar, the mountain of Kedem” (Genesis 10:30). “Their dwelling was from Mesha” – Elazar ben Pinḥas said: Mesha is death. Media is ill. Eilam and Govevei are dying. Ḥevel Yama is the sky blue wool of Babylon. Tzor and Tzayar are the sky blue wool of Ḥevel Yama. Rabbi Yehuda says: Mesopotamia is like the Exile in terms of lineage. “As you approach Sefar” – Tafrei. “The mountain of Kedem” – the mountains of the east.